Remembering two renowned Hungarian researchers
During this summer, two Hungarian musicologists have passed, whose activities are linked to Franz Liszt and the Liszt Museum as well.
Péter Scholcz (1941‒2020), contrabassist, conductor and musicologist acted as founder president, later permanent honorary president of the Dutch Franz Liszt Society. In 1986, it was this Society that launched the Utrecht Franz Liszt International Piano Competition. In the same year, on the occasion of the Liszt centenary, Scholcz received government recognition for promoting Liszt’s artistic legacy and performing his works. In 1997, his efforts to introduce Hungarian culture abroad earned him the Pro Cultura Hungarica prize. He pioneered in researching the oeuvre of Mihály Mosonyi (contemporary of Liszt, prominent figure in Hungarian musical life), especially the discovery of his church music, but his Capella Liszt Chamber Choir also performed and recorded Liszt’s vocal works.
László Eősze (1923‒2020), musicologist, pianist and musical writer acquired his international fame with volumes and studies on Wagner, Verdi and Kodály. Besides his academic and musical activities, he played a significant role in Hungarian music publishing as consultant editor, editor and chief editor, then as artistic director of the Music Publisher State Enterprise (legal predecessor of Editio Musica Budapest). Eősze initiated the New Liszt Edition and its research workshop, and having studied several Italian private and public collections, published a book entitled 119 római Liszt-dokumentum (119 Liszt Documents from Rome) in 1980. This volume treats, among others, part of the Sgambati‒Liszt estate, which came into Hungarian property (the library of the Institute for Musicology).
The Franz Liszt Memorial Museum and Research Centre preserves and cultivates their legacy, and pays tribute to their academic achievements.