Description

The Fifth Hungarian Rhapsody, published in 1853, emerged from several earlier versions. This work's dual character, as indicated by the subtitle "Héroïque élégiaque," is based on the interplay of a "heroic" theme in a minor key and an "elegiac" theme in a major key, seasoned with Liszt's trademark "Hungarian style" elements like augmented seconds and sharp dotted rhythms. Thanks to its slower tempo, No. 5 is one of Liszt's less technically demanding rhapsodies, making it an excellent introduction to these musical evocations of his Hungarian homeland.

This Henle Urtext edition, the first to consider the autograph score, was produced with the involvement of two eminent Liszt scholars: Mária Eckhardt contributed the preface, while Vincenzo Maltempo provided the fingerings.