My Rhapsody for cello and piano was completed in February 1976 in response to a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. It was inspired by and is dedicated to my friend and colleague, Laszlo Varga. The cello and piano combination enabled me to address anew the problems of line and counterpoint--problems which currently seem to belong to an earlier period when considered in this age of texture-oriented pieces. I was, more-over, anxious to write music which would take full advantage of the technical and expressive resources of the cello, always keeping in mind that it is an essentially lyric instrument. As the title suggests, no preconceived formal plan is followed. Nevertheless, there are very clear intervallic relationships appearing at the beginning that permeate the entire work. The musical events unfold quite freely, often abruptly. A variety of moods and gestures are exposed and then elaborated upon as the piece progresses. After a series of cadenza-like flourishes for both instruments, the tempo quickens and there is a sustained drive to a frenetic, very percussive climax whose tensions gradually subside in one last virtuosic gesture for the cello. The final passages involve a verbatim restatement of the note sequences found at the outset. There is, however, a complete metamorphosis of mood. The aggressive volatility of the beginning here gives way to a concluding, peaceful serenity. -Wayne Peterson