CATALOGUE OF THE PERMANENT EXHIBITION János Kárpáti: Ferenc Liszt's pianos in the Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum in Budapest (1986)

Impressum Mária Eckhardt: Introduction Dezső Legány: Liszt's homes in Budapest (1984) János Kárpáti: Ferenc Liszt's pianos in the Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum in Budapest (1986) CATALOGUE Bibliography List of abbreviations

Liszt's pianos deserve special attention among the memorabilia of the Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum since these beautiful and authentic instruments, which even today can still be played, in a way bear witness to Ferenc Liszt's legendary piano playing - at least concerning their sound qualities, tone colour and action. Much of importance has already been said about Liszt's pianos in Hungary by György Gábry and Sz. Márta Farkas.1 The job of the present writer is merely to discuss the pianos in the possession of the Academy of Music, and to survey their history. The most valuable items in the Liszt-Museum of the Academy are the two Chickering pianos presented by the American firm to Liszt and a Bösendorfer piano which is known to have been in Liszt's drawing-room and which he played most frequently in his old age. In the 19th century Chickering was one of the most important piano makers in the United States. Jonas Chickering founded his workshop in Boston in 1823, at first making Tafelklaviers and miniature pianos. Jonas Chickering's invention, the use of a full iron plate which allowed a higher tension of the strings and which he patented in 1843, gave immense impetus to the development of the factory. His pianos had great volume and rich tone colour and were also favourably received in Europe. At the 1867 World Fair in Paris Chickering won one of the Gold Medals and he was awarded the Legion of Honour by Napoleon III. The firm reached the apogee of its fame in the 1870s and 1880s when it proved to be Steinway's only real rival. Close competition and other financial difficulties contributed to a slow decline at the turn of the century, the result being fusion with the American Piano Co. (now Aeolian American Corporation) in 1908. It was not only business acumen that moved Charles Francis, the son and successor of the founder Jonas Chickering, but also a piano maker's ambition, to round off the success achieved in Paris in 1867 with confirmation by the greatest piano virtuoso of the time. He wanted to win over Liszt who at that time spent most of his time in Rome. He therefore had the prize-winner piano taken to Rome and made a present of it to Liszt. In a letter dated December 8th, 1867 Liszt wrote to A. Giacomelli, the founder of Presse théatrale, in connection with the ceremonial presentation of the piano: "The small speech you wish to address me on the consignment of Mr. Chikering [sic] is as clear and precise as it is interesting. Mr. Poznanski will be welcome - and I shall do my best not to remain too much under an obligation to Mr. Chikering... When Mr. Poznanski arrives I shall ask him to make me acquainted with Madame Chikering whom I have not had the pleasure of meeting so far."2 The ceremonial gift was made at the end of December - most probably in the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Chickering - which is born out by a letter Liszt wrote on September 8th, 1868, almost a year later, to Carl Alexander, the Grand Duke of Weimar: "Excuse me, your Highness, for the long break in the correspondence... A superb American piano which was brought here for Christmas by the maker himself was the pretext for a growing flood of visits..."3 In fact, there is already a report of the much admired piano in Rome dated January 1868. On the 13th Liszt wrote to Jessie Laussot: "One may apply to the Chikering piano - without wanting to shock anybody - the famous expression used for the gun of Chassepot: it works miracles in Rome. Everybody mentions it talking to me, and would like to see and hear it. One of my friends, an archeologist, calls it the Colosseum of pianos!"4 But the piano did not remain long in Rome. Since its huge size caused difficulties in accommodating it, the Chickering piano was sent into the manor-house of Baron Augusz at Szekszárd, Hungary as suggested by the Princess Carolyne Wittgenstein. In the unpublished correspondence between the Princess and Antal Augusz the first mention of the American-made piano is dated January 1871 and by December 16th agreement seems to have been reached concerning transport. "It is a masterpiece of the industry of the United States which