The Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 is a piano piece in two halves. The first half is slow and proud. The second half is a fast dance that speeds up to a dizzy finish. Franz Liszt wrote it in 1847. It lasts about ten minutes, and cartoon cats and rabbits have made it famous with children.
Quick facts
- Composer: Franz Liszt, who lived from 1811 to 1886
- Written: 1847
- For: piano alone. There is a version for orchestra too
- Length: about 10 minutes
- Two halves: the lassan, which is slow, and the friska, which is fast
- Start with: the fast half
A pianist from Hungary
Liszt was born in Hungary and became the most famous pianist in Europe. He wrote 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies. In them, he used the kind of music he had heard bands play in Hungary when he was a boy.
Those bands played a dance called the czardas. It has a slow part and a fast part. Brahms used the same style in his Hungarian Dance No. 5.
The two halves
| Half | Name | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| First | Lassan | Slow and serious. Deep chords, long pauses, and showers of quick notes |
| Second | Friska | Fast and playful. It starts soft and light, and it gets faster and louder to the end |
What to listen for
The opening. A few low, heavy notes, played with great weight.
The pauses. In the slow half, the music stops and starts. The pianist takes time, the way a storyteller does.
The switch. The fast half begins with one note tapped again and again, soft and high.
The gallop. The left hand jumps back and forth, and the tune bounces on top.
The finish. Near the end, the music stops. Some pianists add a short solo of their own there. Then a few crashing chords close the piece.
A rhapsody
A rhapsody is a piece in one movement with free, changing moods. It does not follow a set plan. Read Rhapsody in Blue for kids for a famous one from America.
The cartoons
In 1946, a cartoon rabbit played this piece in concert and fought with a mouse inside the piano. In 1947, a cartoon cat did the same, and that film won an Academy Award. Read classical music in cartoons.
Watch one of the cartoons, and then watch a real pianist play the piece.
For piano families
This is a concert piece. It needs hands that can stretch, leap, and play at high speed. Students who love it can find easier pieces by Liszt long before they try this one. Read Liszt for kids.
Things to do together
Slow to fast. Walk with heavy steps in the slow half. Dance when the fast half begins.
Find the switch. Raise a hand at the moment the music changes from slow to fast.
Watch the hands. Find a video filmed from above the keys. Watch how far the left hand jumps.
Tap the repeated note. At the start of the fast half, tap one finger along with the piano.
Questions to ask
- How does the slow half make you feel? How about the fast half?
- Where does the music speed up?
- Why do you think cartoon makers chose this piece?
Words to know
- Rhapsody: a piece in one movement with free, changing moods
- Lassan: the slow part of a Hungarian dance
- Friska: the fast part of a Hungarian dance
Print and play
Print the tempo and dynamics word cards and a listening journal page. For more piano music, read famous piano pieces kids know by ear.
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This article is part of Classical music listening guides for kids: famous pieces, one at a time.
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Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.