Contrasts (Bartók)

Contrasts (Sz. 111, BB 116) is a 1938 composition scored for clarinet-violin-piano trio by Béla Bartók (1881–1945). It is based on Hungarian and Romanian dance melodies and has three movements with a combined duration of 17–20 minutes. Bartók wrote the work in response to a letter from violinist Joseph Szigeti, although it was officially commissioned by clarinetist Benny Goodman.

Szigeti originally wanted Bartók to write a short piece with two movements and a total duration of 6–7 minutes. This was most likely so that a recording of it would be able to fit cleanly on a single gramophone record, with one movement on each side with capacity for approximately four minutes running time. The first version of the work, titled Rhapsody, received its premiere on 9 January 1939 at Carnegie Hall, with Szigeti, Goodman, and pianist Endre Petri performing. Bartók subsequently added a middle movement and changed the work's title to Contrasts. Szigeti, Goodman and Bartók first performed the final, three-movement work at Carnegie Hall on 21 April 1940, and subsequently recorded it for Columbia. Bartók published the work in 1942 and dedicated it to Szigeti and Goodman.

The work is in three movements:

The movements contrast in tempo. The first movement contains a Cadenza for clarinet and the last one for violin. The piece features examples of alternate or dual-thirds (C and C♯ in an A triad):

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