Il Concorso Liszt della Casa Boisselot di Marsiglia al Liceo musicale di Roma
Abstract
The unpublished correspondence between the Ministry of Public Education and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, preserved in the Archivio Centrale dello Stato in Rome, documents the annual events of the Liszt Competition (or Prize) at the Liceo Musicale of that academic institution between 1885 and 1891. The events of the competition are framed in the broader history of the Liceo Musicale, the teaching of piano in that institution and the careers of some competitors who later became concert pianists (Francesco Baiardi, Giuseppe Cristiani, Giuseppe Ferrata, etc.). The Liszt Competition was of considerable prestige, as evidenced by the Minister’s regular congratulations to the Academy directors and the winners. The prize of the competition consisted of a piano specially made by the company «Boisselot Fils & C.ie» in Marseille, managed by Franz Boisselot, a friend of Liszt, which went to the best performance of a work by Liszt played by a pupil of the Liceo’s advanced course held by Giovanni Sgambati. The proceedings of the Liszt Competition reveal many details, such as the compulsory pieces, commissioners, contestants and winners, gender issues; they also show how Sgambati’s teaching aimed at enhancing his students’ creativity and skills through free individual expression. In the absence of any information on the origins of the prize, the reasons for its establishment and its design, it is natural to think that Sgambati was its creator, also considering his friendly relations with Liszt.
