1. Gemessen — Presto
2. Ruhig; frei — Beschwingt — Tempo I

The Rhapsodies for soprano and viola d’amore were composed in 2002/03 at the initiative of Albena Naydenova and Marianne Rônez. They combine lyrical sentiment with relaxed playfulness.

The first piece unfolds in a broad lyrical song, joining the two voices in a relational duet. The soprano part is mostly instrumental, evolving less dialogically than in collective motion with the viola. A surprising stretta marks the border to the second piece.

Its intention is to shed a new light on the viola d’amore (usually associated with early music and with a “noble” character) by incorporating rhythmic and melodic elements from “atypical” contexts (such as jazz phrases etc.). The vocal part takes a similar approach. Much like in the first piece, it is based on dadaistic syllables, which emphasize its instrumental profile. In a seemingly spontaneous manner, the soloists achieve a cheerful, sometimes improvisatory interplay.