Vincenzo Maltempo

The Fifth Hungarian Rhapsody, published in 1853, emerged from several earlier versions. The double character indicated in the sobriquet “Héroïde élégiaque” is based on the two contrary themes: a “hero...

The seventh Hungarian Rhapsody, which was issued in 1853, is based on three themes from Hungarian folk music: an older instrumental melody and two peasant songs. We find here all the typical character...

Liszt understood a "rhapsody" to signify the highest degree of musical freedom: a constant process of transformation and variation of themes and motifs, all bound up with constant shifts of emotion. A...

Charles Valentin Alkan focused his work entirely on the piano, and one can hardly fill the page more densely with notes than Alkan did. With that he numbers among the breakneck piano virtuosos who lef...

The eighth Hungarian Rhapsody, published in 1853, treats themes that Liszt became acquainted with during his visit to Hungary in 1846: a folk song, a popular dance melody of the time and a csárdás. No...

The Hungarian Rhapsody no. 10, published in 1853, is based on a composition by Béni Egressy. At that time, the Hungarian national composer directed one of the most famous so-called gypsy bands. When L...