Music Museums in Germany

Franz Liszt Museum Bayreuth

Wahnfriedstraße 9
95444 Bayreuth

Phone +49.921.5166488
Fax +49.921.7572822

Web: www.bayreuth.de

Opening hours

September - June:
Daily 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
and 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

July and August:
daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

"What is our life but a series of preludes to that unknown song, the first and solemn note of which is sounded by death?" On July 31, 1886, Franz Liszt, who selected these words of Lamartine as the motto of his symphonic composition "Les Préludes," passed away in that house in whose rooms the Franz Liszt Museum of the city of Bayreuth is located today.

It was opened on October 22, 1993, the 182nd birthday of Franz Liszt. The basis for this museum is the extensive collection of the Munich pianist Ernst Burger comprising approximately 300 illustrations, manuscripts and prints, which was purchased in 1988 by the city of Bayreuth and since that time was supplemented by a series of loan collections from the Richard Wagner Foundation.

In the immediate vicinity of the Wahnfried House, the residential house of his son-in-law, Richard Wagner, this museum displays a complement of the documentation of the most significant epoch of the musical life in Bayreuth. The exhibition is geared to the life and work of Franz Liszt and is essentially organized chronologically. The phases of his life are summarized on biographical panels. A high-quality 5-channel audio system accompanies the visitor with music of Franz Liszt on his tour through the museum.

Germany possesses musical traditions and legacies of extraordinary value: Handel, Schuetz and Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, and Wagner - to mention only a few names - are composers who are known and treasured throughout the world. Their work has played a significant role in shaping a unique musical landscape.

Numerous orchestras, choruses, ensembles, renowned music festivals and series, music houses with museums, public archives and libraries, but also private collections preserve their musical heritage.

It is necessary to revitalize this inestimable fund again and again and to develop it for the present. At the same time, an important role befits the houses combined in the consortium of music museums of Germany. In them we encounter the work of the musicians and composers who have extraordinarily enriched the cultural nation of Germany. However, beyond the individual portrait, beyond the procurement of individual oeuvres, the music museums also contribute overall to the maintenance of musical tradition. The present brochure underscores this aspect of the synoptic presentation and invites the reader on a journey into the musical history of Germany. I hope this tour guide will be actively used and receive a large response.

Bernd Neumann, Member of the Lower House of the German Parliament
Minister of State with the Federal Chancellor
Commissioner of the Federal Government for Culture and Media

Quoted from: Foreword to the brochure "Music Museums in Germany", 2007.