Kodály acknowledged Hungary's musical debt to Debussy in the obituary he wrote for him in the Nyugat. Kodály paid musical tribute to Debussy in certain of his works by adopting modal melodic structures, harmonic turns, and constructural models of specific works of the Frenchman. The deeper significance of Debussy's influence lay beyond these similarities and extended into the nationalistic stance made possible by the non-Germanic methods of Debussy. He inspired Kodály to search for the form and musical language which could reflect his country's folk and historical traditions as distinct from academic Western art music.

Works: Kodály: Seven Piano Pieces (46), Nausikka (48), String Quartet No. 1 (50).

Index Classifications: 1900s

Contributed by: Amy Weller