Ernest John Moeran

Rhapsody in F Sharp

Rhapsody in F Sharp was commissioned by the BBC Proms and first performed in the Royal Albert Hall on August 19th, 1943. Written for solo Piano with Orchestra accompaniment, it has been arranged here for twoPianos. Written with the wartime audience in mind, it is unashamedly popular in style, with a flashy virtuosity making it immediately accessible and entertaining. There is argument among scholars as to whether it should be referred to in the Major or Minor key, as it makes almost equal use of both, starting in one and finishing in the other.

Ernest J Moeran (1894-1950) was an English composer, who followed the tradition of R. Vaughan Williams and John Ireland by collecting, preserving, and using many folk songs, mainly from Norfolk, Suffolk, and Ireland.