program - SVIZ

numerous masterpieces that came about at this time (the opera Fierrabras,
the song cycle Die schöne Müllerin, the Octet and the string quartet Death
and the Maiden).
It was only in the second half of 1824 that the composer’s productivity began
to lose momentum – with increasing frequency he was subject to nausea,
headaches and rashes, all combined with a deep feeling of defeat in
life. Nonetheless, it is precisely in this time that the Sonata for Arpeggione
cheerfully arose, a work in which any search for signs of the horror of the
composer’s human fate would be fruitless. In the typical Schubert manner,
the first movement brings material that is melodically rounded rather than
thematic material that would be suitable for further development. In the
second movement for some time it seems that the piano has been placed
to the fore, and then with tense harmony and modulations the arpeggione
again takes centre stage (these days we actually listen to a version for viola
and cello), while the concluding rondo with two episodes is imbued with a
Hungarian sonic atmosphere.
It would be more difficult to find any kind of external causes that may have
triggered the composition of Kodály’s Duo for Violin and Cello. Like Britten,
Kodály continued traditional musical expression well into the 20 th century,
but with one important difference – many of his works were imbued with a
folklore spirit. Similar to his fellow composer and friend Béla Bartók, Kodály
concerned himself with the ethnomusicological collection and research of
folk music material, which, in addition to explicit influences of Debussy and
an ear for classical formal transparency, had the greatest influence on the
composer’s musical language. It is interesting that in his seventy years of
creative work Kodály only devoted fifteen years to writing chamber music,
from 1905 to 1920. Later he clearly explained his decision to focus on other
types of music: “There is only a thin layer of musically educated people who
attend chamber music concerts; to the Majority of people, to the masses,
chamber music is absolutely foreign. Therefore I gradually devoted myself
more and more to choral music, the only music that can attract the musically
uneducated masses to serious music.” And it is true that Kodály’s opus is
dominated by choral music, with the singer’s logic and melody also ‘infecting’
numerous of his instrumental compositions.
It should, therefore, be of no surprise that the Majority of Kodály’s chamber
works are written for strings – instruments that imitate a singing line with the
greatest ease. Even on listening to the Duo, which was written in 1914 and first
performed in the festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music
in Salzburg in 1924, one has the impression of listening to a dialogue between
two singers. The composer always maintains a sonic balance between the two
instruments, while the work also demonstrates a powerful melodic invention
and an ability to achieve virtuosity with rather simple means.
Gregor Pompe
Prevod / Translation: Neville Hall
PROGRAM / PROGRAM
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