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

David Popper’s Ungarische Rhapsodie (Hungarian Rhapsody), Op. 68, stands among the cornerstones of the cello repertoire. Likely first performed by Popper on April 4, 1894, and published by Friedrich Hofmeister later that same year, the work brings together eight Romani melodies within a brilliant six-section design. It demonstrates both Popper’s deep affinity for Hungarian idioms and his unmatched ability to translate virtuoso color, character, and flair into idiomatic cello writing.

The Rhapsody opens with a grand Andante maestoso, beginning with an imposing piano introduction answered by the solo cello and followed by virtuosic cadenzas. The following Andante functions as a typical lassú of a csárdás, moving between minor tonic and minor dominant while foreshadowing later material. The lighthearted Allegretto presents a melody related to one found in Feri Kletzer’s Hungarian Rhapsody, Op. 7, as well as in Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 and Brahms’s Hungarian Dance No. 15. The central Presto is a dazzling perpetual-motion section and the most technically demanding part of the work. A lyrical Adagio then offers repose before the exuberant Allegro vivace finale, which presents three melodies also used by Liszt in the finales of his Hungarian Rhapsodies Nos. 14, 8, and 6.

This edition is based on the first edition published by Hofmeister. In many existing editions, the cello part is compressed onto four pages, making the music unnecessarily difficult to read. This edition gives the solo part more space, allowing the music to breathe visually and practically. 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 in the IMC reprint; it has been clarified here according to modern engraving standards. The separate cello part and the cello line from the piano score have also been collated to create a more comprehensive and unified realization of the solo cello part. All editorial changes and deviations from the original text are indicated in the score.

Best suited for advanced cellists, Hungarian Rhapsody is ideal for recitals, competitions, auditions, and professional concert programs. It offers rich opportunities to develop Romantic rhetoric, Hungarian dance character, expressive freedom, brilliant passagework, cadenzas, perpetual motion, and commanding stage presence.

ASTA level: 5