March suite

The « March Suite » was composed in December 1947 to celebrate the memory of the Hungarian revolution and the struggle for independence of the years 1848-49 against Austrian domination.

In the 1940s Farkas was one of the first in Hungary to experiment with dodecaphonic music. But under the Soviet pressure after the Second World War, everything that the great masters of the early 20th century had created was labeled by the new communist regime as “modernist formalism” and condemned. Musicians were obliged to adopt a new style of music which was « easy to understand and in a mood of constant optimism ». Under penalty of being sanctioned Farkas also returned to this path.

The cheerfulness of the work is apparent from the first hearing. According to the composer’s analysis, the first movement, in a small sonata form, is characterised by the sound of enthusiasm, the second movement, in ternary form, is a lament for fallen heroes, the third movement (rondo) depicts a bustling battle scene, with horn and trumpet calls.

— László Gombos