| Summary: | Hungarian Rhapsodies which will lead to a better understanding of Liszt’s
stylistic development in relation to this unique genre of his own creation.
The works will be approached and classified according to three main topics:
explore the circumstances under which Liszt compo earlier Magyar pieces to the Hungarian Rhapsodies will be illustrated,
showing Liszt’s revision of the formal structure when transferring selected
A second categorization will then be made, based on the evolution of
compositional style in the Hungarian Rhapsodies, exemplified by the
improvisatory, virtuosic writing in Hungarian Rhapsody Nos. 1—15 as compared
of this compositional technique will be illustrated through the analysis of
several of his paraphrase pieces. Analyses of Liszt’s use of the paraphrase
technique in the Hungarian Rhapsodies and parallel Macwar Dallok or Macwar
Rhapszodiák pieces will show that, in fact, both sets contain similar
techniques of paraphrase, and thus, the relationship between the two sets can
be seen as one being a variant of the other. These analyses will also
demonstrate a similarilty between the Hungarian Rhapsodies and Liszt’s other
paraphrases regarding the degree to which the paraphrase technique is
applied, ranging from subtle to extensive.
In chapter four conclusions will be drawn concerning the aesthetic
value of the Hungarian Rhapsodies. It is common is music criticism to infer
that because the Hungarian Rhapsodies do not present the conflictual,
developmental working out of themes specific to other nineteenth—century
genres, but, instead, are comprised of simple tunes repeated with increasing
elaboration in a virtuosic style, they therefore are works of lesser value.
In this final chapter I will suggest reasoning to the contrary in an attempt
to give Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies the esteemed recognition they deserved the Hungarian
Rhapsodies, and consider his possible motivations, including direct and
indirect influences which may have played an important role in the creation
and development of his ideas. Letters and other testimonies will also help
to answer questions such as: where, when and for whom were these works
composed (as revealed by the dedications); and where, when and for whom were
these works performed during Liszt’s life.
The second chapter of the thesis will describe the relationship of the
Hungarian Rhapsodies with the original collections of Hungarian folk tunes on
which they are based (Macwar Dallok and Macwar Rhapszodiák pieces), and
subsequently will use the relationship with this pre-existing material as the
foundation for grouping them into categories, e.g., Hungarian Rhapsody Nos.
1-2 (based on folk tunes not found in the Magyar collection); Hungarian
Rhapsody Nos. 3-15 (based on folk tunes found in the Magyar collection);
Hungarian Rhapsody Nos. 16-18 (not based on any pre—existing material —- all
original works); and Hungarian Rhapsody No. 19 (based entirely on Csárdás
nobles by Abrányi, an Hungarian composer). An evolution of form from the === Arts, Faculty of === Music, School of === Graduate
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