Description

Liszt's virtuoso work drew on three themes from Verdi's "Rigoletto," including the finale with the theme from the Act III quartet "Bella figlia dell'amore." Despite the opera's tragic storyline, this piece offers no indication that Liszt was in a deep depression at the time, as his hope of legally marrying Princess von Sayn-Wittgenstein was fading. The work may instead reflect Liszt's memories of happier times in Weimar.