Béla Bartók

Marche Funebre

The Marche funebre is a piano transcription of the concluding part of the symphonic poem Kossuth composed in summer 1903. The snappy rhythmic motif of the dramatic introduction bore the inscription 'Danger threatens the fatherland' in the score. After it, we hear the tragic funeral-verbunk form of the Kossuth theme, over a heroic ostinato accompaniment reminiscent of late Liszt. Contrasting with this, there follows an exciting sequential treatment of the 'valiant heroes' theme, and this peters out to the Hungarian-style runs that had previously appeared in the 'Danger threatens the fatherland' motivic group. Finally, during the resigned conclusion of the piece (X. 'A hopeless silence reigns'), the Kossuth theme disintegrates into its various motifs, as if 'dying'. '
(HCD 32524 Bartók New Series Vol. 24, István G. Németh)