Hungary 2

The organ of the 19^th century Church of the Immaculate Conception was made by Ludwig Moser in 1854 (II, p, 16). The front was designed by Miklós Ybl, the architect of the Budapest Opera! The organ was played by Liszt in 1856, then staying in Esztergom (plaque).

Esztergom was the cradle of the Hungarian Christianity and Kingdom (late 10^th to mid-13^th century) and is still the seat of the Primate of the Roman-Catholic church. The medieval site on Castle Hill was destroyed by the Turks; a new cathedral was built there and consecrated in 1856 with a Mass by Liszt, the Graner Messe (plaque). The organ by Ludwig Moser is as enormous as the building (5 manuals, pedal and 140 stops). And so is the full name of the cathedral: ‘Primatial Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed into Heaven and Saint Adalbert’.

A Liszt monument, facing the cathedral, was erected in 1986.

Crossing from Esztergom the new Mária Valéria Bridge (2002), one reaches Slovakia; turn left to Komarno, in Hungarian Komárom. The great operetta composer Franz Lehár was born there in 1870. His birthplace at Gustav Stejner street is not extant, but a monument was erected in the park named after him. The Danube bridge here brings you back to Hungary.

The church has a fine organ from 1781 by J.I. Zeisky (III, p, 13).

The fine positive organ in Our Lady’s Chapel of the splendid Benedictine abbey was probably made by G. Burkhardt around 1750 (I, - ,6). The Basilika acquired a new organ in 1990 (III, p, 41).

The former Camaldolese monastery or hermitage is a touristic complex today, but between 1828 and 1973, the detached monk’ cells were occupied by members of the Esterházy family. In the central building is a music room and the carillon of the church tower plays fragments from the Harmonia Coelestis, a collection of 55 cantatas, arranged according to the church calendar and composed by Pál Esterházy (1635-1713), the founder of his family’s glorious music tradition. The music was published in Vienna in 1711.

Photo Batomi

Beethoven was the piano teacher of Therèse and Josphine Brunswick in Vienna; he came on friendly terms with the family and visited this manor house in 1799 and 1800. The baroque building was later rebuilt in neo-gothic style, but the church is unchanged. There is a Beethoven exposition.

A grim Beethoven stands on a little isle in the vast park where open air concerts are held.

Lake Balaton

The operetta composer Imre Kálmán [Emmerich Kalman] was born here in 1882 as Imre Koppstein. In the 1930s he moved to Western Europe and he died in 1957 in Paris. His best known works are Gräfin Maritza and Die Czardasfürstin.

The Kálmán bust is near the open air theatre Szabatéri Színpad  in the Millennium Park.

The splendid furniture, including the organ case, of the church of the Benedictine abbey was made between 1753 and ’79 by the Austrian brother Sebastian Stuhlhoff. The present organ interior is from a later date. The church is an attractive concert venue during the touristic season.

A small organ in a small church: it is from 1745 by an anonymous maker, has five stops and is kept in its original state.

The villa of the poet and writer Mór Jókai and – later – the singer and actress Lujza Blaha is now a museum in which also some materials about Ferenc Erkel can be found.

Plaque relating to the operetta János Vitéz by Pongrác Kacsóh (1904), after an epic poem by Petőfi. The nationalistic operetta about the counsellor of king Matthias Corvinus is still popular.

Birthplace of the composer Karl Goldmark (1830-1915), the composer of some still popular works, incl. the opera Die Königin von Saba and the symphonic poem Ländliche Hochzeit. The plaque was installed in 1910, therefore during Goldmark’s life.

Plaques of Kacsóh and Goldmark add lustre to the entrance hall of this cultural centre.

Count Georg Festetics (1755-1819) founded a circle of intellectuals (Helicon), an agricultural school (Georgicon), a fine library (with Goldmark archive) and a music school, still extant in the castle. Concerts are given in the mirror hall. A Goldmark monument is in the park.

