Rhapsody No. 2, by far the most famous of Liszt's Hungarian 19 rhapsodies
Franz Liszt was a Hungarian composer, pianist and teacher of the Romantic era. He gained renown in Europe during the early nineteenth century for his virtuoso skill as a pianist and was a friend, musical promoter and benefactor to many composers of his time.
Liszt was one of the most prominent representatives of the New German School and left behind an extensive and diverse body of work that influenced his forward-looking contemporaries and anticipated 20th-century ideas and trends.
Among Liszt's musical contributions were the symphonic poem, developing thematic transformation as part of his experiments in musical form and radical innovations in harmony. Liszt was strongly influenced by the music heard in his youth, particularly Hungarian folk music, with its unique gypsy scale, rhythmic spontaneity and direct, seductive expression.
These elements would eventually play a significant role in Liszt's compositions.
