Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
The Hungarian composer Franz Liszt was influenced by the folk music he heard as a boy. Although he composed 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies in total, his Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor is the most famous. Composed in 1847 and published as a piano solo in 1851 it achieved immediate acclaim and was a favourite for audiences. This composition has two main sections: the “lassan” and the “friska”. The lassan is a slow and stately form of a Hungarian folk dance while the friska is the opposite – lively and quick in nature. This composition also has an unusual inclusion of a cadenza or an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played by the performer to display their talents. Liszt created several different cadenzas to be performed with this composition.
Whenever I hear this composition I associate it with cartoons as that was my first exposure to music by the composer Franz Liszt. In fact animation was the means by which I grew to love listening to Classical Music. The American composer Carl. W. Stalling often used segments of Classical Music in his scores for cartoons as this music was without copyright and could be used free of charge.
Here is an interesting video that shows how the pianist Yannie Tan is performing with an orchestra live to the Tom and Jerry cartoon “The Cat Concerto.” This demonstrates how carefully the animation is timed to the distinctive tempo and dynamics of the music.
However animation is not the only way in which the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 was introduced to audiences with humour. Victor Borge (Borge Rosenbaum) was a Danish comedian, conductor and pianist who performed on radio, television and in theatres or concert halls throughout North America and Europe. I had the privilege to watch him perform when he came to Vancouver over 20 years ago. He used famous Classical Music as a means to encourage laughter. I will conclude this post with the inclusion of his piano duet of the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 that many musicians have replicated in performance. If you have played piano duets you know that middle ‘C’ is the boundary for each participant. In fact you are to keep to your own side of the piano and to share the bench when playing. Enjoy his creative genius and musical talent for he truly provides Classical Music as a positive experience for audiences.