was awarded a prize at the 1867 World Fair of Paris and given to Liszt afterwards... It would only be right that these data be engraved... on a metal plate inlaid into the upper part of the lid so that this instrument may be preserved henceforward as a historical document in much the same way we preserve in Weimar the instruments on which Mozart and Beethoven played which Spina gave to Liszt in Vienna."5 Liszt himself disposes the objects to be sent to Hungary in a letter to Baron Augusz dated April 7th, 1872 as follows: "Enclosed please find the instructions concerning the piano by Chikerey [Chickering], the piano-harmonium by Erard-Alexandre and the toy glass harmonica (le joujou d'harmonica en verre)6... The Chikering is destined for Szekszárd where the harmonica may keep it company as a mongrel does in the lion-house (as was done once in the zoological and botanical gardens of Paris.)"7 Finally let me quote an additional, short, but by no means insignificant, reference by Liszt to his pianos, in a letter addressed to C. F. Weitzmann on May 24th, 1878: "... the piano by Chikering I used to play on in Rome is now displaying its splendour [steht nun glänzend] in Hungary."8 After Liszt's death, the Baroness Augusz in April 1887 transferred the Chickering piano, together with the glass harmonica, to the Academy of Music, acting thereby in the spirit of a will embodied in a letter.9 Concrete evidence on its subsequent fate is astonishingly scarce and will be given later, in connection with the other piano by Chickering. Some data of construction should, however, be mentioned at this point. The range of this concert grand piano of 254 cm is seven and a third octaves. It has a richly carved rosewood case. The action is English, parallel strung, provided with two pedals and a cast-iron frame. The construction number 30.540 makes it likely, on the basis of other known construction numbers, that it was built in 1867. It is conceivable that the factory made this particularly decorative instrument specially for the World Fair. It is not in a good state of repair. There is a crack along its entire sound-box. This may have been the reason for its not being continually maintained. It was rather meant to decorate the principal's office. Its restoration has recently been carried out in the workshop of the Academy of Music. The other Chickering piano in the Academy of Music collection was explicitly built for Liszt which is also born out by the dedication set in the keyboard cover: "Chickering & Sons ? F. Liszt". The work number 50.080 of the piano allows one to conclude that the year of manufacture was either 1879 or 1880. Only one item survives of the correspondence related to the gift: Liszt's letter to Chickering dated September 30th, 1880 from the Villa d'Este in which he accepts the gift and decides that it should be taken to the Academy of Music in Budapest.10 The date of the piano's arrival is unknown but, to all appearances, it must have already been here in the spring of 1881. Two letters by Liszt written concurrently to Erkel and Ábrányi with instructions concerning the piano are dated May 21st and 22nd, respectively. The somewhat more ample text of the letter to Ábrányi reads: "I am writing Ferenc Erkel, the honoured principal of the Royal Hungarian Academy of Music, that Chickering's piano, this outstanding and generous gift from America, should be placed in the concert hall in Sugár út (Radialstrasse). After my impending death this piano will belong, with all my Budapest possessions, to the Royal Hungarian Academy of Music."11 The Chickering piano was thus installed in the concert hall of the Academy of Music next to the two Bösendorfer pianos, as reported in the March 22nd, 1881 issue of the Fovárosi Lapok.12 On the evidence of the Zenészeti Közlöny it was played on by Aladár Juhász at a public concert given by Liszt's pupils on April 1st, 1882.13 It is highly probable that the two Bösendorfer pianos and the Chickering provided a choice on the stage of the concert hall for concerts held there; August Stradal so described the place in 1884.14 Kornél Ábrányi wrote: "The extremely valuable and masterly built piano sent by the famous American firm of Chickering as a token of its admiration stood in the large organ and concert hall connecting with the drawing-room. However, he only rarely played on it."15 In addition to written documents there is also pictorial evidence, a contemporary drawing made by Kászoni on the basis of sketches by the designer, Sándor Fellner. This well-known picture published by Füssmann, Mátéka and