humusic1-2, Exercise 2: Slow then fast

Model answer (check the terms):

Structure: the verbunkos and the csardas both have a slow, proud, often ornamented part (the lassu) followed by a fast, lively part (the friss), with the speed and excitement building toward the end.

What the contrast does in performance:
1. It gives a dramatic shape to a short piece, from restraint to release.
2. It lets the band show two skills: expressive playing in the slow part and virtuoso speed in the fast part.
3. It suits dancing, since dancers can move from measured steps to energetic ones.

Later composers borrowed the pattern: Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies, for example, follow a slow-then-fast scheme (check), and operetta composers used it for their csardas numbers.