Abstract

It is well known that Beethoven’s Ninth was followed by a temporary crisis in the genre of the symphony: the next generation found it difficult to get away from the shadow of this monumental piece. The Ninth was first performed in Hungary in 1865, more than 40 years after the world-premiere. We should add, however, that during the first half of the nineteenth century, no professional symphonic orchestra and choir existed in Pest-Buda that would have coped with the task. Although the Hungarian public was able to hear some of Beethoven’s symphonies already by the 1830s – mainly thanks to the Musical Association of Pest-Buda – in many cases only fragments of symphonies were performed. The Orchestra of the Philharmonic Society, founded in 1853, was meant to compensate for the lack of symphonic concerts. This paper is about the performances of Beethoven’s symphonies in Pest-Buda in the nineteenth century, and it especially it focuses on the reception of Symphony No. 9 in the Hungarian press, which cannot be understood without taking into consideration the influence of the Neudeutsche Schule (New German School).

Highlights

  • Founded in 1853 and still active today, the Orchestra of the Philharmonic Society (Filharmóniai Társaság Zenekara) was Hungary’s first professional symphony orchestra.[2]

  • That during the first half of the nineteenth century, no professional symphonic orchestra and choir existed in Pest-Buda that would have coped with the task

  • This paper is about the performances of Beethoven’s symphonies in Pest-Buda in the nineteenth century, and it especially it focuses on the reception of Symphony No 9 in the Hungarian press, which cannot be understood without taking into consideration the influence of the Neudeutsche Schule (New German School)

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Summary

ANTECEDENTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES

Founded in 1853 and still active today, the Orchestra of the Philharmonic Society (Filharmóniai Társaság Zenekara) was Hungary’s first professional symphony orchestra.[2]. 1853 6 6 4 3 3 2 1 2 2 2 4 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 45 from abroad.[11] The Musical Society of Pest-Buda (Pestbudai Hangászegyesület) was created in 1836 by Gábor Mátray, for the purposes of professional music-making; the Singing School of the Musical Society of Pest-Buda (Pestbudai Hangászegyleti Énekiskola) was established in 1839–1840; the two institutions merged into the Musical Conservatory of the Music Society of Pest-Buda (Pestbudai Hangászegyleti Zenede) in 1851.12 Members of the Music Society contributed significantly to the boosting of concert life both before and after the formation of the Philharmonic Society Among others, they made the Pest-Buda audience familiar with a series of orchestral works, including some of Beethoven’s symphonies. Higher education in music came into being in Budapest only in 1875, as the National Royal Hungarian Academy of Music (Országos Magyar Királyi Zeneakadémia) was founded

BEETHOVEN’S SYMPHONIES IN PEST-BUDA
BEETHOVEN’S NINTH
THE RECEPTION OF THE NINTH SYMPHONY IN THE HUNGARIAN PRESS

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