Birthplace of the composer Ferenc Farkas (1905-2000). His oeuvre compasses all genres, including over seventy film scores. Himself a pupil of Respighi, which explains the richness of his orchestral palette, he became the teacher of the avant-gardists Ligeti and Kurtág.

This palace, initially built around 1720, was later on expanded into the splendid summer residence of count Nikolaus Esterhazy, the patron of Josef Haydn from 1761 to 1790. Haydn and his musicians had to stay here during the summer months. His music sounded (and still sounds!) in the concert hall, where in the autumn of 1772 the Farewell Symphony led to the longed for homeward journey of his orchestra. The theatre of Haydn’s opera performances was unfortunately demolished. During the last restoration, the traditional Maria Theresia-yellow was changed into white.

Haydn and his wife had an apartment in an annex of the Eszterháza palace from 1769 until 1790. Now it houses a music school and a modest Haydn museum in his quarters. One of the panels shows the drafts of the vanished theatre.

This fascinating abandoned stone quarry is used for theatre performances.

House of Karl Goldmark from 1842 to 1844.

The young Liszt appeared in 1820 in the Casino which occupied this building. Now it houses a museum about Sopron’s musical history. On the square is a Liszt monument.

The former Esterházy palace is a mining museum now. In the garden are a Haydn pavilion and a Haydn monument, remembering his appearances here.

 Franz Liszt gave a recital here in 1840.

Photos P. v.Korlaar

Liszt appeared here in 1840 and 1881.

Photos P. v.Korlaar

The organ of the St. George’s church is from the early baroque era, a rarity in Hungary. It was made by Johann Wöckherl in 1633 with 1 manual and 10 stops. A second manual and 8 more stops were added in 1957 by Joh. Seidl, while the original stops were left untouched.

The Liszt Szalon is a café with Liszt exhibits, referring to his tours, and a huge wall painting of the composer among his admirers. It is in the former Eggenberg-ház, into which the protestants moved their services from St. George’s church after the latter was sold to the Jesuits in 1674.

During his visits in Sopron, Haydn stayed in the former inn Fehér Ló [white horse].

Here stood the inn Arany Szarvas [golden deer], in which Strauβ’ operetta Eine Nacht in Venedig was composed in 1883. In the present hotel is a showcase devoted to the composer Béni Egressy and his setting of Vörösmarty’s nationalist poem Szózat [appeal], which became the ‘second national anthem’ of Hungary (just like Va, pensiero in Italy!). Egressy (1814-1851) was also the librettist of Erkel’s chief works Hunyadi László and Bánk Bán.

Béla Bartók gave a concert in Sopron in 1905 and stayed in this house of doctor Lájos Poszvék, then the vice-president of Sopron’s cultural society.

The operetta composer Franz Lehár spent his youth in this house.

The cathedral of Pécs obtained an organ by Angster in 1886, originally III, p, 52; later on extended into IV, p, 71. It was restored in 1974.

Jószef Angster, a pupil of Cavaillé-Coll, established an organ factory in Pécs in 1866. His first organ here was finished in 1869 for the local synagogue. The firm was continued by his descendants until the nationalisation in 1949. It has produced 1300 organs and 3000 harmoniums.

Liszt looks out over the street from a balcony of the Bishop’s palace, a metallic sculpture from 1983 by Imre Varga.

Park with Kodály monument by Imre Varga, 1976.

The former inn ‘White Swan’ was visited by Liszt in 1846.

Béla Bartók gave a concert in the Pannonia hall in 1923.

The beautiful Synagogue has an organ by Angster, 1869, ; II, p, 24

Former inn and casino ‘Black Elephant’, where Liszt stayed and played in 1846, ‘65, ’70 and ’76 (plaque). Since 1955 it is a music school. The Liszt memorabilia were moved to the County hall.

The County hall from 1828 houses a small Liszt museum on the first floor, including many documents and a Beregszászy grand piano which Liszt played.

