Rhapsody No. 1 for violin and orchestra

Written alongside some of his most radical works, Bartók’s two Rhapsodies are among his most accessible—both draw on traditional Hungarian folk music, but without diluting his individual idiom. The first of these was written for violin (or cello) and piano in 1928 and orchestrated the next year. It is dedicated to violinist Josef Szigeti, who gave the premiere with the composer at the BBC Arts Theatre Club in London on 4 March 1929. In line with the precedent established by Liszt in his Hungarian Rhapsodies, there are two distinct movements. The first, "Lassú" (“Slow”), falls into three sections, the rhythmically forceful outer ones framing a wistful soliloquy. The second, "Friss" (“Fast”), comprises five continuous sections, each featuring a distinctive folk melody and all exuding a virtuosity that only increases toward the scintillating close, at the height of which the main theme from the first movement is brought back in a decisive coda.