Style Hongrois, Hungarian Elements in the Works of Haydn, Beethoven, Weber and Schubert

摘要

19th century European art music acquired a special hue from integrating Hungarian stylistic elements into what is collectively called style hongrois. The repertory and the vocabulary or set formulae of the early and of the mature verbunkos are summarised. The attraction of classicism to folk idioms and exotic characters generated an interest in Hungarian music, especially in composers having some contact with Hungary or Hungarians and through with verbunkos music. This interest remained marginal with Mozart, only two of his works allow Hungarian influence to be detected. In Haydn’s and Beethoven’s music this influence plays a more significant role, they had experiences that stimulated the development of this influence. In Weber’s music the Hungarian colour is only one possibility to express exotic contents. An exceptional group comprises the works in which the composer tried to evoke a foreign musical style devoid of other exotic elements. The elements he borrowed from mature verbunkos are successfully combined with his own personal style. There are works that include hidden Hungarian references. Schubert had direct contacts with Hungary and Hungarian music. The appropriate liveliness, emotional depths of his style hongrois could possibly not be imagined without Schubert’s stay in Hungary. As regards the evaluation of style hongrois in the Schubert literature, one finds contradictory opinions. The Divertissement a?l’hongroise claims signal attention for its connection with Hungarian music. Besides several verbunkos elements, the work also relies on folk music sources. Six other instrumental works display the Hungarian influence openly, another three works may be considered as showing some Hungarian influence but their Hungarian character can be questioned. It is first in Schubert’s compositions that style hongrois reached the significance and high artistic merit that was later to be encountered in the Hungarian-related works of Liszt and Brahms. – 4 figures, 43 musical examples.