Stylistically a cross between the solo violin works of Bach and Bartók, this sonata was dedicated to Manuel Compinsky and first performed in London in 1986 by Paul Barritt. The first movement, Allegro moderato, is a sonata-allegro form built from three themes: one highly rhythmic and abstract, one lyrical, and one dance-like. Still another motif, this one also rhythmically based, infiltrates the development section. The overall mood is rather tense, but, like all Rózsa's music, this sonata is grounded firmly in tonality. The second movement finds Rózsa working with two of his favorite devices: a slow, singing theme, and a set of variations. This Canzona con variazioni is based on a lonely, yearning theme in Hungarian folk style, played mostly with double stops. The seven variations bring constant contrast; meditative sections alternate with more outspoken material full of rapid runs. The final variation brings back the canzona an octave higher, and ends in harmonics. The Vivace third movement begins vigorously; the lighter subsequent material, marked leggiero ma amabile, eventually turns into a little scherzo. As was Rózsa's habit, a sensitive middle section ultimately gives way to a virtuosic finale.



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