Bartók: Rhapsody for Violin & Piano No. 2, BB 96a, Sz. 89

If there's one period to which we feel specially attracted, it's the time when Ravel and Bartók wrote their sonatas and rhapsodies. Music styles from all corners of the world were blowing across the European continent, taking root as folk dances, blues rhythms and exotic melodies in the hearts of classically trained musicians. How very similar to our own situation!

We were formed by Beethoven and Schubert, but with American colleagues, Indonesian forefathers and pop and jazz musicians as close friends our musical world was equally determined by Radiohead, Brad Mehldau and Indonesian gamelan. Bartók and Ravel show us how traditional craftsmanship can be combined with the sounds of other cultures. In their music we can give full rein to our craft, the flame of our ensemble playing and our love for our instruments. At the same time, we recognize in it the groove, the catch in the voice and the raw expression, which captivate us beyond the concert hall. All these elements are brought together in masterly fashion. And so this CD is not only a homage to Ravel and Bartók, but also to the unbounded world of music, in which we both feel free and happy. Enjoy our recording!

Rosanne Philippens & Yuri van Nieuwkerk In 2001 Yuri and Rosanne met at a summer school high up in the mountains of Switzerland. Playing together, it became clear that they had much in common in their musicianship. On returning to Holland they decided to form a duo, and this has been a great success. Today they continue to play together and their musicianship - both as individuals and as a duo - is recognised increasingly. The duo was awarded the Netherlands Programming Foundation Duo Prize at the National Violin Competition, and has broadcast on Dutch classical radio and TV. At the latest Vriendenkrans/het Debuut they won Het Debuut, and with it a grant for further studies and a series of ten concerts at leading chamber music venues in Holland in 2013. The duo has also performed in Switzerland, Germany and Liechtenstein.

This is the second volume in a series devoted to the works for strings by Béla Bartók, with James Ehnes the featured soloist. Earlier this year, Ehnes recorded the Violin and Viola Concertos (CHAN10690), which was made Disc of the Month in Gramophone magazine. On this new recording, he turns to the Violin Sonatas and Rhapsodies, complemented by the earliest surviving work by Bartók for violin and piano, an Andante. He is accompanied by the pianist Andrew Armstrong.

Dedicated to the Hungarian violinist Adila d’Arányi, the sonatas for violin and piano were composed in 1921 – 22, around the same time as the highly successful ballet score The Miraculous Mandarin. Of the two works, the Sonata in C sharp minor is the more traditional in terms of its structure, and characterised by a mood that is sometimes exhilarated, sometimes turbulent – but always virtuosic. The finale builds from a series of increasingly wild dances, folk-like in style but entirely expressionistic.

In the Sonata in C major, Bartók removes himself from classical form and traditional tonal practice, calling on the violinist to distance himself from the romantic manner of playing. At several points, for example, the violin is played without vibrato, producing an ethereally cool and distant sound. The improvisatory character is strong throughout, as the work repeatedly alternates between the quiet and thoughtful, and the stormy and strident. The ending, in contrast to the earlier sonata, is understated, emotional, and expressive.

Bartók’s two rhapsodies for piano and violin, dedicated respectively to Joseph Szigeti and Zoltán Székely, are steeped in the tradition of Hungarian folk music. Exuberant and infectious, the works are heavily inspired by the csárdás, the national dance of Hungary, and display the traditional pairing of lassú (slow) and friss (lively) movements.

In the first half of the 20th century, Béla Bartók was one of the principal ambassadors of Hungarian music. He was influenced by the folk music of Eastern Europe and strove to break the confines of the traditions of Western Classical music, in order to create harmonies, rhythms and performance practices that were more relevant to his turbulent era. While the two sonatas differ in their relation to the Classical model, the influence of Eastern Europe can be heard in both: the arpeggios at the beginning of No.1 imitate the sound of the Hungarian cimbalom, and there is evidence of Hungarian folk music in its dance‐like finale as well as in the hor lunga‐style melody of the Romanian peasant music in No.2, which recurs several times throughout the piece.

The two Rhapsodies similarly share the influence; the slow ‘Lassú’ movement of No.1, for example, uses an exotic Transylvanian melody followed by a much more cheerful ‘Friss’ movement. Exoticism returns in the ‘Lassú’ of No.2, combined with a hint of melancholy, which is counteracted by the riotous dance of the ‘Friss’ thanks to its improvisatory nature and use of six separate tunes.

The disc features Antal Zalai, praised by Igor Oistrakh as ‘an exceptional violinist who has a perfect technique, beautiful large tone, real musical finesse and maturity as well as a noble personality’.

Joining him is József Balog, one of the most celebrated pianists of his generation and winner of the 2005 Annie Fischer Award.

Barnabás Kelemen, Gold Medallist of the 2002 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, has established himself as one of the leading violinists of his generation, appearing regularly as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician at many of the world’s major musical venues and festivals. He has toured extensively throughout Europe, North and South America, South Africa, Japan and Taiwan. In September 2005 he was appointed Professor of Violin at the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest.