Zoltán Kodály appears to have deliberately deprived himself of the pleasure of writing for the cello, his favourite instrument, when composing his string Serenade, Op 12 in 1920. Scored for two violins and viola, the texture is light and airy but the sonority rich and inventive, despite the lack of a conventional lower register. Like the Duo for Violin and Cello, Op 7, the Serenade abounds with acerbic Hungarian folk motifs and rhythms, energetically defined by these seasoned players. Ernő Dohnányi’s Serenade for String Trio, Op 10 from 1902 is rooted more in the Brahmsian tradition, though Hungarian passion keeps bubbling to the surface.
