Liszt: Hungaria
In Liszt's symphonic poems, one finds inspiration from all sorts of sources, and certainly from his native Hungary. Liszt wrote many works with Hungarian themes:
6 Hungarian Rhapsodies for Orchestra;
The Legend of Saint Elizabeth (oratorio);
Rákóczi March for orchestra
Szozat and Hymnus for orchestra
2 Hungarian Marches for Orchestra
Fantasy on Hungarian Folk Songs for Piano and Orchestra
Hungarian Gypsy Melodies for Piano and Orchestra
Many works for solo piano, including 12 Hungarian Rhapsodies, Csárdás obstiné, Csárdás macabre, a cycle in honor of Hungarian personalities (Hungarian Historical Portraits), etc.
[The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 by Mihály Zichy]
Liszt was born in Hungary (then part of the Austrian Empire) in 1811, but it was not until 1839 that he returned to the country, where he was hailed as a champion of national identity amid the prevailing mood of nationalism. During his visit, Liszt became fascinated by gypsy music, was entertained at a gypsy encampment, and transcribed some of the music he heard, drawing on it for his own inspiration. Liszt thought that gypsy music was the original and authentic music of Hungary, but he made a mistake. Later musicians, notably Bartók and Kodály, who made a careful study of Hungarian folk music, pointed out that the music played by gypsy bands was actually tunes written by members of the Hungarian upper middle class or by composers such as József Kossovits. In other words, it was popular art music rather than primitive folk music, no matter how "wild" the style of performance. The gypsies had in fact taken the melodies where they found them, transforming them with their own style of performance, with its unique gypsy scale, rhythmic spontaneity and direct, seductive expression (it is true that they also copied some real folk melodies).
Liszt incorporated many themes he heard from Roma (Gypsy) bands, not only the two main structural elements of typical Gypsy improvisation - the lassan ("slow") and the friska ("fast") - but also copied a number of unique effects, especially the sound of the cimbalom. He also makes extensive use of the Hungarian gypsy scale.
In the 'Hungarian cause' (the struggle for freedom from the Habsburg yoke), Liszt always called himself a 'loyal son', and the symphonic poem Hungaria is the most obvious example of this. Liszt intended it as a memorial to the Hungarian vigor of the early 19th century. Second, it was a response to the celebrations of 1840 when, at the age of 29 and at the height of his European fame, he visited his homeland and gave concerts to raise money for the great flood that had then struck the city of Pest. One of Hungary's most famous poets, Mihály Vörösmarty, wrote an ode to Liszt that was recited at the National Theater in Pest (Liszt later honored Vörösmarty with a musical portrait in his piano cycle "Hungarian Historical Portraits").
Liszt did not forget this gesture, and the premiere of Hungaria was given by him in the same theater in 1856. Hungaria is not a piece of music depicting the defeat of the Hungarians in their war of freedom in 1848. It only recalls the year 1840 and the Hungarian ideals. The piece has been called 'a superlative Hungarian rhapsody'. Liszt presents four fast and four slow movements, which he connects with cadenza-like transitions. Hungaria is thus the apotheosis of 19th-century verbunkos and gypsy music.
Symphonic Poems