In his autobiography, A Double Life (Midas Books: 1982) Rozsa proudly declares that ''the music of Hungary is stamped indelibly... on virtually every bar I have ever put on paper'', and nowhere are the fervent, rustic rhythms of the composer's beloved homeland more vividly assimilated than in his music for solo violin. This is especially true of Opp. 4 and 5, two early successes from 1929, both of which blaze with potent memories of the Magyar peasant music that Rozsa felt was all around him, and which he would jot down ''in a kind of delirium'' during his youth on the family estate. Op. 7 was written two years later and marked the end of his term as a student in Leipzig. Though evoking once again the gipsy fiddlers of his boyhood, the themes here are actually Rozsa's own and reveal some of the surging romanticism that would later characterize his film scores. Following his memorable career in Hollywood, Rozsa made a satisfying return to 'pure' music with the Solo Violin Sonata of 1986. Dedicated to his friend Manuel Compinsky, this passionate, energetic piece pays another loving tribute to the mother country that provided Rozsa with a ''living source of inspiration''.
Isabella Lippi is a highly expressive soloist. She tackles the many fiendishly animated passages with great panache but also displays a keen understanding of the music's pastoral colouring and darkly romantic fervour. Sympathetic support from her accompanist and clear, warm sound all help to make this CD a fine and, following the sad news of the composer's recent death, a regrettably timely addition to Koch's Rozsa series.'