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Masterpiece Rhapsodies: A Curated Selection of Brilliant Rhapsodies That Illuminate Classical Music History

“Rhapsody,” translated into Japanese as “kyōshikyoku,” is a musical genre that expresses ethnic or lyrical content in a free form.

Composers who have left an indelible mark on history—such as Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt, and George Gershwin—have each created rhapsodies that reflect their own unique worlds.

In this article, we will carefully select and introduce masterpieces among such rhapsodies that remain especially popular today and are frequently featured in concert programs!

Playlist

Masterpiece Rhapsodies: A Curated Selection of Brilliant Rhapsodies That Illuminate Classical Music History
show_chartTitlePlaylistReview
1Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79: No. 2 in G minorJohannes Brahms
Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79: No. 2 in G minorJohannes Brahmsplay_arrow
Johannes Brahms was a composer of the German Romantic school...
2Spanish Rhapsody, S.254Franz Liszt
Spanish Rhapsody, S.254Franz Lisztplay_arrow
Franz, known as a virtuoso pianist...
3Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor, S.244-2Franz Liszt
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor, S.244-2Franz Lisztplay_arrow
The pia—who composed numerous extremely challenging pieces requiring virtuosic technique…
4Rhapsody in BlueGeorge Gershwin
Rhapsody in BlueGeorge Gershwinplay_arrow
George Gershwin’s signature work, Rhapsody in B...
5Three Slavonic Rhapsodies, Op. 45, B. 86Antonín Dvořák
Three Slavonic Rhapsodies, Op. 45, B. 86Antonín Dvořákplay_arrow
Czech-born composer Antonín Dvořá—
6Rhapsody for Orchestra “Spain”Emmanuel Chabrier
Rhapsody for Orchestra “Spain”Emmanuel Chabrierplay_arrow
The French composer Emmanuel Chabrier…
7Somerset Rhapsody, Op. 21 No. 2Gustav Holst
Somerset Rhapsody, Op. 21 No. 2Gustav Holstplay_arrow
Gustav, a composer representative of the early 20th century, ...
8Rhapsody Mexicana No. 1Manuel Ponce
Rhapsody Mexicana No. 1Manuel Ponceplay_arrow
When talking about classical music from Latin America, you can’t overlook…
9Rhapsody for Alto SaxophoneAndré Waignein
Rhapsody for Alto SaxophoneAndré Waigneinplay_arrow
The Belgian composer André Waignein is...
10Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43Sergei Rachmaninov
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43Sergei Rachmaninovplay_arrow
The master of Russian Romanticism, Sergei Rachmani...
11Norwegian RhapsodyÉdouard Lalo
Norwegian RhapsodyÉdouard Laloplay_arrow
Ed..., one of France’s leading composers,
12Auvergne Rhapsody in C major, Op. 73Camille Saint-Saëns
Auvergne Rhapsody in C major, Op. 73Camille Saint-Saënsplay_arrow
A Fla... who was active from the 19th to the 20th century
13Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin and Piano, Sz. 86Bartók Béla
Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin and Piano, Sz. 86Bartók Bélaplay_arrow
A classical music composer from Hungary, …
14Second RhapsodyGeorge Gershwin
Second RhapsodyGeorge Gershwinplay_arrow
The great composer Joe, who will go down in American music history...
15Rhapsody for OrchestraToyama Yuzo
Rhapsody for OrchestraToyama Yuzoplay_arrow
La… for Orchestra, a shining landmark in the history of classical music