Popper - Hungarian Rhapsody, Op. 68 (Urtext Edition)

David Popper’s Ungarische Rhapsodie (Hungarian Rhapsody), Op. 68 stands among the cornerstones of the cello repertoire. It was likely first performed by Popper on April 4, 1894, and published by Friedrich Hofmeister (plate no. 8368) later that same year. The work is constructed in six distinct sections that weave together eight Romani melodies, demonstrating Popper’s deep affinity for Hungarian folk idioms and his mastery of virtuosic writing for the cello. In its overall design, the Rhapsody closely resembles the Walzer-Suite, which was composed and published four years earlier, in 1890.

An orchestration by Max Schlegel appeared in December 1902. However, the 1894 copyright date remained on the score, likely a deliberate decision by Hofmeister to present both the piano and orchestral versions as belonging to a single publication family.

Andante maestoso. The Rhapsody opens with a grandiose piano introduction, answered by the solo cello, which elaborates the same thematic material and leads into a virtuosic cadenza on the D-major harmony. After the cadenza, the cello continues with a variation of the opening material, foreshadowing the next section. The section concludes with another cadenza centered on the A Phrygian dominant scale (also known as Ahava Rabbah).

Andante. This section functions as a typical lassú of a csárdás, oscillating between the minor tonic and minor dominant. About midway through, Popper foreshadows the melody of the following section, maintaining the work’s organic continuity.

Allegretto. A lighthearted and dance-like episode, this section presents a melody closely related to one in Feri Kletzer’s Hungarian Rhapsody, Op. 7, a piece known to have been in Popper’s repertoire. The same theme also appears in Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 and Brahms’s Hungarian Dance No. 15.

Presto. This section is a virtuosic perpetual motion, the most technically demanding portion of the work. Near its conclusion, Popper briefly recalls the preceding Allegretto theme in the piano part.

Adagio. A second lassú, this section provides lyrical repose and serves as a new emotional beginning for the piece. Liszt also used this melody to open his Hungarian Rhapsody No. 8.

Allegro vivace. The finale presents three distinct melodies in rapid succession, creating a lively and exuberant close. Liszt employed each of these themes in the finales of his Hungarian Rhapsodies Nos. 14, 8, and 6, respectively.

This edition is based on the first edition published by Hofmeister. In many existing editions, the cello part is compressed onto four pages, hindering readability. Our edition allows the music to breathe more naturally. All fingerings in the cello part are Popper’s own. In the second D-minor section, the tremolo notation in the piano part was ambiguous in the first edition (and consequently in the IMC reprint); this has been clarified according to modern engraving standards.

All editorial changes and deviations from the original text are indicated in the score. The separate cello part and the cello line from the piano score have been collated to present a more comprehensive and unified realization of the solo cello part.