The central slow movement of Bartók's "Contrasts" was omitted at its 1939 Carnegie Hall premiere and was only heard a year later when Bartók himself played the piano part.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bartók's "Contrasts" blends Hungarian folk music elements with jazz influences, reflecting his awareness of both traditions.
Compositional Technique
The title "Contrasts" refers to the piece's use of three dissimilar instruments and oppositions of theme, rhythm, and color, though "Confluences" might have been a better title for its conversational nature.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bartók created his "Forty-four Duos" for students, approaching educational music with the same care as his works for virtuosos, an attitude he shared with Bach and Mozart.
Composition History
Bartók's "Contrasts" was commissioned by his compatriot Joseph Szigeti, a violinist, and Benny Goodman, a jazz musician, making it Bartók's first American composition.
Compositional Technique
In "Contrasts," the violinist must retune the top and bottom strings of a second instrument to emphasize a tritone, a unifying feature in the work.
Historical Context
Bartók's "Forty-four Duos" draws on a wide range of folk traditions, including Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, Serbian, Ruthenian, and Arab, conveying a message of interlinked peoples that Bartók felt was important to repeat during the rise of fascism.
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