Timeless Nation

The "Horatian" odes of Daniel Berzsenyi (1176-1836) expressed his thoughts in rhythmic, classic metre and rather old-fashioned Hungarian language. He was a pessimist – but then he had so much to be pessimistic about: the attitudes of the Hungarian nobles at the turn of the century gave him, little hope for national revival. So he found consolation in the memories of the glorious past and, eventually, in the placid haven of stoicism in the true Roman fashion.

MIHALY CSOKONAI-VITEZ (1773–1805), the restless minstrel of Debrecen, a lyricist with a pleasant blend of classic humanistic and Magyar folk inspiration, wrote love poetry in fresh, folkish language with just a touch of melancholy and eroticism. This, and his volatile way of life, made him unpopular with his hypocritical contemporaries. The lyric cycle "Lilla’s Songs" (published, like most of his work, after his death) is a collection of sincere, often sensuous love songs, sometimes under the disguise of the fashionable flower imagery of his age ("To the Rosebud"). His comic epic, "Dorothy", a satire of the "high society" of his time, with its gently erotic fantasies became one of the most popular works young ladies were not supposed to read. He also wrote lyrics for many songs of contemporary Hungarian composers. These, being intended for use in "good society", limit themselves to romantic meditations of the type young ladies were allowed to swoon about. ("To Hope")

Though his classic-humanistic education was coloured by considerable French influence, Sandor (Alexander) Kisfaludy (1772-1844), deserves mention here for his pleasant lyric cycle, "Himfy’s Loves", divided into two parts. The first, "Lamenting Love", was written after his return from French captivity, which seemed to have been made more than bearable by the charitable attentions of the French ladies. No wonder that the young hussar, none the worse for his "French leave", received a rather cool reception from the lady of his heart (the Hungarian one, that is). In the rhythmic, rhyming stanzas (a verse form of his own creation), Kisfaludy used a smooth, pleasant flow of rather old-fashioned but rich and colourful phrases to describe mankind’s oldest sentiment. His colourful nature descriptions show the inspiration of French Romanticism (the result of his extended study-tour in France), without any of the popular German sentimentality of the period. His obvious sincerity and veiled threats to take up military service again caused his Rosa to forget and forgive. She married him and Sandor wrote the second part of his cycle, "Happy Love", which turned out to be considerably shorter than the first part. Then they lived happily ever after – for forty more years – without the help of poetry.

The RenewaI of the Language

The Magyar language which had already demonstrated its suitability for literature during the XVIth and XVIIth centuries, became practically obsolete during the XVIIIth century with its German and Latin culture. Reading Hungarian books was just "not the thing to do". Thus the young intellectuals of the "Reform generation" at the beginning of the XIXth century realised that the Magyar language needed rejuvenation. The leader of the "language renewal" was Ferenc (Francis) Kazinczy a great linguist, man of letters and poet. He and his circle of language reformers enriched the language with many new words made up by linguistic methods of derivation.

Kazinczy’s disciple, Ferenc Kolcsey (1790-1838) is remembered as the author of Hungary’s national anthem, the "Himnusz"", a great but rather melancholic patriotic elegy. His calm stoicism tended to turn into despondent pessimism toward the end of his life. His last poem, "Zrinyi’s Second Song", the saddest voice in Magyar literature, conjures up the harrowing vision of the self–destruction of the Hungarian nation, its place "taken by another nation on the banks of the four rivers…"

The independent Romantic poet, KAROLY (CHARLES) KISFALUDY (1788-1830), Sandor’s brother, broke with the conservative traditions of his family and began his artistic career as an itinerant painter. His first literary creations were romantic tragedies, followed by more successful comedies. The basic concept in both was the conflict between conservatism and progress, often presented as the "generation gap". In his search for fresh vocabulary, he turned to the people and adopted many folk poetry phrases and even wrote folkish song texts, some of which are still popular Magyar songs. His patriotic poetry ("Mohacs") expresses hope in the future instead of lamenting over the past as was the fashion in his days.

The humorous ballad "The Sorrowing Husband" gave the Magyar language a proverb – the last line of the poem.

Kisfaludy’s literary review "Aurora" be came the rallying point of critics and poets.

