Album insights
Before delving into the assessment of Liszt Ferenc's initial genuine contribution to essentially Hungarian literature, it's worth mentioning a note about titles and sources. It's customary to retain the Hungarian titles of these works to avoid confusion with the well-known second cycle of the Hungarian Rhapsodies. The numbers 1-11 in the sources carry the titles "Magyar Dalok / Ungarische Nationalmelodien / Mélodies hongroises," while numbers 12-17 are named "Magyar Rapszódiák / Ungarische Rhapsodien / Rapsodies hongroises." Numbers 18-21 are simply termed Hungarian Rhapsodies, although the 20th, titled Romanian Rhapsody in the first edition of 1936, is noted. Pester Carneval was separately printed in 1847 and signifies the conclusion of the initial series of Hungarian Rhapsodies. Early editions of some pieces used different titles like "Album d'un voyageur - Troisième année," adding to the confusion. Therefore, in these notes, the initial series is always referred to as Magyar Dalok / Rapszódiák ("Hungarian or Gypsy Songs / Rhapsodies") and the second as Rapsodies hongroises / Hungarian Rhapsodies.
An extensive and intricate ethno-musicological study would be necessary to unveil the origins of each melody used in these pieces, which is beyond the scope here. Some Hungarian scholars have effectively tackled this, and Liszt himself wrote a notable book on Gypsies and their music in Hungary as a preface to the Hungarian Rhapsodies. However, this work raised more questions than it answered. Liszt didn't draw a clear distinction between "authentic" Hungarian folk songs and other music heard from Gypsies. The names and lyrics of the songs he used were often unfamiliar to him, and at times, he was unaware that the melody he chose was from another Hungarian composer. Nonetheless, Liszt undeniably fulfilled his aim of celebrating his homeland's music abundantly in both cycles. It is likely Liszt gathered the melodies for his first composition series during two trips to Hungary, the first around 1839/40 and the second approximately six years later, although it remains uncertain how many of these motifs he might have been familiar with from an earlier time.
The essential textual contrast between the Magyar Dalok / Rapszódiák and the Rapsodies hongroises lies in structure. Just as in the Album d'un voyageur or the Douze grandes études from Liszt's years as a piano virtuoso, there is a completely carefree attitude towards difficulty level and intricate figuration. Liszt not only aims to preserve the melodies but also convey the color of their improvisation by the Gypsy orchestra. This is particularly evident in his efforts to faithfully mimic the cimbalom, an incredibly difficult instrument played with hammers held in one's hands to create keyboard-like sounds. The Magyar Dalok / Rapszódiák exhibit a greater degree of casual improvisation than the more precise Rhapsodies. The complexity of some cimbalom effects is founded on a slower tempo than what the concise textual lines of the arrangements might suggest. Viewing the 22 pieces as a whole, it's unclear why Liszt made such extensive structural changes when adapting much of their material for numbers 3-15 in the Rapsodies hongroises. Many intriguing pieces were omitted, and entire themes or sections from other works were not retained in the later versions. Nevertheless, listening to the current set with an unbiased ear suggests the selection and combination of these motifs are more than adequate.
... [The text goes on to provide detailed descriptions of the individual pieces in the series Magyar Dalok / Rapszódiák in chronological order, followed by discussions about the later pieces in the series and subsequent transformations in Liszt's creations, highlighting the evolution and adaptation of materials across various compositions.]