History of the Liszt Society (3)
To point out a few of the multiple objectives:
It presses for the processing and publication of a scholarly and detailed History of Hungarian Music, the need for which has been long felt.
It
supports,
in
cooperation
with
other
relevant
institutions,
the
musical
endeavours
of
our
time,
and
the
advancement
of
our
young
performers and composers.
It
assists
in
searching
for
the
hidden
material
remains
of
the
Hungarian
musical
past,
in
ensuring
a
worthy
preservation
of
the
existing
ones,
and
in
setting
up
a
final
home
for
a
permanent
Liszt-Erkel
Museum.
The
most
felicitous
solution
to
this
would
be
provided
by
the
premises
of
the old Academy of Music.
Above
all
these,
it
takes
it
to
be
its
most
urgent
task
and
duty
to
support
the
tasks
of
preparation,
organization
and
promotion
in
connection
with
the
centenary
celebrations
for
our
100-yearold
Academy
of
Music
in
1975.
To
this
fine
end,
it
wishes
to
set
up
a
society
based
on
voluntary
association
and
activity,
some
of
the
members
being
professional
musicians,
but
in
the
main,
the
majority
of
them,
being
friends
of
music.
It
will
found
its
organizational
solution,
following
the
example
of
social
organizations
that
already
function
well,
on
the
broadest
strata
of
music lovers who identify themselves with the above goals.
To create its financial foundations, it has three sources in mind: membership fees, donations and support from other organizations.
The
idea
of
establishing
the
society
has
been
raised
in
friendly
conversations
with
the
heads
of
a
few
prestigeous
institutions,
and
to
our
genuine delight it has met everywhere with a unanimous response and support.
To sum up: The Ferenc Liszt Society will devote all its strength to bringing live musical culture closer to the broadest general public.
We ask for assent to our proposal and for authorization to begin our preparatory work.
your sincerely,
Budapest, September 1972
Bence
Szabolcsi,
Dénes
Kovács,
József
Ujfalussy,
János
Ferencsik,
Dezső
Keresztury,
György
Csanádi,
Miklós
Lukács,
Viktor
Vaszy,
Rezső
Trautmann,
Kálmán
Nádasdy,
Tibor
Sárai,
Kálmán
Kiss,
Pál
Pátzai,
Dr
Jenő
Rados,
Imre
Magyar,
Annie
Fischer,
József
Kocsis,
Miklós Forrai
"The
good
personal
relations
dating
back
to
the
Art
Ensemble
of
the
People's
Army
obviously
had
a
favourable
influence
on
the
minister,
and
the
long
list
of
musician
supporters
finally
convinced
the
omnipotent
contributor
to
the
Magyar
Zenészeti
Lexikon
authorities
of
the
party-state that it would be correct to support a cause which had hitherto been stubbornly opposed:
Minister of Culture 1575/1972. No. I.
Dear Comrade Forrai,
I
agree
to
the
formation
of
the
-Ferenc
Liszt
Society,
with
the
aim
of
nurturing
the
Liszt
cult,
to
the
commencement
of
the
organizational
work
concerned, and to the proposed statutes enclosed. Under the legal provisions, the inaugural meeting of the society may be convened […]
Budapest, December 15 1972
With
permission
received,
the
preparatory
committee
sent
out
the
following
letter,
signed
by
Dénes
Kovács,
Rector
of
the
Academy
of
Music
and Miklós Forrai, to representatives of the Hungarian musical, scholarly and artistic scene, Liszt enthusiasts and friends of music:
We are pleased to inform you that the Minister of Culture has assented to the reorganization of the I Hungarian
FERENC LISZT SOCIETY,
which
was
founded
in
1893.
Based
on
the
enclosed
objectives,
the
society
will
hold
its
inaugural
meeting
in
the
afternoon
of
May
15
1973,
at the Academy of Music. This will be followed by a gala concert of works by Ferenc Liszt.
We
respectfully
request
you
to
take
part
as
a
FOUNDING
MEMBER
in
the
establishment
and
subsequent
work
of
the
society.
We
look
forward to hearing from you, if possible within two weeks, in order to facilitate proper preparations.