Prahács shows a piano with visibly curved legs which undoubtedly identifies it as an instrument built by Chickering.16 After Liszt's death the personal possessions in his Pest rooms met with an unhappy fate as Margit Prahács reports.17 The Chickering piano, together with Liszt's library and some important pieces of furniture were, however, transferred to the Academy of Music, in accordance with his will which was included in the above mentioned letter. The 1886/87 year-book of the Academy of Music reports on the acquisition of both Chickering pianos.18 The question arises what happened to the two instruments later on, where they were stored and how they were used. The second Chickering piano must have remained in the concert hall right up to the Academy's move to a new building. The first Chickering piano was perhaps placed in the principal's office after being brought to Pest from Szekszárd. That at least is my guess. The custom that this splendid piano should decorate the principal's office may date from that time. But how were things arranged in the building on Liszt Ferenc square? One of the pianos may have been permanently installed in the principal's office. But what of the other? We do not know. It is common knowledge that on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Music Academy in 1925 Jeno Hubay established a Liszt room in the corner-room on the first floor. The plan was carried out by Kálmán d'Isoz, then chief librarian of the National Museum. On the evidence of the catalogue neither of the Chickering pianos were, however, among the exhibits.19 The 1927/28 year-book contains the following relevant announcement: "Our institution received a donation of considerable value this year: the American piano maker Chickering & Sons made a $1,500 gift to the Academy of Music, to be the Liszt-Chickering Foundation in consideration for the Academy of Music having handed over to the firm the two pianos from the Liszt estate in its possession for concert and exhibition purposes."20 Innumerable insertions on the sound-chest and the beams of one of the instruments - the name of the tuners, repairers and artists - attest to the American "tour" of the two Chickering pianos. The route of the instruments may be followed fairly precisely from New York, where they arrived in October 1927, through Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Idaho and California back to New York where the last entry was made in September 1928. The return of the instruments is attested by a December 21st, 1928 entry in the register held in the Archives of the Academy: "We shall apply for exemption from duty for the two Chickering pianos returned from New York".21 A newspaper story even exists about one of the public "appearances" of the second piano in Muskegon, Michigan.22 The most important known fact is, however, that at the first showing of the piano in the Carnegie Hall of New York it was played by Josef Lhevinne. It is reported as follows: "He performed the announced programme on an ordinary piano... then he went over to a decorated brown piano and played the Liszt's Liebestraum. The piano, the sound of which is still forceful and soft, was one of Liszt's own Chickering pianos."23 The first Hungarian Liszt exhibition, where one of the Chickering pianos was also displayed to the general public, was the large memorial exhibition organized by Dénes Bartha in the National Museum in 1936. The catalogue entry reads as follows: "139. Piano by Chickering; from Ferenc Liszt's rooms in Pest".24 A picture-book published by Füssmann and Mátéka the same year raises additional questions since, in connection with the drawing depicting the concert hall of the one-time Academy of Music, there is a remark that the piano shown there is presently held in the office of the principal of the Academy of Music.25 It cannot be excluded that the instrument was lent for the duration of the exhibition but it is also conceivable that the principal's room already then contained - as it did till the opening of the Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum - the other Chickering piano. Margit Prahács also contributed to the mix-up between the two instruments. She mentioned the principal's office as the place of the second Chickering piano both in her 1959 article on Liszt's possessions and in the volume Franz Liszt, Briefe aus ungarischen Sammlungen printed in 1966. Nevertheless, it is generally known - and also born out by her second catalogue dated 1968 - that this instrument was already in the Liszt room in the sixties.26 There was good reason