Hungarian Rhapsody No.2, S.244/2
in C♯ minor
Franz Liszt 1811–1886
C♯ minor
Key
Lassan, Friska
Tempo
Score
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Themes & character
Verbunkos style·Lassan to friska·Cadenza flourish·Endlessly parodied
At a glance
- Key
- C♯ minor
- Tempo / character
- Lassan, Friska
About the piece
The most famous of Liszt's nineteen Hungarian Rhapsodies, composed in 1847 and dedicated to Count Laszlo Teleki. It follows the traditional two part shape drawn from the Hungarian verbunkos dance.
A slow, brooding lassan opens the piece, then gives way to a fast, dazzling friska that accelerates toward a whirlwind finish. Its tunes have become so familiar that the piece has been parodied for a century, from Tom and Jerry's The Cat Concerto to Bugs Bunny's Rhapsody Rabbit.
The composer
Franz Liszt
1811–1886
Franz Liszt was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic period. With a diverse body of work spanning more than six decades, he is considered to be one of the most prolific and influential composers of his era, and his piano works continue to be widely performed and recorded.
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