Progetto Martha Argerich

italiano

Works

Béla Bartok

Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano (Sz 76)

 

Although his official catalogue lists only two sonatas for violin and piano, Béla Bartók really composed five pieces in this genre. The first three, however, date from the composer’s youth and are in a late Romantic style; he did not publish them. The two “official” sonatas, on the other hand, are completely mature works and were composed within a short timespan, in 1921-22. It was typical of Bartók to write works in the same genre close together, yet to give them very different musical characteristics – and the two sonatas are a fine example of this method. The first one has a fairly traditional three-movement format (Allegro, Adagio, Allegro), whereas the Second Sonata, which feels more extemporaneous and improvisatory, is cast in only two movements. It opens with a Molto moderato that is followed by an Allegretto clearly inspired by Romanian folk music.

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1. Molto moderato
2. Allegretto

Performers

Performance