The Music Academy has a highly valuable collection of objects connected with Franz Liszt. Liszt was the founding president of the Academy, (founded in 1875) and he spent several months every year in Budapest until his death 1886 and taught the most talented piano students. His last official residence was on the first floor of the Old Music Academy building, which since 1986 has housed the Liszt Memorial Museum .
It was his will, that the instruments, books and scores he had in Budapest , after his death should be donated to the Music Academy . His pupils (e.g. Ödön Mihalovich, Jenő Hubay, István Thomán) contributed valuable documents to the collection. Other donations, purchases and legacies have also enriched the collection. The collection is administered by the Franz Liszt Memorial Museum and Research Centre, which is a branch of the Music Academy .
The collection consists of different kinds of items: instruments, personal objects, original manuscripts and copies of scores, letters and documents both original or copies, photographs, paintings, moulded and graphic art objects, small printed matter, press cuttings.
Of special interest and highly valuable for scholars and students is the library of books and scores, left by Liszt to the Music Academy, which (apart from other historical or Liszt-related books or scores) is owned by the Liszt Memorial Museum.. The Liszt estate contains 300 books and about 2500 scores; each of them is marked "Liszt estate" and is specially protected, as many of them contain original remarks by Liszt and/or dedications by his contemporary friends. The restoration of these rare and valuable items has been going on continuously for many years. A catalogue of these books and scores in Hungarian and English languages is published in the series of scientific publications of the Music Academy (1986, 1993). The items can be studied in the reading room of the Musico-historical Research Library; lending is not possible, however, copies can be ordered with the permission of the director of the Museum.
The Museum - in close cooperation with Musico-historical Research Library, supervised by the Central Library - is ready to assist students and researchers with its Liszt related database.
