Arpad Balazs

Rhapsody

Árpád Balázs (*1937) composed the first version of Rhapsody for Hungarian cimbalom and concert band in 2001; in 2021, on the encouragement by a Japanese marimba player he arranged the solo part for marimba, and therefore the opportunities for the work to be played have significantly widened. The Rhapsody follows the one-movement structure created by Franz Liszt. The beginning solo section of the cimbalom (or marimba) returns before the coda as a pillar of the form. The composition, which can be divided into five sections, develops and works with a Lydian tetrachordal motif (G-A-B-C sharp) in different characters, stretching the span of music from a simple, children's song-like appearance to an obstinate ritual dance. In conclusion, the Rhapsody is a passionately emotional lyric orchestral poem rich in colours and characters, which has a place on the repertoire of every concert band playing quality music.