Lajos Kossuth, the great revolutionary leader who led the fight—though unsuccessfully—for his nation's independence, was revered by Bartók and his Magyar compatriots for fostering the cause of Hungarian statehood. Kossuth (1903), Bartók's ten-section symphonic poem inspired by the patriot's exploits, chronicles Kossuth's attempts to liberate his homeland. In one of the most characteristic aspects of his style, Bartók uses echoes of folk and dance music to reveal the true, noble Magyar character; at the same time, distorted strains of the Austrian national anthem suggest the martial machinations of the imperialists. Bartók contrapuntally combines these themes in a manner that effectively creates tension and which undoubtedly stirred the emotions of the Hungarians who first heard the work; its premiere, which occurred during a revival of Hungarian national feeling, was a great success. The battle scenes are particularly compelling; a great clashing of sounds signals the fierce fighting, and then the resulting catastrophe, as the Magyar soldiers are overwhelmed by their enemies. The work winds down into quietude, evoking the melancholy of a terrible loss.

© All Music Guide

Marche funèbre from Kossuth (arr. piano, DD75b)

In 1903 Bartók devoted considerable study to the music of Liszt, a composer whose works he already admired. He also decided to write a large composition expressing Hungarian national character, in accordance with a then-developing trend in the arts in his homeland. The result was his symphonic poem "Kossuth," generally regarded as Bartók's first significant large work. At the behest of his publisher, he extracted this funeral march, drawn on the last movement of "Kossuth." The composer himself was not entirely satisfied with the effort, assessing it as inferior to its orchestral parent.

While that judgment may be fair, the piano version is not without considerable merit. It opens with an ominous introduction, then launches into the dark but dignified march, which clearly shows the influence of Liszt in its menacing chords and haunting tremolos. At one point, however, a variant of the melody comes uncomfortably close to the opening theme in Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. In the end, this five-minute piano transcription, atmospheric and full of drama and color, is attractive, but it plays up the Lisztian elements a bit more than the stronger orchestral rendition.

© Robert Cummings, Rovi