The Romantic Drama and Prose

Jozsef (Joseph) Katona (1791-1830), author of the great drama "Bank Ban"; remained practically unknown during his lifetime. The drama, written in 1815, is a historical tragedy in five acts in blank verse. The plot is based on a doubtful historic incident of the XIIIth century: the Palatin, Bank, in the absence of the King is drawn into a violent clash with the Queen and her foreign advisors and eventually kills her. Katona’s characterisation is excellent. Following the example of the French drama, he uses several strong personalities whose violent confrontation causes almost unbearable tension. The drama was later made into a great opera by the composer, Ferenc Erkel.

The historical novel "Abafi", written by the Transylvanian Baron Miklos Josika in 1836, was the first successful Hungarian novel.

Baron Jozsef Eotvos (1813-1871), a man with many talents, was a well–known political figure, a moderate reformer, before and after the War of 1848-49, a pioneer of the social novel, a lyric and epic poet and an important and respected literary critic. His first novel, "The Carthusian", was a typical product of the epidemic melancholy called "mal du siecle" which became the fad of the mid-XIXth century. "The Village Notary" is an excellent satire of backward country nobility.

Mihaly (Michael) Vorosmarty

Born in 1800 of a poor, Catholic noble family of Transdanubia, and educated in Pest, Vorosmarty spent most of his life in the Hungarian capital as Director of the Academy of Sciences and leading literary critic. During the War of 1848-49 he was a member of the Parliament and had to hide after the capitulation. Amnestied, he spent the last years of his life in Pest. He died in 1855.

He established his poetic fame in 1825 with the epic "Zalan’s Flight", based on the legends of the conquest of Hungary in the lXth century. This work revived the art of the epic, silent in Hungary since the XVllth century but very popular in western Europe during the Romantic period. The colourful style and the imaginative beauty of the descriptive passages lend an almost lyric character to this youthful work. The smoothly flowing classical hexarnetres blend remarkably with the flexible Magyar language of which Vorosrnarty became the accomplished master.

ln addition to several heroic epics, he also wrote pleasant narrative poems of a lighter nature, of which "Fair Helen" is the best example. The romantic love story of King Matthias and the beautiful Ilonka comes to the inevitable melancholic ending so dear to the hearts of the readers of the age.

Vorosmarty established his fame with his epic poems but he really excelled in an original type of contemplative lyric poerly, of which he was the greatest master in Hungarian literature. The most characteristic of these philosophical poems is his wedding gift to his bride: "To the Daydreamer". A few years later, Petofi wrote his most beautiful poem to his wife. Being inspired by their own wives, a rare occurrence in world literature, seems to be another of those "Hungarian inventions".

Many lyric poems are elegies or odes with ballad-like elements in a meditative mood, often ending in melancholic messages. Stoic reflections on the futility of human progress inspire Vorosmarty’s deep "Thoughts in a Library", a pessimistic vision of the value of human knowledge. His great patriotic hymn, "Appeal" ("Szozat"), though pessimistic in its tone, became the nation’s second anthern. His greeting to Ferenc Liszt received a gratifying echo from the great composer in the form of the symphonic poem "Hungaria".

Vorosmarty’s last poem; "The Old Gypsy", conjures an apocalyptic vision of the nation’s destruction but ends in a glimmer of hope. It was written at the height of Austrian oppression after the Independence War.

His most durable drama is the fairytale fantasy "Csongor and Tunde", based on a medieval romance with some Magyar folk-tale elements.

Vorosmarty’s poetry is romantic and objective – classical –at the same time. It expresses the temperament of a typical Magyar of Transdanubia, the "western Magyar", like his great ideal, Szechenyi. His deep Catholicism is devoid of dry puritanism, his sincere emotions lack the fiery passion of the "eastern Magyar" poets (Csokonai), his rich vocabulary describes his themes with classical precision and clarity, his wit is anodyne and his patriotism, though melanchohc, is never despondent.

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The search for a national art form

By the turn of the century, the Hungarian writers had found their Rornantic-Classical-Magyar style but the artists had grave problems. There were no art schools in Hungary; they had to go to the West in order to study. Many did and some never returned to Hungary. Those who did return found it hard to receive commissions from the Hungarian magnates, who preferred foreign artists.

The pressing need for new churches, public buildings and ornate homes called for increasing activity in the field of architecture. The Hungarian–born architects chose neo–classicism as their favourite style in silent protest against Vienna’s Rococo and Baroque. Neo-classicism, congenial to the Magyar taste, gained special national characteristics by the addition of certain provincial elements, especially in the smaller country buildings.

