Rhapsody No. 1 (Bartók)
Encyclopedia
Rhapsody No. 1, Sz. 87
, BB 94 is the first of two folk dances for violin and orchestra written by Béla Bartók
. It was written in 1928 and dedicated to Hungarian virtuoso violinist Joseph Szigeti
, a close friend of Bartók.
The piece draws its stylistic elements from the Czardas, the national dance of Hungary
. A major characteristic of the Czardas is the alternation of slow and fast sections and so this piece was written in two movements: the first movement named Lassú (the slow movement) and the second movement named Friss (the fast movement). The title, 'Rhapsody', is a reference to the dramatic contrasts between the movements.
, the main theme of which consists of a scalar violin melody heavily laden with Gypsy influences, including the characteristic dotted rhythms. This is accompanied by a drone-like accompaniment in the piano part. The contrasting, middle section of the movement is a mournful one, characterized by short-long figurations.
The second movement contains an air of brilliance, exhibiting the most virtuosic and vibrant dance melodies. The end of the movement sees the return of the main theme from the first movement.
András Szőllősy
András Szőllősy was the creator of the Szőllősy index , a frequently used index for the works of Hungarian composer Béla Bartók, was born at Szászváros in Transylvania on February 27, 1921. He studied composition under Zoltán Kodály at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music where he was a professor of...
, BB 94 is the first of two folk dances for violin and orchestra written by Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
. It was written in 1928 and dedicated to Hungarian virtuoso violinist Joseph Szigeti
Joseph Szigeti
Joseph Szigeti was a Hungarian violinist.Born into a musical family, he spent his early childhood in a small town in Transylvania. He quickly proved himself to be a child prodigy on the violin, and moved to Budapest with his father to study with the renowned pedagogue Jenő Hubay...
, a close friend of Bartók.
The piece draws its stylistic elements from the Czardas, the national dance of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. A major characteristic of the Czardas is the alternation of slow and fast sections and so this piece was written in two movements: the first movement named Lassú (the slow movement) and the second movement named Friss (the fast movement). The title, 'Rhapsody', is a reference to the dramatic contrasts between the movements.
Analysis
The first movement is in ternary formTernary form
Ternary form, sometimes called song form, is a three-part musical form, usually schematicized as A-B-A. The first and third parts are musically identical, or very nearly so, while the second part in some way provides a contrast with them...
, the main theme of which consists of a scalar violin melody heavily laden with Gypsy influences, including the characteristic dotted rhythms. This is accompanied by a drone-like accompaniment in the piano part. The contrasting, middle section of the movement is a mournful one, characterized by short-long figurations.
The second movement contains an air of brilliance, exhibiting the most virtuosic and vibrant dance melodies. The end of the movement sees the return of the main theme from the first movement.