why the second Chickering piano was used for concert purposes. This instrument shows all the changes that manufacturing technology underwent in the 1870s, namely almost all the construction devices recognized as modern in our day. Consequently, the action and the sound of the one hundred year old piano by Chickering more closely resemble present-day pianos than its predecessors thirty years older. This concert grand piano is 260 cm long, has a range of seven and a third octaves, carved legs and a rosewood case. Its great novelty in comparison with the piano of 1867 is the over-stringing and the presence of three pedals. The middle pedal is, in fact, a divided damper lever which, when depressed, lifts the dampers in the treble only. In such a way the dynamics of the relatively weak treble sounds can be increased. The action is extremely sensitive and repeats perfectly. The lack of balance in certain registers and the feebleness of the treble may be explained by the age of the instrument. It must be added, however, that in the topmost octave and a half there is a crack on the bridge which we did not dare to touch during restoration. It is all the more astonishing that it keeps the pitch for a relatively long time after tuning. One of the most interesting features of the instrument is that the exceptionally long iron-clad strings give a beautiful sound. Nevertheless, there is no possibility of playing a genuine fff. In conclusion it must be mentioned that the keys are shorter than those on modern pianos so that the performer is sometimes forced to change the customary position of his hands. The instrument was restored at the instigation of a Swedish recording company who bore the cost. The record made was issued in the spring of 1984.27 The third, most significant instrument of the Liszt collection of the Academy of Music is described in Margit Prahács's 1968 catalogue as follows: "Piano by Bösendorfer from Liszt's rooms on the Sugár street which he used most frequently. It is 1.87 m long, has a range of seven octaves with Viennese action, straight strings, op.7561". Authenticity is beyond doubt. The following is carved into the sound-chest under the strings: "Dieses Klavier No. 7561 benutzte Dr Franz Liszt in seiner Wohnung in Pest vom Jahre 1880 bis zu seinem Tode (1886) J. N. Dunkl - Henri Gobbi - Gusztáv Chmel." ["This piano No. 7561 was used by Dr. Franz Liszt in his Pest apartment from the year 1880 until his death (1886): N. Dunkl - Henri Gobbi - Gustav Chmel."] A Hungarian text follows, repeated in German: "Ich beurkunde auf Grund des von mir unter Geschäftszahl 634/1887 aufgenommenen Protokolles dass Herrn Johann Nep. Dunkl Musikalienhändler, Herr Heinrich Gobbi Landes-Akademie Professor, Herr Gustav Chmel Klavierhändler, Budapester Einwohner und mir persönlich bekannt dieses Zeugnis vor mir eigenhändig unterschrieben haben. Budapest am elften 11 Juni Einthausendachthundertsiebenundachtzig 1887 ... Steinbach István közjegyzo (k. öff. Notar)" ["I attest on the basis of the protocol drawn up by me under file-number 634/1887 that Mr. Johann Nep. Dunkl, music dealer, Mr. Heinrich Gobbi, professor at the National Academy and Mr Gustav Chmel, piano dealer, resident in Budapest and personally acquainted with me have signed this document in my presence in their own hand. Budapest, 11 June eighteen eighty seven 1887... István Steinbach notary public"]. This piano is also mentioned in reports giving a more or less detailed description of Ferenc Liszt's rooms in 1885 and 1886, respectively. August Stradal's memoirs of 1885 state: "In der Mitte des Salons stand ein Bösendorfer Flügel..."28 ["A Bösendorfer grand stood in the middle of the drawing-room."] Kornél Ábrányi describes the place of the instrument in the last year: "... the Bösendorfer piano on which his students display their abilities day after day stands between two wardrobes"29. This permits us to suppose that this instrument found its way there in 1880, when the rooms were furnished. Its earlier location and the date of its being taken from Vienna to Budapest are, however, so far unknown. Some conclusions may be ventured at, based upon contemporary press accounts. Reporting on the students' morning concert at the Academy of Music a journalist mentions in the March 22nd 1881 issue of the Fovárosi Lapok that two Bösendorfer pianos were on the stage. Could these two instruments be identical with the two Bösendorfer pianos which had been taken to Liszt's rooms in the Hotel Hungaria as reported on January 21st, 1880 by Egyetértés? "Liszt gave his first class on January 