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Kurt Rapf
Concerto for Violin, Viola, and Strings
Kurt Rapf studied at the Viennese Academy of Music, where he graduated in conducting, organ, piano, harpsichord, and composition. From 1953-1960 he was music director of the City of Innsbruck. From 1970-1987 he was the Chief of the Music Department for the City of Vienna. He has won numerous awards, and he travels throughout the world as a conductor of the Wiener Sinfonietta and as a soloist on organ and piano.
The Concerto for Violin, Viola, and Strings (2001) is a four-movement work. The first movement develops from the repetitive orchestral quarter notes, which enter imitatively in all voices. When the violin solo enters with the opening theme, the solo line is a complete idea from all that fragmentally preceded it. The solo viola line, which follows next, is developed from the original motif found in the tutti first violin part. In the "Calmo" section broad triplets are the focus of the melody in both solo lines. The recapitulation occurs briefly, and then the movement is concluded with a coda that begins as a decisive dotted rhythm figure in the violin solo. Unison chords conclude the movement.
The second movement is a Scherzo and Trio. For the listener, the opening melody is familiar. The opening of the Scherzo has a gratifying style, ala Viennese, reminiscent of the style of Mahler. The graceful, lilting melodic line is a waltz that does not quite become complete. The mood is shrouded in mystery, a dream. The tutti first violins are able to play some significant soli passages before the soloists enter.
The third movement opens as a serious statement characterized by dotted rhythms. The solo violin enters with the theme played passionately on the G string, reminiscent of the Ernest Bloch Violin Sonata. The solo violin line continues like a plaintive and passionate cry, continually climbing higher in register. It is written like a quasi-cadenza.
The last movement accelerates towards a long cadenza for the solo violin and viola. This movement is sectional but the momentum keeps building until the victory march near the end, which is heard in the solo violin.
-- program notes by Laurien Jones