18 May 2007

The idea of founding the Academy of Music first arose in 1869. The Hungarian parlia-ment approved the costs of establishing the institution in 1873, albeit a far more modest version of the original plan. In March 1875 Franz Liszt was appointed president of the Academy of Music and it opened its gates on 14 October the same year. Ferenc Erkel became the director of the Academy. The Academy’s first home was in an apartment block on the Danube embankment and it later moved to a building in Sugár Avenue (now Andrássy Avenue). Finally, it moved on 12 May 1907 to the Art Nouveau building which is today the home of the Academy of Music – the Franz Liszt University of Music. The 2,600 m2 building was designed by Kálmán Giergl and Flóris Korb. The foyer is colourfully and richly decorated, and the subdued lighting contributes to the feeling of reverence. The main concert hall is a fine example of early reinforced concrete construc-tion in Hungary and can seat over 1,200 people, while the performances in the more modestly finished small hall can be enjoyed by an audience of 400 people.

Franz Liszt (1811–86) was a major 19th-century Romantic composer and one of the greatest pianists of all time. He was a founder of the Academy of Music in 1875 and also its first teacher. The Franz Liszt University of Music named after him continues to have a strong international reputation today. In the lower half of the stamp design is the building of the Academy, while its well-known façade is shown in the upper half. A few aspects of its splendid interior adorn the first day cover: the foyer with István Zichy’s fresco with a Hungarian subject, the concert hall with the organ in the background and Aladár Kőrösfői-Krisch’s mural “The Source of the Arts”. The postmark depicts Franz Liszt, whose name the building bears. Sources: www.vendegvaro.hu; www.wikipedia.org; www.zeneakademia.hu

Order code:
2007100010011/stamp
2007100060012/FDC

Perforated size: 25 x 50 mm
Number of copies: 250,000 (50 stamps/sheet)
Date of issue: 18 May 2007
Printed by Pénzjegynyomda Zrt.
Face value: HUF 250
Designed by György Kara
Printing method: offset
Photo by István Mészáros