William Penn Life, 2019 (54. évfolyam, 2-5. szám)
2019-02-01 / 2. szám
Tibor s Take Jl Liszt’s Legacy: The Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and two of his greatest followers, Béla Bartók (left) and Zoltán Kodály. forged with other musical greats of his time that molded a framework for producing a long list of musical pedagogues that were instrumental in teaching the majority of performers, conductors and composers of classical music to this very day. Interestingly, many of these great teachers were mostly Hungarian and were graduates of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest. Besides the music school in Budapest, Liszt opened a smaller version in 1872 in Weimar and is primarily responsible for helping to establish the New German School of Musical Theory. Furthermore, Liszt's relationships with Richard Wagner, Frederic Chopin, Edvard Grieg, Robert Schumann, Hector Berlioz, along with scores of other European greats of music, established Liszt as a regal figure in the world of musical culture. The ripple effects of these friendships can be discovered by the discerning eye and ear in reviewing the historical and literal records. As I have listened to and read about the people who composed, performed and taught within the realm of classical music, I have learned that many have had a connection to either Liszt or his schools or were tutored/taught by persons who had been students themselves at one of his academies. At one point, even receiving consideration to be a student of Franz Liszt would have been a compliment and to actually study with him, a dream. In Europe, once studies with Liszt were completed, a student would become an instant minor celebrity in their own right and would be appointed to a prestigious position with an orchestra of high acclaim. For example, Carl Lachmund spent three years in study with Liszt. He is the only American to have been given a personal letter of accolade and was considered Liszt's favorite student. Lachmund is also the only student of Liszt's who wrote an entire day-by-day diary of his lessons with the virtuoso. Liszt thought so highly of Lachmund that he gave him several personal items, including several locks of hair, cigars, manuscripts of music and other tokens of esteem. Lachmund returned to his home in New York City and founded both the Lachmund Conservatory of Music and the Women's String Orchestra and led several other orchestras throughout the United States. The list of Hungarian musical pedagogues inspired by or tutored by Liszt is numerous and includes such greats as József Joachim, Jenő Hubay, Zoltán Kodály, Béla Bartók, Fritz Reiner and (one of my personal favorites) Ede Reményi. For those who do not remember, I wrote about Reményi in a previous Take. To recap, Reményi is a remarkable man largely forgotten to history: he knew fluently over 10 languages, performed on all but one continent, participated in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, was a personal friend to Lajos Kossuth and was exiled to Turkey with him. Reményi even accompanied Kossuth to America in 1851-52 and was one of the first Hungarians to have taught advanced music theory in America. Like an expanding spider web, the list of Magyars who were connected to Franz Liszt is almost limitless and the list of musical greats who are not of Hungarian extraction is similarly impressive in number and name. It seems almost every time I delve into the stories behind the classical recordings that I listen to, a name of a Hungarian appears as a soloist, conductor, composer or guest star. Just as in mathematics, physics, cinematography and sports, Hungarians of distinction seem to appear in large numbers, often in the most unexpected of places. Over the next several months, I will try to delve into several more Hungarians who have made noteworthy contributions to the world of music. With a little bit of research, you can gain an insight to just how extensive the pedagogical legacy of Liszt really is. If you want to learn more, I suggest you start with the names mentioned in this month's Take. Better yet, start listening! Pick up a record or a CD and read the liner notes, or use a musical streaming service like Apple Music, Pandora, or Spotify, as each will curate and provide additional information on the songs as you listen. For example, you could begin with Franz Liszt, then Joachim, followed by Bartók, Kodály and Hubay. After that, pick and choose. Musical research is a great way to stay warm this winter, so bundle up and put on some great Hungarian tunes! Special thanks go to fellow Branch 28 member A. J. for rekindling my idea of writing about Liszt and his legacy. An almost endless list of composers, conductors and performers of Hungarian background have benefited from his teaching and inspiration. / Éljen a Magyar, Tibor II Tibor Check, Jr., is a member of Branch 28 and an attorney working in Washington, D.C. WILLIAM PENN LIFE 0 February 2019 0 7
