Liszt, Franz

Preface

Liszt, Franz – Rákóczy March

(b Raiding, (Doborján), 22 October 1811–d Bayreuth, 31 July 1886)

for orchestra

Preface
Liszt was an impressive virtuoso pianist; this March suited his flamboyance and showmanship, and his wish to play up his Hungarian nationality. He toured Europe extensively, giving concerts in the
1840s. Inspired by Niccolò Paganini’s mastery to improve his facility, he achieved heights of virtuosity never previously imagined.

Liszt’s extensive piano oeuvre fits with the Romantic movement’s glorification of ancient times and imperishable heroes, often with evocative titles. His music is richly pictorial, notably in the nineteen Hungarian Rhapsodies. In 1849, round the time of the Hungarian Revolution, Liszt composed the dramatic B minor Piano Sonata (S. 178), published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1852-3,1 and finally completed in 1873. Given up his superstar career in 1848, he settled in Weimar, and then concentrated on being a serious composer. His reawakened interest in Hungarian music was shown by the Heroic March2 in Hungarian style from 1840, which was turned into a symphonic poem Hungaria3 in 1854.

On his return to Hungary (1838-1839) he became interested in Roma music and culture.
The Roma had performed secular Hungarian instrumental music at least as early as the sixteenth-century, being mentioned by historians as playing in festivities and assembly meetings in 1525. But the particular type of music that most attracted the attention of several composers was the verbunkos (18th century Hungarian dance), music for military recruitment, which first appeared around 1760. Sources of the verbunkos include some of the traditions of the old Hungarian popular music,4 some Balkan and Slav elements, probably through the mediation of the gypsies. A few early verbunkos publications and the peculiar melodic patterns found in the instrumental music of all peoples in the Danube valley show that the new style owed its appearance to some older popular tradition; it bridged the centuries and took some inspirations from the lower social strata. The language of the verbunkos had national characteristics such as melodic turns used all over Hungary. These dances stood as a symbol for the country, and its use evoked association with the Hungarian people. …

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