Compositions for Violin and Piano

Born in Pressburg (present-day Bratislava), Miska Hauser was among the pioneering figures of the Central European violin tradition. Through both his teaching and his compositions, he helped shape the development of violin playing and violin literature far beyond the region.

This collection contains eighteen works, including pieces inspired by Scottish, Irish, Italian, Spanish, Polish, and Russian folk traditions, as well as numerous examples of secondary creative genres such as paraphrases, arrangements, and fantasies.

The rhapsody became one of Hauser’s favourite musical forms. He composed two Hungarian Rhapsodies (Opp. 43 and 61), the Irish Rhapsody, Op. 45, the Scottish Rhapsody, Op. 47, the American Rhapsody, Op. 44, and Bird on the Tree, Op. 34, which may likewise be regarded as an American rhapsody. Hauser was, above all, a composer of shorter character pieces (morceaux), often drawing inspiration from local traditions or from the history of the violin repertoire. His engagement with the Hungarian style is also reflected in works such as Introduction and Rondo on Hungarian Melodies, Op. 2, An die Heimath, Op. 26, Ungarischer Czardas, Op. 29/6, Cardas, Op. 38/2, Ungarischer, Op. 50/4, and Ungarischer Nationaltanz, Op. 53, in which the introductory Lassù is followed by five lively Friss dances. Although Hauser generally adhered to established compositional conventions rather than seeking to transform them, he made a significant contribution to the development of the virtuoso violin idiom.