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Composer: Bartok, Bela

Contrasts, BB 116

Herve, Julien

Lovett, Maud

Sugitani, Jean-Hisanori

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Clarinet: Herve, Julien

Piano: Sugitani, Jean-Hisanori

Violin: Lovett, Maud

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Year of Production: July 2011

Playing Time: 00:05:15

Catalogue Number: NVF0116

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Bartok wrote Contrasts in response to a letter of 11th August 1938 from the violinist Joseph Szigeti, telling him that Benny Goodman wanted to commission a trio with solo violin and clarinet. Bartok was by then 57, and had never written a chamber work for a wind instrument. Contrasts is a particularly complex and virtuosic work, and notably requires the clarinettist to switch from a clarinet in A to a B flat instrument for the opening and closing sections of the third movement (similarly the violin has to be retuned in peasant mode to G sharp, D, A, E flat).

The first movement, Verbunkos (Recruiting Dance) is based on a traditional gypsy tune, then the calm of the second, Piheno (Relaxation), is followed by Sebes (Fast Dance), providing a fast and furious conclusion to the work.