Hungarian Rhapsodies

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The Hungarian Rhapsodies, S.244, R106, (French: Rapsodies hongroises, German: Ungarische Rhapsodien, Hungarian: Magyar rapszódiák) is a set of 19 piano pieces based on Hungarian folk themes, composed by Franz Liszt during 1846-1853, and later in 1882 and 1885. Liszt additionally arranged versions for orchestra, piano duet and piano trio.

1 Form
2 Extant versions
3 References in popular culture
4 External links

[edit] Form

Liszt incorporated many themes which he had heard in his native Hungary and which he believed to be folk music, though many were in fact tunes written by contemporary composers^{[citations needed]}, often played by Roma (Gypsy) bands. The large scale structure of each was influenced by the verbunkos, a Hungarian dance in several parts, each with a different tempo. The set is as follows:

No. 1 in E major (á son ami E. Zerdahely)
No. 2 in C-sharp minor (au Comte Ladislas Teleky)
No. 3 in B-flat minor (au Comte Leo Festetics)
No. 4 in E-flat major (au Comte Casimir Esterházy)
No. 5 in E minor, Héroïde-élégiaque (Comtesse Sidonie Reviczky)
No. 6 in D-flat major (au Comte Antoine d'Appony)
No. 7 in D minor (au Baron Fery Orczy)
No. 8 in F-sharp minor (á Anton Augusz)
No. 9 in E-flat major, Pesther Carneval (á H. W. Ernst)
No. 10 in E major (á Béni Egressy)
No. 11 in A minor (au Baron Fery Orczy)
No. 12 in C-sharp minor (á Joseph Joachim)
No. 13 in A minor (au Comte Leo Festetics)
No. 14 in F major (á Hans von Bülow)
No. 15 in A minor, Rákóczy-Marsch
No. 16 in A minor (Budapest Munkácsy-Festlichkeiten)
No. 17 in D minor
No. 18 in F-sharp minor (ungarischen Ausstellung in Budapest)
No. 19 in D minor, d'après les 'Csárdás nobles' de K. Ábrányi (sr)

The first fifteen were published in the year 1853, with the last four being added in 1882 and 1885.

[edit] Extant versions

Numbers 2, 5, 6, 9, 12, and 14 were arranged for orchestra by Franz Doppler with revisions by Liszt himself. These orchestrations appear as S.359 in the Searle catalogue. However, the numbers given to these versions were different from their original numbers. The orchestral rhapsodies numbered 1-6 correspond to the piano solo versions numbered 14, 2, 6, 12, 5 and 9 respectively.

In 1874, Liszt also arranged the same six rhapsodies for piano duet (S.621). In 1882 he made a piano duet arrangement of No. 16 (S.622), and in 1885 a piano duet version of No. 18 (S.623) and No. 19 (S.623a). Liszt also arranged No. 12 (S.379a) and No. 9 (S.379) for piano, violin and cello.

Number 14 was also the basis of Liszt's Hungarian Fantasia for piano and orchestra, S.123. Some are better known than others, with number 2 being particularly famous. Numbers 10 and 6 are also well known.

In their original piano form, the Hungarian Rhapsodies are noted for their difficulty (Liszt was a virtuoso pianist as well as a composer).

[edit] References in popular culture

No. 2 in C-sharp minor was featured in the Tom and Jerry cartoon The Cat Concerto (1947), the Woody Woodpecker cartoon Convict Concerto (1954), and the Bugs Bunny cartoon Rhapsody Rabbit (1946).

No. 2 in C-sharp minor also made an appearance in the film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" During the Cabaret scene, Donald Duck and Daffy Duck play a duet version of the piece while trying to hurt each other in a comical manner.