RHAPSODY Op.76

The virtuoso Rhapsody for alto horn in E-flat and piano (Opus 76) was composed in 2007. Although it is generally known primarily in brass bands, various classical composers have greatly appreciated the tenor horn's brilliant sound in the high register and its great flexibility. The effort to blend the sound of this special instrument with the spectral richness of the piano resulted in a completely new chamber music sound for both instruments. The character of this rhapsody combines rhapsodic features of Franz Liszt's virtuosity with Johannes Brahms's epic power. The composer's admiration for Debussy's Première Rhapsodie for clarinet and piano can be seen in the elaboration of the motifs, the timbral contrasts, the structural pivots, the search for a new tonality and modality based on a strict motivic grouping, and the spectral ideas initiated by Debussy—despite the fact that the aesthetics of this work are modernist.
In the piano, the combination of the sustain pedal and the right pedal accumulates the concepts of sound, often resulting in sudden, detailed contrasts through the articulation and reverberation of sound spectra, as opposed to the mere reverberation of clearly distinguishable chords. The work is characterised by the unique idea of ​​regulating the sound on the piano through the pedal, articulation, and velocity of the keys. The typical improvisational character of a rhapsody can be heard in the solo cadences, played alternately by both musicians.

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