Béla Bartók a composer of the 20th century (Bartók - The Wooden Prince - Bela Bartok)

Member Name: yamram

Product:	Bartók - The Wooden Prince - Bela Bartok
Date:	05/04/02 (167 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: cheap to buy the cd , good value for money

Disadvantages: none

Béla Bartók was born in hungary and as a result became one of the leading Hungarian composers of his time, he was also a pianist. He joined his friend Zoltán Kodály in the extensive research of collecting folk music in Hungary and neighbouring regions eg Rumania, Bulgaria. These researches lead to several works, One Of Which Is Called The Concerto For Orchestra. Franz Liszt and Richard Strauss influenced Bartok. Influenced as well by folk music and often modality. Some of his music is highly dissonant(clashes) and contrapuntal(multiple of parts playing together,can make the music difficult to listern to), but not atonal(atonal= not written in a key). A feeling of tonality(written in a key) is based on repetition of certain tones often enough to give a feeling of tonal colour. The use of whole tone(moving by tones eg C, D,E,F#,G#,A#,C) chromatic( Moving by semitones eg C,C#,D,D#etc) modal( using only white notes on the piano), octatonic scales. Employs many ostinato figures and rhythm (repeated melody or rhythm) is almost more important than the melody.
Bartok's Concerto For Orchestra contains most of the above scales, folk music etc. I find this work of Bartok very interesting you can hear how he has incorporated the influences of folk music that he collected before he started writing his works. The use of Arab like melodies. Bartok's Concerto For Orchestra starts with an introduction to the opening movement with a short pentatonic theme in the lower strings accompanying figure is then speeded up to launch the principle for the sonata allegro section. There is a contrasting, second theme with the solo oboe at a slower tempo, then played by clarinet in octaves, and then by flutes and oboe in triads. The woodwind instruments play in pairs, bassoons in 6ths, oboes in minor 3rds, clarinets in 7ths, trumpets in 2nds. The third movement is a tragic outcry. The fourth movement alternates two melodies in the folk style. The finale rushes through a variety o
f dance tunes. The trumpet solo breaks in with a new tune, which forms the basis of an extended fugue. The tranquillo episode returns combined with the trumpet tune and the music builds to a grand climaxe. I recommend this piece of music to anyone interested in nationalistic music.

Summary: