A rhapsody in music is a one-movement work that is episodic yet integrated, free-flowing in structure, featuring a range of highly contrasted moods, color and tonality. An air of spontaneous inspiration and a sense of improvisation make it freer in form than a set of variations. Sergei Rachmaninoff's set of variations on a theme by Niccolò Paganini are so free in structure that the composer called them a Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Music is a human activity which involves structured and audible sounds, which is used for artistic or aesthetic, entertainment, or ceremonial purposes. ... In music, a movement is a large division of a larger composition or musical form. ... Improvisation is the act of making something up as it is performed. ... In music, variation is a formal technique where material is altered during repetition; reiteration with changes. ... Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (Russian: , Sergej Vasilevič Rahmaninov, April 1, 1873 (N.S.) or March 20, 1873 (O.S.) – March 28, 1943) was a Russian-American composer, pianist, and conductor. ... Niccolò Paganini Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini, (October 27, 1782 – May 27, 1840) was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist and composer. ... Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is a piece of classical music for orchestra and solo piano by Sergei Rachmaninoff. ...

Rhapsodies particularly appealed to Romantic composers. The heroine's mad scene in Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor is rhapsodic in form. The era of Romantic music is defined as the period of European classical music that runs roughly from the early 1800s to the first decade of the 20th century, as well as music written according to the norms and styles of that period. ... Gaetano Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was a famous Italian opera composer. ... Lucia di Lammermoor is an opera in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. ...

Some familiar examples will give an idea of the character of a rhapsody:

• Franz Liszt, Hungarian Rhapsodies
• Johannes Brahms, Rhapsodies for solo pianoforte, and the Alto Rhapsody for alto voice, male choir and orchestra.
• George Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue
• Emmanuel Chabrier, España is a rhapsody on Spanish tunes.
• George Enesco, Roumanian Rhapsody
• Ralph Vaughan Williams, Norfolk Rhapsody No.1
• Maurice Ravel, Spanish Rhapsody
• Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody

An uninspired rhapsody is a pot-pourri. Franz Liszt (Hungarian: Liszt Ferenc) (October 22, 1811 – July 31, 1886) was a Hungarian virtuoso pianist and composer. ... The Hungarian Rhapsodies, (S/G244, R106) Rapsodies hongroises or Ungarische Rhapsodien) are a set of pieces of music by Franz Liszt, originally for solo piano. ... Johannes Brahms. ... George Gershwin photograph by Edward Steichen in 1927. ... Rhapsody in Blue is a composition by George Gershwin which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. ... Emmanuel Alexis Chabrier (January 18, 1841 - September 13, 1894) was a French composer. ... George Enescu George Enescu (known in France as Georges Enesco) (August 19, 1881, Liveni – May 4, 1955, Paris) was a Romanian composer, violonist, pianist, conductor and teacher, preeminent musician of the 20th century, one of the greatest interprets of his time. ... Ralph Vaughan Williams, OM (October 12, 1872 – August 26, 1958) was an influential British composer. ... Joseph-Maurice Ravel (March 7, 1875 – December 28, 1937) was a French composer and pianist, known especially for the subtlety, richness, and poignancy of his music and generally considered to be one of the major composers of the 20th century. ... Queen is a British rock band. ... Bohemian Rhapsody is a song written by Freddie Mercury, originally recorded by the band Queen for their 1975 album A Night at the Opera. ... Potpourri is properly a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant material, used to provide a gentle natural scent in houses. ...