People criticising the cadenza for not "fitting in" baffle me. You've just had 6 minutes of pure I-V leading up to the cadenza -- I'm frankly dying by that point for some harmonic colour, and Rachmaninoff comments on the motifs of rhapsody really cleverly (& with a kind of breezy cynicism) while throwing around some gorgeous chords. Fantastic stuff.

"The perfect music collab doesn't exi-"

I don't see why it's so necessary that the cadenza matches the rest of the piece. A cadenza is an extension and realization of the pianist's own originality, technique, and style. Who says that it needs to sound just like Liszt? Rachmaninoff was transporting us to his own world and giving his own take on themes and motifs from the rest of the piece. I don't see why that's a problem, and honestly, it sounds brilliant, almost as if the passage came straight from his Etude-Tableaux or something.

Ferecz Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, S. 244/2 Liszt's Opening [0:00 - 0:31] Liszt's Lassan [0:31 - 4:23] Liszt's Friska [4:23 - 8:28] Rachmaninov's Cadenza [8:28 - 10:35] Liszt's Cadenza [10:35 - 11:02]

Magnificent cadenza, 8:30. Go Rach!! Never heard or heard of this!

Rachmaninoff please, stahp, Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 is already very difficult!

Cadenza is fantastique, like the rhapsody went into a fever-dream, distorting through keys & tempos. The rendering is awesome

This must have brought down the house the first time people heard this.

The distortions in melody and harmony along with the opening glissandos almost make it appear that Rachmaninov wrote this cadenza as a humorous commentary on Liszt's Rhapsody. Rachmaninov plays the remainder of the piece with apparent "ease", as only Rachmaninov could. Then comes this rather convoluted cadenza...intriguing and worth listening to over and over, but "jarring", as another commentator writes. Any thought on why Rachmaninov wrote in such a manner?

9:57 I love how Rachmaninoff decided to add a little jazz here

---------------------------------- *Here all parts of the hungarian rhapsody no 2:* ---------------------------------- Opening: 0:00 Lassan: 0:31 Friska: 4:22 Rachmaninoff's Cadenza: 8:28 Finale: 10:35 ---------------------------------- *Perfect performance!* ----------------------------------

The cadenza sounds like a drunk person trying to play the piece, really fun 😁

9:47 more like a jazzy style but i love it

Superb work by the great Rach!!

I am a great Rachmaninoff fan. Indeed, the reason I am a music teacher can be partly attributed to the influence he had on my musical mind as I was learning my craft and growing up. The cadenza tells you much more about Rachmaninoff than Liszt, as many have said. Yes, perhaps it is 'jarring' as some have said, because it doesn't sound like Liszt's harmonies (it is of the twentieth century rather than the nineteenth), nor Liszt's style of piano writing. Rachmaninoff is being the composer here rather than trying to replicate Liszt's idiomatic musical language. As a composer himself, I think he is entitled to put his own spin on it. I imagine he wrote it for himself to play as a concert pianist to show off his own technique, much as Liszt's music is about his own tremendous command of the instrument. Were Liszt's huge number of transcriptions idiomatic of the composers whose music he arranged and transcribed? I don't think so! Rachmaninoff probably never imagined that 100 years later we would be having this debate. Authenticity in music was not a big thing in Rachmaninoff's day: it is a relatively recent phenomenon. Let's not judge him by our current standards.

Bravo brilliance music grandiose virtuoso

Fantástico! Trabalho mútuo de dois gênios!!

Why the criticism of the cadenza? The critics are unlikely to be able to play it. The performance is the main surprise and to which attention should be paid. A virtuoso pianist new to me with an amazing and outstanding technique. How does Russia breed these pianists? Can anybody confirm whether there were any edits - the tempos are so fast , it is difficult to imagine no errors. My personal view has always been that whilst many pianists can get their fingers around the notes of the Rhapsodies, only a few very top virtuosi such as MAH, Horowitz, Bermann etc can reveal the true original sound or intentions of Liszt. This is why I believe few virtuoso pianists will tackle them in concert as their personal shortcomings will be open for all to see. My point is perhaps clearer if one listens to the Horowitz arrangement or the performance of Cziffra or Rachmaninov - luckily all are available on KZfaq. What a wonderful channel this is.

Those glissandos tho

Wow

I have always interpreted Rachmaninoff as "this music should be making you _think_ about the material". and think that cadenza thoroughly did I

Rachmaninoff please, this piece is already technically difficult!

I like the cadenza on its own, but it's quite jarring in the context of the piece. Rachmaninoff made absolutely no attempt to write this in the style of Liszt (which is what you would traditionally do if you are writing a cadenza meant to be performed within a piece of music), it's Rachmaninoff through and through, sounds like his late style too, which makes it even more jarring. But I still enjoyed hearing it.

Could Somebody write a midi for this? Or send me the sheet music, cant transcribe it through the video, would be super helpful!

LOL, in the tradition of cadenz(i) the artist is to "improvise" AND show off...therefore I hardly think you can expect Listzian music from Rachaminoff or any other performer during a cadenza. The Rachmaninoff at least kept the melody lines very well, not so with Hamelin...if you find this "jarring", try Marc Andre Hamelin's cadenza! Find it here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oLSGqdt-mtzLZZc.html

9:57 buildup is fantastic

Cadenza at 8:28

This is like the romantic version of a polytonal jazz remix of a pop song lol

4:49

00:30 01:20 04:49 06:32 10:40

Can someone explain what is a cadenza?

I personally like Rachmaninoff much more than Liszt but this cadenza just doesn't fit to this Rhapsody's style. It sounds like another, not connected piece inside the other one :(

very very interesting piece by Rachmaninov! Yes, it's not Liszt, it's a modern piece.

They're not wrong...

Who framed Roger Rabbit.

comedy right here!

This cadenza gives me anxiety Yep, it's from Rachmaninoff

What an adsolute mad lad

Interesting, I would like what Beethoven would had made of it.

This cadenza is still weak compared to Hamelin's. A lot more pleasant to listen to though.

There is 2 wrong notes ! jajajaja not is important !

Great recording but I don't care for the cadenza Rachmaninoff incorporated. Just my opinion. It doesn't fall in line with the style of Liszt. Imagination is vast in the human mind. I think he could have written something in the style of Liszt yet still his own.

Liszt did fine on his own without Rachmanioffs addition.

ㅈㄴ음침해 ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

I was better and i AM still better