Hungaria

Franz Liszt's “Hungaria” was composed in 1854 as the ninth of his thirteen symphonic poems in total — a genre that Liszt himself did much to define and that would become a central form of expression in Romantic programme music. The work stands as a prime example of Liszt's ambition to cast national identity in symphonic form: Hungary, his homeland, is not depicted here through folkloristic illustration but conjured in a monumental musical language.

The music carries the characteristic heroic and pathetic quality that marks Liszt's orchestral language during this creative period. Striking rhythms, sweeping melodic arches, and powerful climaxes alternate with lyrical passages of intimate warmth. The instrumentation — with a full wind ensemble and a richly sonorous string body — unfolds that orchestral colourfulness which Liszt had absorbed from Berlioz and developed into a distinctly personal style.

“Hungaria” belongs to the Weimar period, during which Liszt, serving as court conductor, went through one of the most productive phases of his life. The work may be regarded as a symphonic declaration of allegiance to the Hungarian cultural nation — a theme that preoccupied Liszt throughout his life and that also left its mark on his Hungarian Rhapsodies.