Sonata for 2 Pianos and Percussion

Composed in 1937, the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion was designed to showcase Bartók’s skills as a concert pianist. He himself played in the first performance, in Basel in 1938, with his second wife and former piano pupil, Ditta Pásztory-Bartók. The Sonata was quickly recognised as a modern masterpiece, brilliantly bringing together Bartók’s interest in Hungarian folk music, and the dissonant harmony and powerful rhythmic drive of his mature style. Requiring two players, the percussion part liberates the lineup of instruments (including timpani, snare drum and xylophone) from their usual supporting function in orchestras or military bands, so that here they have an equal role in their interplay with the two pianos. The first movement begins with a slow introduction, leading into a fast main section of relentless rhythmic energy and momentum. The central slow movement, written in Bartók’s atmospheric “night music” style, is then followed by the speedy finale, displaying his folk-music manner at its most engaging.