Bela BartókHungarian turned Universalist

Bartók’s Career

• Superb pianist

• Important piano teacher

• Pioneer in pedagogical methods

• Ethnomusicologist

• Composer

Major Works

• Six string quartets

• The most important set of quartets after Beethoven

• The only 20th century set in the standard repertory

• Concerto for Orchestra

• Three Piano Concertos

Major Works

• Violin Concerto• Two violin sonatas• Two rhapsodies for violin & piano• Music for Strings, Percussion, & Celesta

• Virtually a symphony, although not called as such

• Sonata for 2 Pianos and Percussion

Major Works

• Piano Music: most important body of the 20th century

• Sonata• Various suites and shorter works• Piano concertos• “Mikrokosmos”

• A pedagogical collection• High musical and performance worth

Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta

• A bit of the first movement

• A fugue that midway through becomes retrograde (i.e., backwards)

• Fugue subject reappears throughout the work

First Movement Theme

• As it shows up in the 3rd movement

First Movement Theme

• As it shows up in the finale

Second Movement

• Allegro

• Sonata form

Melodic Materials

• Theme 1 (P)

Melodic Materials

• Theme 2 (1S)

Melodic Materials

• Theme 3 (2S)

Melodic Materials

• Theme 4 (3S)

Melodic Materials

• Closing (cadence) theme (K)

Bela BartókMusic for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta

Second Movement: Allegro

Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony orchestra(Recorded 1957)