Miklós Rózsa’s Duo for Cello and Piano op. 8 dates from his student days in Leipzig and is dedicated to Julius Klengel, who was a professor there. It was to be the last work performed in public by the dedicatee before his death.
The duo consists of two movements. The first is in sonata form, the second is a variation movement. The latter is not uncommon in Rózsa’s work and evokes associations with, for example, Ludwig van Beethoven’s last piano sonata op. 111. The work is tonal, with C major serving as the center for long stretches. In addition, however, there are numerous modal passages. Just as typical for Rózsa are echoes of the folk music of his Hungarian homeland. He tried to express with the means of modern music what his compatriots wanted to express with their folk music.


Bibliography:

Bally, Juliane: Miklós Rózsa. Ausbildung und kammermusikalisches Frühwerk als Basis für das filmmusikalische Schaffen am Beispiel Ben Hur, Saarbrücken: PFAU 2012, pp. 122-134.