St Elizabeth of Hungary was particularly close to the heart of Franz Liszt, who lived near her former home for more than a decade. This exceptionally deep identification with the subject of the work may be one reason why The Legend of St Elizabeth earned Liszt success as a composer – something he rarely enjoyed during his lifetime – and why, following the 1865 première at Budapest’s Vigadó, the musical tale of the Hungarian princess went on to conquer one European city after another.
Liszt’s first oratorio was one of the earliest fruits of his growing interest in church music, and was informed by the experience he had garnered in Weimar, his work for over a decade as a conductor and composer.
St Elizabeth of Hungary was probably born in Sárospatak in 1207, as the third child of King Andrew II and Gertrude of Merania. She was barely four when she was betrothed to the son of Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia, who was not much older than her, and she was moved to Wartburg Castle so she would grow up in her future husband’s family. The castle had been guarding the border of Thuringia for over 150 years when it hosted a minstrels’ contest in the year of Elizabeth’s birth, the same that was immortalized by Wagner in Tannhäuser. Wartburg was also where Martin Luther would find refuge from both the church and secular authorities while translating the New Testament. The castle fell into disrepair in the 17th century, and it was Goethe in 1777 who first suggested to Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, that it be restored.
The work was eventually undertaken by Karl August’s successor, and the castle remained dear to the heart of the latter’s son, Karl Alexander. In 1848, the same Karl Alexander offered the position of Kapellmeister at his Weimar court to Liszt, who wanted to end his career as a pianist and who now had the chance to devote himself to composition. Liszt visited Wartburg Castle in the company of the grand duke, where he witnessed Moritz von Schwind work on frescos in a corridor that recounted the story of St Elizabeth.
Like the frescos, Liszt’s oratorio is based on key events in the legend of Elizabeth, which – as is common with the life of saints – is extant in several versions. In Scene 1, the child Elizabeth arrives in Wartburg with her retinue, to the accompaniment, naturally, of verbunkos music. Scene 2 captures the most famous incident of the adult Elizabeth’s life, the miracle of the roses. In this version, Elizabeth meets her young husband, rather than her mother-in-law, and the food she is about to smuggle out of the castle in her cloak for the poor is turned into a bouquet of roses. Scene 3 is about the turning point in Elizabeth’s life, when her husband sets off on a crusade. He dies of illness on the way, and Elizabeth’s mother-in-law, who has always frowned upon the couple’s charity work, chases Elizabeth out of the castle in Scene 4. Scene 5 musically depicts the death and salvation of Elizabeth, who has been deprived of her wealth, and Scene 6 is her solemn funeral. Running through the work like a leitmotif is a Gregorian melody that symbolizes the person of Elizabeth.
The life of the widowed Elizabeth was considerably rewritten in the 19th century. According to this version of the legend, she left Wartburg of her own accord, so as to devote her life to God and care for the poor. Miracles at her tomb also led to her canonization a mere few years after her death.
