The main characteristics of the rhapsody genre are: caprice, improvisation and especially freedom.
Rhapsody, in the 19th century, usually refers to an instrumental fantasy with heroic spirit and distinctive national characteristics. The word rhapsody comes from the Greek word Rhapsodia, which refers to an ancient Greek epic. Rhapsody is usually performed on instruments, and the genre is based on folk music themes and involves difficult techniques.
Rhapsody generally does not have a fixed formal structure, and the music is not characterized by an obvious and unified development model and organization. It is characterized by caprice, improvisation, and especially freedom.
Rhapsody was formed in the early 19th century. However, the concept can be traced back to the Rhapsodos recited without instrumental accompaniment in ancient Greek epics. The original rhapsody type music was the same as other genres of music at that time. Instrumental music is dependent on vocal music. Later, as instrumental music gradually separated from vocal music, a purely instrumental solo rhapsody appeared.
In 1803, the Czech composer Tomasek composed a series of piano pieces, of which the six piano rhapsodys are the most famous, marking the change of "Rhapsody" from a vocal genre to an instrumental genre. Due to the flexibility and freedom of the genre, rhapsody generally does not have a fixed formal structure or appearance, and the types of musical forms used are naturally quite diverse.
Furthermore, rhapsody generally has a distinct national character, often with obvious national characteristics such as Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic. The musical mood is not controlled, the emotions are unrestrained, strong and exposed, and it has an epic and free nature. Heroic characteristics often use popular national or folk tunes as the main material. The music is generally colorful, lyrical and dramatic. In addition, rhapsody music is characterized by caprice, improvisation, and especially freedom.