20th in his rooms in the Hotel Hungaria obtained for him by the Ministry. Liszt's rooms consisted of a bedroom and a drawing-room. The latter contains two large Bösendorfer pianos which the Viennese maker took there personally and installed in the place mentioned". (It is common knowledge that the building of the Academy of Music was already erected by January 1880 whereas the furnishing of Liszt's rooms was completed only the following year.) The only reliable source would be the work book of the Bösendorfer firm. To my greatest regret I must state that this document is very defective, particularly as far as the pianos donated to Liszt are concerned. This was already pointed out by Márta Sz. Farkas. Not only do the pianos delivered in 1880 defy identification but even the piano in Liszt's possession with the existing work number 7561 is not mentioned in the firm's workbook.3O The serial number does fit in with that of the pianos built in 1873. It is thus possible, that this instrument was specifically made for Liszt and taken to Liszt's rooms on Hal square (Fisch-Platz) at that time already or later. At any rate, a letter to Bülow bears witness that two pianos by Bösendorfer were present there.31 Liszt had a high opinion of the products of the Bösendorfer factory and entertained a cordial relationship with Ludwig Bösendorfer from 1870 onwards, as numerous letters show.32 The outstanding piano maker was well aware of the fact that the instruments given to Liszt - either in Rome or in Budapest - would help the good name of his firm since the rewarding friendship of Ferenc Liszt meant the greatest recognition a piano maker could dream of. ________________________________________________________________ Notes: 1 Gábry: "Franz Liszts Klaviere" 1978, pp. 389-403; Sz. Farkas: "Zongoratörténeti adatok..." 1980, pp. 285-300. 2 Br. VIII, No. 158. Liszt consistently spelled the name of the American piano maker as "Chikering". La Mara omitted the last two sentences of the letter. I am indebted to Geraldine Keeling for the present information (Cf. Whitacre, Liszt letters in Paris, 1977, p. 61 - Biblioth?que Nationale No. 43.) 3 Br. VIII, No. 164. 4 Br. II, No. 62. 5 Prahács: Franz Liszt. Briefe, 1966, note to No. 476, p. 418. 6 A glass piano of four octaves, made by Bachmann (Tours). 7 Csapó: Franz Liszts Briefe an Baron Anton Augusz, 1911, No. 83. - Csapó erroneously read the name "Chikering" as "Chikerey". 8 Weitzmann: Geschichte des Clavierspiels, 1879, p. 295. 9 Az Országos Magyar Királyi Zeneakadémia Évkönyve, 1887, p. 65. 10 Unpublished letter, its description is in the Goethe and Schiller Archives, Weimar under shelf-mark 455/2. I owe this information to Geraldine Keeling. 11 Br. II, No. 278. 12 Cited in Legány: "Liszt Ferenc lakása a régi zeneakadémián", 1983, pp. 29-31. 13 Prahács: "A Zenemuvészeti Foiskola Liszt-hagyatéka", 1959, p. 449. 14 Stradal: Erinnerungen an Franz Liszt, 1929, p. 44. 15 Ábrányi: "Liszt Ferenczrol", 1886, pp. 562-569. 16 Füssmann - Mátéka: Franz Liszt, 1936, picture No. 275. 17 Prahács: "A Zenemuvészeti Foiskola Liszt-hagyatéka", 1959, pp. 429-431. 18 See footnote No. 9. 19 Isoz: Az Orsz. Magy. Kir. Liszt Ferenc Zenemuvészeti Foiskola Liszt-szobájának kalauza, 1925. 20 Az Országos Magyar Királyi Liszt Ferenc Zenemuvészeti Foiskola Évkönyve, 1928, p. 15. 21 The document is missing. 22 "Liszt Piano to be Heard in Recital", Muskegon Chronicle, May 24, 1928; "Musical Treat is Provided by Recital on Famous Piano", Muskegon Chronicle, May 25, 1928; "French Pianist to Use Liszt's Piano", Pocatello Tribune, April 8, 1928. 23 According to The New York Times on October 31st, 1927. Information provided by Geraldine Keeling. 24 Bartha: Liszt Ferenc Emlékkiállítás, 1936. 25 Füssmann - Mátéka: Franz Liszt, 1929, p. 44. 26 Prahács: "A Zenemuvészeti Foiskola Liszt-hagyatéka", 1959, p. 430; Prahács: Franz Liszt. Briefe, 1966, p. 418; Prahács: Liszt Ferenc Zenemuvészeti Foiskola, Liszt Ferenc Emlékmúzeum, 1968, Nos. 121 and 121/a. 27 Franz Liszt (piano pieces) played on Liszt's own piano by Dag Achatz. Grammofon AB BIS LP-244, Djursholm, Sweden. 28 See footnote No. 14. 29 See footnote No. 15. 30 See footnote No. 1. 31 "... deux superbes Bösendorfer qui ornent ma chambre..." Budapest, January 6th, 1876. Br. L.-Bü., No. 194. 32 In addition to the earlier known letters, cf. Suttoni: "Franz Liszt's Published Correspondence", 1979, pp. 191-234. Many so far unknown letters were published by Dezso Legány in his Franz Liszt. Unbekannte Presse und Briefe aus Wien, 1984.

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