This church was built in 1802-06 and devoted to the Assumption of Mary. The organ is by Angster (1875) and a plaque mentions that Liszt played it, but his Szekszárd Mass for male choir and organ from 1869 – obviously intended for this church – was not performed here till 1980!

In the central hall of the baroque Archbishop’s palace is the piano Liszt used at his appearances here. The organ in the chapel should be from 1780 (not verified). Sometimes concerts are given.

The great composer, ethnomusicologist and teacher Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) was born here as son of a station master. Because his real birthplace is not extant, the plaque is at the railway station.

Monument of Kodály’s composition Psalmus Hungaricus (triptych by Zsuzsanna Szemők, 2007). The address is not quite clear; possibly on neighbouring Szabadság tér.

photos szoborlap.hu

Kodály was a pioneer of basic music education. Being convinced that group singing serves as the best basis for the development of musicality, Kodály composed numerous educational choral works and crossed the country to promote his ideas – with much success: the ‘Kodály method’ became a firm element of the curricula of many Hungarian schools and also found response abroad. From 1975, the ‘Kodaly Institute’ in a former monastery continues the promotion of his method. It has a small exhibition about Kodály’s life and work.

The about 2000 instruments of this museum, established in 1979, form the greatest collection of musical instruments in Hungary. The exhibits come from over the world and from three centuries, with the emphasis on Hungarian folk. Unlike in other museums, the visitors are encouraged to touch and play them. cf. www.hangszergyujtemeny.hu

The National Theatre of Szeged from 1883 is another example of the numerous theatres by the architects Fellner & Helmer. It has 480 seats and offers drama, opera, ballet and concerts. It is also used during the yearly folk dance festival, which takes place in July, mainly outdoors at Dugonics tér.

The Szegedi mise [mass] by Ernő Dohnanyi was written for the consecration in 1930 of this votive church and its new Angster organ, a huge instrument in a huge building. The 136 stops are divided over four cases – the main organ on the balcony, one in the dome and two in the sanctuary. A planned fifth organ in the crypt, with 25 more stops, was cancelled.

The open air theatre with 6000 seats facing the votive church is the stage for the yearly Summer Festival, two months full of theatre and music in all genres; a performance of Cavalleria Rusticana in 1935 was conducted by Pietro Mascagni himself. There is also a Pantheon with 80 busts of celebrities, including Liszt, Erkel and Bartók.

This museum in a former Palace of Education from 1896 shows a wealth of folk art objects, including a collection of bagpipes, other folk instruments and original phonograph recordings by Bartók.

In the Móra Park is a monument of Bartók.

Birthplace of the composer Ferenc Erkel (1810-1893), the creator of the national opera. Hunyadi László (1844) and especially Bánk Bán (1861) are still popular. The house displays original furniture, instruments and many documents, referring to him and to his musical sons Gyula, Elek, Lászlo and Sándor; Lászlo was one of Bartók’s teachers.

An old maple or plane tree in the castle park was a favourite spot of young Erkel and was baptized Erkel fá [Erkel tree], with a plaque of Bank Bán.

Liszt stayed in 1883 and 1884 with count Géza Zichy, a one-handed pianist, poet and composer, whose palace still can be visited.

The Miskolc National Theatre offers drama and opera, the latter especially during the yearly opera festival in June. Annex to the theatre is a museum of theatre history (Szinháztörténeti Muzeum).

The village of Tura commemorates at two locations the fieldwork by Bartók here in 1906, during which he collected over 150 songs and instrumental pieces. The first plaque is at the Community centre on this address; of the second, which was unveiled in 2006 at a former Haraszti Major, no address is available.

Headquarters of the yearly Húsvéti Fesztival during the Easter weekend, with ample folk song and dance. Also the ‘Vintage Parade’ in September will be full of folklore. The whole village is on Unesco’s World Heritage list, offering predominant examples of traditional rural architecture.