Paraphrase
Free, often virtuosic arrangement of a well-known work (Liszt).
What it means
The paraphrase is a free, often virtuosic arrangement of a well-known work or its themes. Unlike a transcription, which transfers as faithfully as possible, the arranger reshapes the model independently: altering the harmony, adding figuration and linking themes into a new piece.
Musical use
The paraphrase became famous in the 19th century through Franz Liszt, who arranged operatic melodies for piano, for instance in his paraphrase on Verdi's Rigoletto (1859). They were intended as virtuoso pieces and made operas accessible in the concert hall. In the Renaissance the term also denotes Masses that freely work up a well-known melody.
The paraphrase should be distinguished from the transcription, which stays true to the original, from the variation, which alters a theme systematically, and from the potpourri, which merely strings melodies together loosely.
Performance practice
When you play a paraphrase, know the original: only when you know which melody and mood underlie it do you understand what the arrangement adds. Preserve the singing of the melody and keep virtuosity in the service of expression.