A six-month tour through Spain and Portugal left its mark ... Fascinated by the temperamental melodies of the Iberian peninsula, Liszt integrated elements of this music into his piano works. The character of the Rhapsodie espagnole is very different to that of its Hungarian counterparts - instead of Hungarian boisterousness and deep melancholy, one encounters Spanish noblesse and elegance. At the centre are the age-old theme Folies d'Espagne and a much loved folkdance melody from Aragon (Jota); both of which Liszt worked into a dazzling virtuosic series of variations. Our Urtext edition contains a well-informed preface by the Liszt researcher Maria Eckhardt.