Composer

:

Béla Bartók

Genre

:

Orchestral

Style

:

Orchestral

Compose Date

:

1907 - 1911

Average_duration

:

12:47

Movement_count

:

2

Movement ....

Béla Bartók's 'Two Portraits, Sz. 37' is a composition for violin and piano, composed in 1911. The piece was premiered in Budapest on December 3, 1911, with Bartók himself on the piano and the violinist Imre Waldbauer. The work consists of two movements, each portraying a different character. The first movement, titled 'Ideal,' is a portrait of a young woman. It begins with a slow, mournful melody played by the violin, accompanied by a simple piano accompaniment. The melody gradually becomes more complex and expressive, as the violinist explores the different facets of the woman's character. The piano provides a delicate, shimmering background, adding to the dreamlike quality of the music. The movement ends with a return to the mournful melody, as if the woman's idealized image has faded away. The second movement, titled 'Grotesque,' is a portrait of a man. It is a lively, energetic piece, full of rhythmic complexity and dissonant harmonies. The violin and piano engage in a playful dialogue, with the violinist often interrupting the piano's phrases with unexpected accents and trills. The music is full of sudden shifts in mood and tempo, reflecting the man's unpredictable character. The movement ends with a sudden, jarring chord, as if the man has abruptly left the scene. Overall, 'Two Portraits' is a fascinating example of Bartók's early style, which combines elements of Romanticism with modernist techniques. The piece showcases his skill as a composer and his ability to create vivid musical portraits of different characters.

More....