Rhapsody No. 1 for violin and piano

In 1928, in return for the support they had given him in the past, Bartók indulged his two violinist friends by dedicating a Rhapsody to each of them – the first to Joseph Szigeti, who gave the first performance with the composer at the piano in Budapest in 1929, the second to Zoltán Székely. Like the early Rhapsody, Op.1, they are based on the lassú-friss (slow-quick) form associated with the verbunkos and adopted by Liszt in the second of his Hungarian Rhapsodies. Bartók hadalways been an admirer of Liszt, even when he couldn’t approve of the source of the melodies he chose for his Hungarian Rhapsodies: they were not true folksong, Bartok would point out, but an amalgam of peasant music with city and gypsy styles. So here, since he was for once allowing himself to write in a frankly virtuoso manner, was a chance to pay tribute to Liszt as well.

Of the two, the First Rhapsody is probably the more entertaining. It is divided into two distinct parts, the first based on a characteristic Rumanian verbunkos tune in heavy dotted rhythms and, in the middle section a more intimate Hungarian melody which immediately inspires a beautifully embellished variation. The Friss section begins with a melody remarkably similar to the Shaker song used by Copland in Appalachian Spring. Experts assure us, however, that it is a characteristic Rumanian dance from the Temes region, the source also of the next theme which fluctuates playfully in tempo and involves the violinist in a variety of folk-fiddle techniques. Bartók introduces two more tunes and still more folk-instrumental sounds as the dance whirls on – either to a recall of the opening verbunkos tune and a cadenza or, according to the version chosen by the performers, a more conventionally brilliant ending.

Both Rhapsodies exist in violin-and-piano and violin-and -orchestra versions, neither of which, since the two were written more or less simultaneously, can claim priority over the other as the original version.

Gerald Larner©