The first monumental building of the neo-classic style was the Debrecen Reformed ‘Church built by M. Pechy, who also built the Reformed College in the same town. The most eminent neo–classic architect was Mihaly Pollack, who worked in Pest. His chief achievement is the Hungarian National Museum (1837). Jozsef Hild took part in the building of the Esztergom cathedral (the largest in Hungary) and built the Eger cathedral.

The first noteworthy Hungarian sculptor of the era was Istvan Ferenczy (1792-1856), who received no support from the rich magnates and prelates who preferred foreign sculptors. His first success, a bust of the poet Csokonai, was his gift to the town of Debrecen. His masterpiece, "The Shepherdess", is the best example of Hungarian sculpture since the Renaissance. He was acclaimed – but remained poor. In his later years he conducted an art school which eventually produced the greatest Hungarian sculptor of the century, M. Izso.

The painters suffered less from lack of financial support as their art did not need much capital. Still, many talented painters remained abroad as their country did not seem to need their talent.

Karoly Marko, the romantic landscape painter, worked abroad most of the time, but on his short visits to Hungary he painted impressive landscapes ("Visegrad"). Karoly Kisfaludy, the poet, was also an imaginative painter of stormy landscapes.

The eighteen-forties witnessed the beginning of the career of the greatest Hungarian romantic painter, Miklos Barabas (1810-1898). He lived and achieved success in Hungary. His specific style, a synthesis of Romantic and Classic elements and Magyar temperament appealed to the aristocracy as well as the middle classes. The great majority of his works were portraits with just a degree of romantic idealisation but without sentimentality or eccentricity ("Mrs. Bitto")

Karoly Brocky studied and worked abroad. He acquired fame in London with his romantic mythological themes and portraits.

The applied arts suffered similarly from financial problems. The Herend porcelain factory was founded during this period and began to produce its world4amous figurines.

Romantic and patriotic music

Interest in the music of the people added impulse to the revival of Magyar music at the beginning of the XlXth century. Collections of folk songs began to appear. Poets and musicians began to discover the rich treasures of folk music and poetry.

When the Germanisation policies of Joseph II finally aroused the Magyars’ national pride, the so-called "toborzo" ("verbunk") became the fiery symbol of Magyar spirit, especially through the interpretation of the gypsy bands.

The popular composers of the early XIXth century found inspiration in the "toborzo"folkmusic type melodies; they included Janos Lavotta, the famous violin virtuoso, Antal Cserma’k, the first Hungarian composer of chamber music, and Mark Rozsavolgyi, composer of ballroom music and opera.

The folk and "toborzo" melodies served as inspiration for the melodic themes of the emerging new music form, the opera. Jozsef Ruzicska’s "Bela’s Flight" was the first noteworthy Hungarian opera.

Ferenc Erkel (1810–1893) was the real creator of Hungarian opera and its greatest master. A native of the Great Plain, he went to the capital where he became the conductor of the National Theatre and later the Director of the Academy of Music (under its president, Ferenc Liszt). Erkel found the harmonious synthesis of western operatic structures, techniques and styles and genuine national themes, taking his inspiration from the popular music of his time. His romantic interpretation of the spirit of Hungarian history suited the mood of the national revival.

His first opera was performed in 1840. His first great success was "Laszlo Hunyadi" (1844), a true expression of the romantic-patriotic mood of the forties projected into the XVth century atmosphere of the plot: the tragic story of Janos Hunyadi’s elder son, Laszlo, destroyed by the king’s perfidious counsellors. The music and the plot presented a strikingly accurate picture of the nation’s emotions in the forties: the impatience and frustration caused by the Viennese king’s counsellors’ delaying and repressive tactics.

Erkel’s greatest opera, "Bank Ban", was performed long after the failure of the struggle for independence, a few years before the "Compromise". Based on Katona’s drama with a slightly modified libretto, the story and the melodies expressed the nation’s will to survive in spite of the Austrian oppression.

In his later years Erkel composed several operas which came increasingly under Wagnerian inspiration and lost some of their characteristically Hungarian flavour.

Mihaly Mosonyi, Erkel’s contemporary, aimed to find a national music form in the field of instrumental music. His more memorable works were composed for single instruments or orchestra and choir. The best known of these is his "FuneralMusic", commemorating the death of Istvan Szechenyi. His romantic–mythological oratorio, "Feast of Purification", deserve to be better known.

Some performing artists of the period became world famous. Apart from Ferenc Liszt and Janos Lavotta, Ede Remenyi and Jozsef Joachim violin virtuosos made Hungarian popular music known all over the world

Timeless Nation