Mazeppa is a symphonic poem composed by
Franz Liszt from 1851 to 1854, part of the long cultural legacy of the Ukrainian hero. Mazeppa, S. 100, is the sixth in the cycle of
thirteen symphonic poems written during Liszt's time in Weimar. It follows the story as told in Lord Byron's 1819 poem: Ivan Mazepa seduced a noble Polish lady, and in punishment was tied naked to a wild horse that carried him to Ukraine. There, he was released by the Cossacks, which later made him Hetman (military leader). The work premiered at the Court Theatre in Weimar on April 16, 1854.
The composer follows Hugo's narrative, describing the hero's journey through the vast steppes in the first movement. The string section plays the main theme, which is transformed and distorted with six strokes of the timpani that evoke the fall of the rider. After a silence, strings, bassoon and horn soloists express astonishment of the injured, raised by the trumpets at Allegro Marziale. Mazeppa and his cossacks are placed in front of the army (a march is heard) and the return of the hero's theme signifies his end in glory.
