12 Tremendous Composers 12 Composers    

Lesson 25: Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2

by Franz Liszt

Performer: US Navy Band

Directions

Study the musical selection for one week.

Over the week:

• Listen to the music daily.
• Read the synopsis.
• Review the vocabulary terms.
• Read about the composer.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

The next tremendous composer for study is the Hungarian Franz Liszt, and the title of his story is 'The Story of a Boy Who Became a Great Pianist and Teacher' by Thomas Tapper. 'Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2' is the second and most renowned of a collection of nineteen rhapsodies composed by Franz Liszt. An excerpt from this work is leveraged today in songs and in cartoons. You will likely recognize the tune beginning just prior to the five-minute mark of the featured recording.

Vocabulary

Hungarian: Of, from or pertaining to present-day Hungary, the ethnic Hungarian people or the Hungarian language.
Rhapsody: An instrumental composition of irregular form often incorporating improvisation.
Irregular: Without symmetry, not conforming to rules or expectations.
Improvisation: The act or art of composing and making music, poetry, and the like, on-the-fly without prior planning or preparation.

Composer

1. This is the house in which was born a little boy who became a famous pianist and a great teacher. This house is in Raiding, in Hungary. Nowadays there is a little tablet over the door, which tells us that Franz Liszt was born in this house, on the Twenty-second Day of October, 1811.

2. Do you remember that once upon a time Joseph Haydn lived as court musician in the Esterhazy family? He wore a tie wig and a wonderful bright uniform; for he was master of the music in that great house.

3. Now, long after Joseph Haydn's time, Adam Liszt, father of Franz, lived with the Esterhazy's. He was the family steward, having charge of all the property. And, too, he loved music. So we may believe that he told his little boy, Franz, about the great master Haydn. For Adam Liszt was not only a lover of music but he gave his son his first lessons in piano playing. Liszt's mother was of German ancestry. She was born in lower Austria. See the picture of Liszt's mother and father.

4. Little Franz practiced so faithfully and so eagerly, I am sure, that when he was only nine years of age, he gave a concert in public. He played so well that some good friends offered to send him to Vienna where he could continue his studies.
5. And so the little boy left home and began the studies that led him to become the greatest pianist of his time. His piano teacher was a man of whom almost everybody knows. Does he not have a round, good-natured face? And does he not look kind? Well, he could be severe when his pupil's lessons did not please him. His name was Carl Czerny. Here is his picture.

6. On New Year's Day of the year that little Franz was eleven years old, he played in public in Vienna. It must have been a wonderful occasion. All the great people were there; and among them was one who was greatest of all, Beethoven.

7. Then Adam Liszt thought his boy should go to Paris. He wished him to become a student in the conservatory there. But its director, Cherubini, refused to admit Franz to the classes. So, like most of us, he studied with a private teacher. Also, he traveled to England and to all the countries of Europe, giving concerts. His fame was becoming greater and his playing was the delight of all who heard him. Here is a picture of Franz as a youth. He dressed differently from boys of today. But do you not think his face is a fine one? Full of life and dignity?

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite the Composition Information

• Recite the name of the composer and the composition.

Activity 2: Study the Music Timeline

Examine the music timeline to answer the following questions.

• What is the year of birth of the lesson composer?
• What is the year of death of the featured composer?
• How old was the composer upon death?
• Which composer (if any) directly precedes the studied composer by date of birth?
• Which composer (if any) directly succeeds the lesson composer by date of birth?
• Which other timeline composers were alive at the same time as the studied composer?

Activity 3: Map the Music

• Franz Liszt was born in Hungary.
• Find Hungary on the map of Europe.

Activity 4: Study Facts About Franz Liszt

• Franz Liszt was born in Raiding, in Hungary.
• His birthday is October 22, 1811.
• His father was his first teacher.
• He studied piano in Vienna with Carl Czerny.
• Then he went to Paris.
• Among Liszt's boyhood friends were Beethoven, Schubert, and Chopin.
• After many years as a concert pianist, Liszt became opera conductor at Weimar.
• He brought out many of the operas of Richard Wagner.
• He was a great teacher of piano, and many people from Europe and from the United States studied with him.
• He composed many fine works.
• Among them are arrangements of many of Schubert's songs.
• Liszt died in Rome in 1886. He was seventy-five years old.
• Liszt wrote the life of his friend Frederic Chopin.
• It has been said that no musician ever lived who did so much for others as Franz Liszt.

Review

Question 1

When and where was Franz Liszt born?

1 / 6

Answer 1

Franz Liszt was born in 1811 in Raiding, Hungary.

1 / 6

Question 2

What was the occupation of Franz Liszt's father? In which family did the father live?

2 / 6

Answer 2

Franz Liszt's father was a family steward for the Esterhazy's.

2 / 6

Question 3

Where was Franz Liszt's mother born?

3 / 6

Answer 3

Franz Liszt's mother was born in Austria.

3 / 6

Question 4

Who was Franz Liszt's first teacher?

4 / 6

Answer 4

Franz Liszt's first teacher was his father, Adam Liszt.

4 / 6

Question 5

With whom did Franz Liszt's study piano in Vienna?

5 / 6

Answer 5

Franz Liszt studied piano in Vienna with Carl Czerny.

5 / 6

Question 6

Which famous musician did Franz Liszt's meet in Vienna?

6 / 6

Answer 6

Franz Liszt met Beethoven in Vienna.

6 / 6

❮ ❯

1. When and where was Franz Liszt born? Franz Liszt was born in 1811 in Raiding, Hungary.
2. What was the occupation of Franz Liszt's father? In which family did the father live? Franz Liszt's father was a family steward for the Esterhazy's.
3. Where was Franz Liszt's mother born? Franz Liszt's mother was born in Austria.
4. Who was Franz Liszt's first teacher? Franz Liszt's first teacher was his father, Adam Liszt.
5. With whom did Franz Liszt's study piano in Vienna? Franz Liszt studied piano in Vienna with Carl Czerny.
6. Which famous musician did Franz Liszt's meet in Vienna? Franz Liszt met Beethoven in Vienna.

References

Tapper, Thomas. Franz Liszt - The Story of a Boy Who Became a Great Pianist and Teacher. Philadelphia, PA. Theodore Presser Co., 1921.

'Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.' Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Rhapsody_No._2. n.p.