rhapsody
A one-movement work with dramatic, free-flowing sections, often based on folk themes.
In Depth
A rhapsody is a one-movement instrumental work characterized by dramatic contrasts, improvisatory freedom, and often a basis in folk or national themes. The name comes from the ancient Greek rhapsōidos — a performer who recited epic poetry — and suggests a narrative, storytelling quality.
Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies are the genre's most famous examples, drawing on what he believed to be Hungarian folk music. Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue brilliantly fuses jazz and classical idioms. Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is technically a set of variations but captures the rhapsodic spirit of free-flowing fantasy and virtuosic display.
Gershwin composed Rhapsody in Blue in just three weeks and orchestrated it on the train to the premiere. The iconic opening clarinet glissando was improvised at the rehearsal.