Symphony No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 45
Serenade in D Minor, Op. 36

This is our first Hungarian Romantic CD. Julius Beliczay is a truly sensational but forgotten composer who completely mastered the symphonic art. Much influenced by Robert Schumann and some believe his orchestrations are even better. We know numerous excellent composers who began their careers as an officer, official or doctor. However, it is quite rare that someone, in this case Beliczay, performed excellently in both civil duties and in music. He was an accomplished mathematician and he received a Master of Science and Engineering in 1857. He was employed as an engineer in a private railway company in Vienna. The company, founded in 1846, was responsible for the greater part of the expansion of the Hungarian railroad network. When the corporate management in 1871 moved to Pest he followed. The Ministry of Communications appointed him chief engineer within the four-year-old Hungarian State Railways (MÁV). The Government sent him to Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium to study the European rail services along with the music education system in these countries. In 1886, he left his position as a principal consultant. Thanks to the organization of the railway company, he was able to retire to devote himself exclusively to music. In 1888, he was appointed by Ödön Michalovich (Erkel's successor as headmaster at the Academy of Music) to become professor of composition. He became ill and resigned in 1892 and died April 30, 1893.