Answers
to
the
letters
sent
out
poured
in,
as
clear
proof
of
the
avid
interest
of
the
general
public.
They
seemed
to
respond
to
the
same
question
that
the
19th
century
Hungarian
poet
Mihály
Vörösmarty
had
put
in
1841
in
his
ode
addressed
to
Liszt
-
"Have
you
a
word
for
the
ailing
land?"
-
and
to
answer
with
a
clear
affirmative.
Of
the
addressees,
101
considered
it
a
"great
honour"
to
be
invited
to
be
founding
members, 63 undertook to be so "with thanks", and many of them added an expression of agreement and delights.
The
inaugural
meeting
took
place
on
May
15
1973,
in
the
Small
auditorium
of
the
Ferenc
Liszt
Academy
of
Music.
It
declared
the
Ferenc
Liszt
Society
established,
adopted
the
statutes
after
certain
amendments
had
been
proposed,
and
elected
the
presidium
of
the
society.
Mme
Blandine
Ollivier
de
Prévaux,
a
great-granddaughter
of
Liszt's
from
Paris,
attended
the
meeting
and
was
elected
honorary
president;
Dénes
Kovács,
Rector
of
the
Academy
of
Music,
became
president,
Ministers
Dr
György
Csanádi
and
Dr
Rezső
Trautman
were
elected
co-
presidents,
and
Miklós
Forrai,
the
instigating
spirit
behind
the
rebirth
of
the
society
became
general
secretary,
a
post
he
held
until
the
autumn of 1991, when he was elected co-president.
The
fostering
of
the
intellectual
heritage
of
Ferenc
Liszt,
the
great
Hungarian
genius,
so
that
it
may
turn
into
a
public
cultural
possession
in
Hungary
and
abroad."
This
definition
contains
three
words
-
Hungarian,
intellect
and
culture
-
that
can
be
used
and
accepted
in
their
true
sense at last.
Rather than following events chronologically, let us now review how the tasks laid down in the statutes have been implemented.
The
National
Ferenc
Liszt
Society,
like
its
predecessors
in
the
last
century,
held
gala
concerts
every
year
to
mark
the
birth
of
Liszt;
this
tradition
has
been
revived
by
the
society
in
1973.
In
1975
it
founded
the
Grand
Prix
International
Liszt
du
Disque,
which
has
since
retained
a
prestigeous
place
in
the
world
among
record
companies
and
performers.
The
prizes
are
awarded
by
a
jury
of
noted
Hungarian
musicians
and music historians, and distributed each year in the Great Hall of the Academy of Music, before the gala Liszt concert.
A
select
list
of
the
prizewinning
conductors,
orchestras,
musicians
and
record
companies
demonstrates
dearly
the
high
rank
of
the
international Ferenc Liszt Grand Prix:
CONDUCTORS:
Sir Thomas Beecham, Leonard Bernstein, Antal Doráti, János Ferencsik, Herbert von Karajan, Riccardo Muti, Sir G. Solti.
ORCHESTRAS:
Concertgebouw
Amsterdam,
Berliner
Philharmoniker,
Boston
Sympony
Orchestra,
Hungarian
State
Symphony
Orchestra,
I
Hungarian
Itadio Orchestra, Orchestre dc Paris, Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
PERFORMERS:
Vocalists:
Hildegard
Behrens,
Hermann
Prey.
Organ:
Marie-Claire
Alain,
Jean
Guile.
Piano:
Claudio
Arrau,
Lazar
Berman,
Jorge
Bolet,
Alfred
Brendel,
Ferruccio
Busoni,
Georges
Cziffra,
Vladimir
Horowitz,
Leslie
Howard,
Jenő
Jandó,
Zoltán
Kocsis,
Maurizio
Pollini,
Dezső
Ránki, André Walls.
RECORD COMPANIES:
Decca,
Deutsche
Grammophon
Gesellschaft,
EMI-Angel,
EMI-Electrola,
EMI-Pathé
Marconi,
Hungaroton,
NipponColumbia,
Philips,
RCA,
Quintana.
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