In his 13 symphonic poems, inspired by the visual or literary arts, Liszt broke away from the standard four-movement symphony to create a one-movement composition of frequently contrasting moods, unified through thematic transformations of a single, recurring musical idea. The first of these, Ce qu’on entend sur la montagne, is based on a poem by Victor Hugo, while Battle of the Huns takes it inspiration from a painting of the struggle between the Christian Emperor Theodoric and the pagan Attila the Hun before the gates of Rome. Volumes 1 and 2 of the symphonic poems conducted by Michael Halász are available on 8.550487 and 8.553355.