Rhapsody

Rhapsody is a term used across music, poetry, and contemporary media. Its name comes from Greek origins, derived from rhapsōidía, with rhapsōidos meaning a storyteller who stitches together episodes of epic poetry for performance. The word has come to denote a mood-driven, lyrical piece that emphasizes expressive, often improvisatory elements.

In music, a rhapsody is typically a single-movement work with an episodic, freely varying structure and contrasting themes or keys. It favors vivid contrasts and virtuosic display rather than strict formal cohesion. In the Romantic era composers popularized the form or used the title to signal a showpiece style. Notable examples include Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies for piano; George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, a fusion of classical and jazz idioms; and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for piano and orchestra.

In ancient Greek literature, a rhapsody referred to a stitched-together recitation or section of an epic poem performed by a rhapsode. The term carried connotations of breadth and variety, as a performer moved through different episodes of the epic.

In modern usage, Rhapsody has also been used as a brand name for a digital music service, originally launched in 2001 by RealNetworks. The service grew into a major streaming platform and was rebranded as Napster in 2016, with the Rhapsody brand largely retired in favor of the Napster identity in many markets. The term continues to illustrate a spirit of expressive, expansive art, whether in classical forms, contemporary poetry, or music streaming culture.