Above is a video of my performance of Liszt’s eighth Hungarian Rhapsody in F-Sharp Minor as a part of a performance that took place at the Embassy of the Netherlands. This will have been the third Hungarian Rhapsody that I have learned and the first one I had touched in almost twenty years; I had learned the Fifteenth (the Rakoczy March) in 1998 and the Twelfth in 1999. Now that I had almost twenty years to improve my technique and my musical sensibilities, I had a much easier time with this Hungarian Rhapsody and learned this one much faster, in spite of it being of comparable difficulty as the other two I have learned.

This is one of the lesser-known Hungarian Rhapsodies out of the nineteen, and based on my experience, one of the least frequently performed ones. Audiences will enjoy this piece; the melodies in the transition are nice and the coda is exciting with its large chords, tremolos, and cadenzas. But almost all of the other Hungarian Rhapsodies also have nice moments and thrilling codas, and what perhaps this particular Hungarian Rhapsody lacks are moments that are as memorable as those in some of the others (e.g. the themes of the Second and the octaves in the closing of the Sixth). But nonetheless, this Hungarian Rhapsody might be a good choice for pianists seeking an alternative the more popular or overplayed pieces. When I was suggested by my teacher in September 2016 to start working on a Hungarian Rhapsody, I personally gravitated toward this one because I was partial to the opening, which reminded me of an Italian opera overture, and the main theme of the transition.

Like most of his other Hungarian Rhapsodies, this piece consists of a slower, more solemn opening (the Lassan), followed by a more lively and dancelike closing (the Friska), with a fast, lighter-textured transition in between. The piece opens with two introductory bars with no time signature before launching into an arioso in F-sharp minor consisting of variations on a fragment from the Hungarian folk song “Káka tövén költ a ruca” involving progressively more ornate ornamentations and cadenzas. After a lengthy cadenza, the piece enters a transition in F-sharp major (marked Allegretto con grazio) with a pastoral melody over a musette-like bass juxtaposed with a more animated contrasting risvegliato section full of sweeping arpeggios (risveligato means lively, but the fact that this word derives from the Italian word for “waking up” indicates that this is also an indication to gradually become more and more animated). The arpeggios from this section become faster and more insistent before finally reaching its breaking point in a cadenza that leads directly to the closing Friska, a dance in F-sharp major based on another Hungarian folk melody (I could not find the name of this one, but I do know that Brahms used the same melody in his third Hungarian Dance). This section is essentially a mini-rondo (ABABA) where each statement of the A and B themes become increasingly ornate; they both begin as crude chords in the right hand over a stride bass in the left, but later are transformed through tremolos, ornamentations, and chromatic scale cadenzas. The piece ends in firm F-sharp major with a flurry of chords.

Learning and Performing this Piece

The Opening Lassan (Measures 1 through 40; 0:00 to 3:59 in the video): I like this section to have a melodic yet improvisatory and rhythmically free feel, which would contrast very nicely to the dancelike Friska. So in general, while performing, don’t be so strict with the rhythm in this section. Do maintain the rhythmic relationships between the notes, but definitely employ some rubato (particularly the beginning, which has no time signature, and the unmeasured cadenzas in measures 38 through 40 [3:24 through 3:56 in the video]). During the cadenzas, take a little time in some places and speed up in others; for example, in measure 40 (3:42 through 3:56 in the video), I like to take the A G-sharp F-sharp E-sharp F-sharp G-sharp figuration slower and really emphasize the notes and then take the other parts faster. In terms of technique, the biggest issue is to work out fingerings for the cadenza.

Transition to the Friska (Measures 41 through 138; 4:00 to 5:47 in the video): At the beginning of this section, be leisurely and relish in the first instance of clear F-sharp major and of some semblance of strict rhythm. Make sure the theme sings over the musette-like bass. Meanwhile, in the arpeggios during the risvegliato section, make sure the lowest and highest notes are more prominent.

The biggest technical issue in this section is the Alberti figurations in the right hand in measures 118 through 120 (5:27 through 5:30 in the video) and 127 through 132 (5:36 through 5:41 in the video), which I find to be the most difficult part of this entire piece, particularly as the music gets faster and faster. While practicing these slowly, focus on leaning a little on the first note of each Alberti figuration; those are the most important as they outline the theme here, and this will help when you bring the section up to tempo. I prefer displacing my hand to get the other notes in the Alberti figuration than simply reaching for them, and most others will probably end up doing the same.

The Closing Friska (Measures 139 through 212; 5:48 to 7:07 in the video): Technically, the main challenge of this section is being able to accurately execute the stride bass in the left hand while dealing with chords and tremolos in the right, all at a Presto tempo. Practice slowly, as usual, and focus on getting a robust sound out of the right hand, in addition to the leaps in the left hand. The fast chromatic scales in measures 181 through 186 (6:23 through 6:43 in the video) can also be tricky; what I found helpful is to start these a little slower and articulate each note, and then to speed up and worry less about articulation toward the end of the run. In terms of fingering, do not use the standard 1313123… fingering for chromatic scales; you won’t have time at the speed at which you need to play these. Minimize the number of times you need to cross over your thumb or tuck your thumb under the longer fingers; don’t be afraid to use the fourth or even the fifth finger here. Also, note that the left hand carries the theme here; make sure that does not get lost amidst the business of the right hand.

While performing this piece, don’t be afraid to sacrifice a bit of speed to be able to achieve a big, robust sound; a Presto with robustly-sounding chords is better than a Prestissimo with weaker, glossed-over notes. What I really find helpful in this regard is to make sure the right hand is significantly louder than the left; somehow, that makes the theme ring out a little more. When you get to the contrasting B section (measures 151 through 166 [5:57 through 6:10 in the video]), particularly its second statement in measures 179 through 186 (6:20 through 6:43 in the video), bring down the volume to contrast with the bolder A sections.

Finally, be sure to properly finish each theme as it closes before starting the next. Give a little space between when one theme ends and another begins, and definitely give a noticeable pause before the B section. This section may be marked Presto, but it is not to sound rushed.

Difficulty Assessment

6/12 (6 for technical aspects, 0 for musical aspects, 0 for performance aspects). This is not an easy piece and is not appropriate for beginners or intermediate-level pianists, but is not the most difficult Hungarian Rhapsody either (I believe the Ninth [Carnival in Pesth] gets that distinction hands-down). As mentioned before, virtuosic writing pervades this piece, including the fast cadenzas in the opening, the wide Alberti figurations in the right hand during the transition, and the stride bass and large chords in the closing. However, learning the notes is by far the most difficult part. Trying to figure out the music is straightforward; the piece is full of bold colors and flashy gestures that carry the piece in terms of musicality. All that really is required for an effective performance beyond executing the notes accurately at tempo is following Liszt’s dynamic and phrasing indications.