Franz Liszt

Liszt was among the first major composers to collect and use folk music in his compositions. He believed all of the melodies he assembled for the 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies were of Gypsy origin, though later research, largely by Bartók and Kodály, proved their sources were spread across Hungary with Gypsy styles still imbuing the themes. The Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 is among the more varied and popular of the 19, featuring the pompous and the playful, the exotic and the flashy. In a sense, this work -- good though it is in its catchy, light manner -- is precisely the kind of piece that had wrongly tagged Liszt as shallow and virtuosic. It opens with a bold march-like melody, marked Tempo giusto, whose robust mixture of grandeur and glee imparts a celebratory mood. The ensuing theme (Presto) is playful and also somewhat festive. Only the next melody (Andante -- quasi improvisato) has a particularly exotic character in its dark, Gypsy-like music. The closing section features a lively theme (Allegro) that first takes on a playful manner and then, as rapid octaves hammer out the theme with driving vehemence (Presto), the mood turns rollicking and the music challenging to the pianist. This Rhapsody typically lasts seven minutes.