Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6
Encyclopedia
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 in D-flat major is the sixth work of the 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies
composed by Franz Liszt
. This work was dedicated to Count
Antoine of Appony and uses the form of Lassan and Friska like many other rhapsodies
. The piece was later arranged for orchestra.
The first part of the rhapsody is an introduction (Tempo Giusto), where the left hand of the player plays a steady bassline made up of the chords in the D-flat major scale. Due to the overlapping of the melody over the bars, the piece does not sound as though if it is in a 2/4 rhythm. This is because Liszt did not start the first chord of the piece as an upbeat, which is what many composers would have done to relate to the time signature
of the piece. The melody of the first part is quite repetitive, ending with a long cadenza
, using mostly the black keys. The second part (presto
) is in C-sharp major (which is simply an enharmonic version of the previous D-flat, not a modulation) and has a lively rhythm, leading to the Lassan, in B-flat minor. The Lassan is played slowly like an improvised rhythm, again finishing with a large cadenza at the end, leading sequentially to Friska (Allegro). The Friska in B-flat major uses the notes: F
, G
, A
, B-flat
, C
, D
and E-flat
. The melody is played in semiquavers and is considered to be quite difficult, since it demands the player to move fast in octaves. The bass line stays the same, strong quaver rhythms, also quite difficult to hit with precision at high speed. The final part of the piece ends with chromatic scales
in octaves moving in contrary motion, and ends with majestic
B-flat major chords. The piece in whole is quite a lively piece, with the use of the gypsy scale
.
Vitus
.
Hungarian Rhapsodies
Hungarian Rhapsody redirects here. For the 1979 Hungarian film Hungarian Rhapsody . For the 1928 German film Ungarische Rhapsodie.The Hungarian Rhapsodies, S.244, R106, is a set of 19 piano pieces based on Hungarian folk themes, composed by Franz Liszt during 1846-1853, and later in 1882 and 1885...
composed by Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
. This work was dedicated to Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Antoine of Appony and uses the form of Lassan and Friska like many other rhapsodies
Rhapsody (music)
A rhapsody in music is a one-movement work that is episodic yet integrated, free-flowing in structure, featuring a range of highly contrasted moods, colour and tonality. An air of spontaneous inspiration and a sense of improvisation make it freer in form than a set of variations...
. The piece was later arranged for orchestra.
Form
The piece is divided in to three main sections:- Introduction (Tempo Giusto - PrestoPresto-As a common word:* An incantation or interjection used by some stage magicians* A musical score marking indicating a fast tempo* An exclamation to mean: [to be completed] right away, instantly, i.e. "magically"-Places:*Presto, Bolivia...
) - Lassan (Andante)
- Friska (Allegro)
The first part of the rhapsody is an introduction (Tempo Giusto), where the left hand of the player plays a steady bassline made up of the chords in the D-flat major scale. Due to the overlapping of the melody over the bars, the piece does not sound as though if it is in a 2/4 rhythm. This is because Liszt did not start the first chord of the piece as an upbeat, which is what many composers would have done to relate to the time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
of the piece. The melody of the first part is quite repetitive, ending with a long cadenza
Cadenza
In music, a cadenza is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display....
, using mostly the black keys. The second part (presto
Presto
-As a common word:* An incantation or interjection used by some stage magicians* A musical score marking indicating a fast tempo* An exclamation to mean: [to be completed] right away, instantly, i.e. "magically"-Places:*Presto, Bolivia...
) is in C-sharp major (which is simply an enharmonic version of the previous D-flat, not a modulation) and has a lively rhythm, leading to the Lassan, in B-flat minor. The Lassan is played slowly like an improvised rhythm, again finishing with a large cadenza at the end, leading sequentially to Friska (Allegro). The Friska in B-flat major uses the notes: F
F (musical note)
F is a musical note, the fourth above C. It is also known as fa in fixed-do solfège.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle F is approximately 349.228 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in...
, G
G (musical note)
Sol, So, or G is the fifth note of the solfège starting on C. As such it is the dominant, a perfect fifth above C.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle G note is approximately 391.995 Hz...
, A
A (musical note)
La or A is the sixth note of the solfège. "A" is generally used as a standard for tuning. When the orchestra tunes, the oboe plays an "A" and the rest of the instruments tune to match that pitch. Every string instrument in the orchestra has an A string, from which each player can tune the rest of...
, B-flat
B-flat
B-flat or B may refer to:* B-flat major* B-flat minor* The musical pitch B* B-flat Jazzclub in Berlin, Germany...
, C
C (musical note)
C or Do is the first note of the fixed-Do solfège scale. Its enharmonic is B.-Middle C:Middle C is designated C4 in scientific pitch notation because of the note's position as the fourth C key on a standard 88-key piano keyboard...
, D
D (musical note)
D is a musical note a whole tone above C, and is known as Re within the solfege system.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of middle D is approximately 293.665 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in...
and E-flat
E-flat
E-flat may refer to:* E♭ * E-flat major* E-flat minor* E-flat tuning, on a guitar...
. The melody is played in semiquavers and is considered to be quite difficult, since it demands the player to move fast in octaves. The bass line stays the same, strong quaver rhythms, also quite difficult to hit with precision at high speed. The final part of the piece ends with chromatic scales
Musical scale
In music, a scale is a sequence of musical notes in ascending and descending order. Most commonly, especially in the context of the common practice period, the notes of a scale will belong to a single key, thus providing material for or being used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical...
in octaves moving in contrary motion, and ends with majestic
Majestic
Majestic is one of the first alternate reality games , a type of game that blurs the line between in-game and out-of-game experiences. It debuted on July 31, 2001...
B-flat major chords. The piece in whole is quite a lively piece, with the use of the gypsy scale
Gypsy scale
The term Gypsy scale, refers to one of several musical scales named after their association with Gypsy music.-Hungarian Gypsy scale:...
.
In popular culture
This piece was featured in the Swiss filmFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Vitus
Vitus (film)
Vitus is a drama film written and directed by Fredi M. Murer. It was released on February 2, 2006, in Switzerland. It stars real-life piano prodigy Teo Gheorghiu, Bruno Ganz, Julika Jenkins, and Urs Jucker.-Plot:...
.