Recorded on 05/02/2012, uploaded on 05/02/2012

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Liszt’s Rhapsody Espagnole is a reflection of his impressions of Spain and is based on two traditional Spanish folk-melodies. The tune known as 'La Folia' was originally a fast dance, which transformed into a slower, solemn, and somewhat sad form by the end of the seventeenth-century. Since then, it has fascinated many composers including Corelli, Vivaldi, C.P.E. Bach, Sor, Nielsen and Rachmaninov. The second tune 'Jota Aragonesa' is the lively national dance-song of Aragon, a region of Spain located between Barcelona and Madrid. The rhapsody starts with a long cadenza-like introduction, followed by a set of free variations on these two attractive tunes, embellished with Liszt's characteristic dramatic flourishes and virtuoso ornamentation. This is indeed a grandiose and satisfying piece with a noble character.

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.