Liszt 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody Live on 1864 Erard #lisztomania #classicalpiano #pianocover

The Second Hungarian Rhapsody is one of Liszt’s most popular and representative piano works. It was composed in 1847 and achieved such immediate success that Liszt then produced an orchestral version. The piece became so well-known in Liszt’s lifetime that he forbade his students from bringing it to his masterclasses, believing it had already had far too much exposure! Many pianists included it in their repertoires, and it was one of the great pianistic warhorses in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the 1940s, Disney released an animated Tom and Jerry cartoon, ‘Cat Concerto,’ using a large portion of the 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody. The film won an Oscar. Around the same time Warner Bros released a similar movie, again using the Rhapsody, but with Bugs Bunny as the star! This live performance was part of ‘Lisztomania,’ a recital of popular Liszt works on a piano from his own time. The restored 1864 Érard piano you are hearing is identical to two Érards owned by Liszt in the 1860s. Liszt wrote several important works for these instruments during this decade, including the 2 Legends, the 2 Concert Etudes and ‘Les jeux d’eaux à la Villa d’Este.’ Performer: Jonathan Bradley Venue: Camelot Arts Club Piano restorer: Colin van der Lecq Piano preparation: Patrick Elms, Albany WA #liszt #tomandjerry #disney