These six transcriptions for orchestra by Franz Liszt are taken from his famous Hungarian Rhapsodies (19), for piano, S. 244. The composer renumbered them and only the Fifth ends up in its old position. The piano Rhapsodies orchestrated here are reordered by Liszt thusly: 14, 12, 6, 2, 5 and 9. Listeners should be cautioned that some famous recordings revised this sequence placing the familiar Second Rhapsody in the second position.

This kind of transcription is rather rare in Liszt's output, since he usually reduced large works—orchestral, operatic and vocal—to the piano. Here, the composer decided to expand his original keyboard creations but was fully cognizant that the process would entail the elimination of many bravura and other passages not well-suited to an orchestral treatment. Thus, the first two Rhapsodies (Nos. 14 and 2, respectively, for piano) are shortened a bit, though the others are not appreciably reduced.

Liszt also found it necessary to transpose some of the keys: No. 2 for piano moves from C sharp minor to D minor for orchestra; No. 6 from D flat to D; No. 12 from C sharp minor to D minor; and No. 9 from E flat to D. Nos. 14 and 5 retain their original keys.

The First Rhapsody here (No. 14 for piano) is one of the most popular. After a quiet opening a glorious theme is presented by the strings and then taken up by the brass. A playful passages leads to a rhythmic, jaunty tune, after which the glorious music returns. The final sequence is dominated by a rapid dance tune, similar to the closing theme in the Third. The piece is full of color, fun and celebration. The Second Rhapsody (No. 12) begins slowly, a stately, colorful theme bringing a mostly tranquil mood. A second, playful tune ensues, and after a return to the opening theme, the pace picks up with the introduction of new material, and the ending is triumphant, if bombastic.

The Third Rhapsody (No. 6 for piano) starts off with a proud and gleeful march-like theme. There follows a lively variation that quickly gives way to a slow, mournful Gypsy tune. The conclusion brings merriment and fireworks, but cannot quite match the piano rendition, where octaves fly and the music turns breathless as the manic theme hurtles toward a spectacular climax. The Fourth Rhapsody (No. 2) is probably the most popular, thanks to its many incarnations in film, television and cartoons. Here, the famous melodies take wing in orchestral guise, making this piece sound almost native to the orchestra. The opening heroic theme comes across as dramatic, if corny, and the faster music in the latter half is colorful and effective. Yet, as with most of these orchestral versions, the music here sounds lighter and more bombastic than in the piano versions.

The Fifth Rhapsody (No. 5) has a mournful tone and brings a mood of almost operatic drama. Scored mainly for strings, this is the most somber of the orchestral Rhapsodies, thus offering a welcome contrast to the glitter and high spirits of the others. The Sixth (No. 9), subtitled Carnival of Pesth, presents Hungarian dance melodies in a generally festive mood. The themes are catchy, the dance rhythms infectious, and instrumentation colorful. The image of a carnival certainly does come to mind.



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No.2 in C#-

When Liszt fashioned orchestral versions of six of the 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies for piano, he reordered them, thereby unintentionally creating some confusion that remains even today. As indicated in the headnote, this Rhapsody No. 2 for orchestra is a transcription of No. 12. But a note of caution must be given here: there have been several popular recordings that have revised Liszt's renumbering, returning the famous Rhapsody No. 2 (for piano) to its second position in the orchestral version. The six orchestral rhapsodies are transcriptions of the piano originals in this order: 14, 12, 6, 2, 5, and 9. Liszt also changed some of their keys; this one, originally in C sharp minor in the piano version, changes to D minor in the orchestral rendition. In general, the orchestral versions are more colorful, but more bombastic, too. This rhapsody begins with the requisite drama in the orchestral version, but takes on a slightly more reserved, somewhat stately manner in the presentation of the main theme. The piece's exoticism is often given a slightly dreamier, more mellow cast, even though the orchestra can summon more power. Neither does this transcription possess the grimness of the darker elements associated with the main theme. The alternate material, playful and mostly gentle, comes off well enough in the orchestral version, but the triumphant ending that follows a development and reprise of earlier themes has a measure of bombast, even if it is colorful. In a performance of either the piano or orchestral versions, this rhapsody typically has a duration of about ten minutes.

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No.4 in D-

Even longtime devotees of classical music are often confused by Liszt's six orchestral transcriptions from the Hungarian Rhapsodies (19) for piano. No. 4 here is the orchestral version of the famous No. 2. Liszt renumbered the six he adapted in the following order: 14, 12, 6, 2, 5, and 9. Only No. 5, therefore, retains the same position it occupied in the piano set. But readers must beware: there are numerous recordings that tamper with this order, returning No. 4 to its old second position. What makes matters more confusing is that Liszt changed the key of four of the six Rhapsodies. No. 2's C sharp minor key in the original thus became D minor in the orchestral rendition here. For all the seeming confusion surrounding this effort, the transcription itself is reasonably straightforward and faithful to the piano original. Naturally, Liszt thickened textures and added harmonies, but the heroic, somewhat somber nature of the slow music in the first half is retained, as is the colorful gaiety of the lively, Gypsy-inspired music in the second part. The playfulness takes on more of a rollicking air here and the colorful festivity sometimes spills over into bombast. Still, the orchestral version will satisfy those attracted to the folkish manner and catchy themes of the original. Both versions have a duration of about ten minutes.

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No.6 in Db, ('Carnival in Pesth')

Much confusion has resulted from Liszt's orchestral versions of his famous Hungarian Rhapsodies for piano, not only because he renumbered them, but because others have taken it upon themselves to change his renumbering. For example, the famous Rhapsody No. 2 was placed fourth in the orchestral set by Liszt, but returned to its second spot on certain recordings, presumably to avoid confusion. But confusion is what that reordering has caused. In any event, this is the ninth in the piano set, but the last of the six in the orchestral versions. It dramatically opens as strings vehemently rise from the bass regions only to turn subdued. A playful melody is soon heard against a slow rhythm played by pizzicato bass strings. Gradually, the mood brightens and becomes more colorful, the tempo quickening from Sempre moderato a capriccio to Allegretto. One Hungarian dance tune follows another in this work, but the last one, based on the lively folk song Mikor en meg legeny voltam, holds center stage for nearly the last half of this 12-minute piece. The closing Allegro moderato and Presto sections are full of colorful twists and turns, with scurrying strings, proud brass proclamations, clashing cymbals, and an ecstatic sense of celebration.

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