Classical Piece of the Week: Hungarian Rhapsody No.2

For my 2nd Classical Piece of the Week, I wanted to choose something more strong and dramatic then my first. So, without hesitation, I knew Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 would be the perfect match. This piece is composed by Franz Liszt, a brilliant composer and a virtuoso on the piano. He also invented the symphonic poem, which is such a coincidence, because my first Classical Piece of the Week is a symphonic poem, hehe.

Hungarian Rhapsody is a solo piano work, but there is also an orchestral version. It demands a lot of exceptional skills in the piano, and it's really fun to listen to. It starts of very dramatic, with strong chords. Then it goes into a more calm and soft mood, with returns of the beginning melody. After, the music is very playful, almost a little quirky. And the ending is absolutely genius, very creative; it's really something you probably won't expect. The first time I heard this piece, I found it a little weird, but it slowly grew on me, and now it's definitely one of my favorite pieces. Below is a piano version and orchestral version of the work. I personally prefer the orchestral version a little more, because I find it much more epic. I hope you enjoy listening to this fantastic music! (And for fun, check out this link and this one, it's cartoon version performances. They're really, really hilarious!)
                                                                       

                                                                                          -Piano Version-

-Orchestral Version-