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The Choral Music of Bela Bartok

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The Choral Music of Bela Bartok Bartok is generally recognized as a composer of instrumental music, a The Choral Music of Bela Bartok view which is certainly valid when one compares the vast quantity of by Fred Thayer his instrumental works with the limited number of choral works. Bartok seemed to become more in­ terested in choral music in the latter Bartok specified three methods of Bartok was well aware of criticism part of his life, a reason, perhaps, for utilizing folk melodies: of his use of folk songs and felt the the small output. Since relatively lit­ need to defend his position: tle has been written previously We may, for instance, take over a Many people think it a com­ about Bartok's choral music, this ar­ peasant melody unchanged or on­ paratively easy task to write a com­ ly slightly varied, write an accom­ position round folk-tunes. A lesser ticle's intent is to provide informa­ paniment to it and possibly some achievement at least than a com­ 1 tion. opening and concluding phrases position on "original" themes. The total extent of Bartok's choral ....Two main types can be distin­ Because, they think, the composer music, a cappella unless stated guished among works of this is dispensed of part of the work: otherwise, is listed below: character. the invention of themes. A. Student works 1. In the one case accompani­ This way of thought is complete­ 1. 1900-Three Mixed Choruses ­ ment, introductory and con­ ly erroneous. To handle folktunes unpublished cluding phrases, are of secondary is one of the most difficult tasks; a. Der Tod, das ist die kiihle importance, they only serve as an equally difficult if not more so Nacht (SATB) ornamental setting for the than to write a major original com­ b. Was streift vorbei im Dam­ precious stone: the peasant position. If we keep in mind that merlicht (SSATBB) melody. borrowing a tune means being c. Suckst du mir denn immer 2. It is the other way round in the bound by its individual peculiarity nach (SSATBB); Was streift second case: the melody only we shall understand one part of the vorbei im Dammer­ serves as a "motto" while that difficulty. Another is created by licht-transcribed for which is built round it is of real im­ the special character of a folk­ (TTBB) portance. tune. We must penetrate into it, 2. 1903-Est (Evening), text by 3. Another method by which feel it, and bring it out in sharp Kalman Harsanyi (TTTT­ peasant music becomes contours by the appropriate set­ BBBB) transmuted into modern music is ting.6 B. Mature works the following: The composer does In even stronger emotion, he later not make use of a real peasant 1. 1910-Four Old Hungarian Folk stated: Songs (TTBB) melody but invents his own imita­ 2. 1915-Two Rumanian Folk tion of such melodies. There is no These people must have a strange Songs (SSAA)-unpublished true difference between this idea of the practice of composing. 3. 1917-Five Slovak Folk Songs method and the ... two described They seem to think the composer (TTBB) above.4 addicted to collecting folk-songs 4. 1917-Four Slovak Folk Songs will sit down at his writing desk for SATB and piano Perhaps the best known, most with the intention of composing a 5. 1930-Four Hungarian Folk often performed choral composi­ symphony. He racks and racks his Songs (SSAATTBB) tions of Bartok are the three mature brain but cannot think of a suitable 6. 1930-Cantata Profana for dou­ mixed-chorus works. Each repre­ melody. He takes up his collection ble chorus (SATB and SATB) sents a different one of the above ap­ of folk-songs, picks one or two 7. 1932-Sz€kely Songs (TTT­ proaches to the use of folk melodies and the composition of BBB) his symphony is done without fur­ 8. 1935-Twenty-Seven Choruses elements: ther labour. ... The conception for 2- and 3-part children's or 1917-Four Slovak Folk Songs­ that attributes all that importance women's chorus-Bartok added "ornamental setting for the precious to the invention of a theme orchestral accompaniment to stone"; originated in the nineteenth cen­ seven of these twenty-seven 1930-Four Hungarian Folk tury. It is a romantic conception (nos. 1,2,7,10,11,12,17)2 Songs- "motto"; which values originality above all. 9. 1935-From Olden Times 1930-Cantata Profana- "at­ From what has been said above, (TBB)3 mosphere."5 it must have become clear that it is This can be considered a continuum no sign of "barrenness" or "in­ What makes Bartok's mature competence" if a composer bases of complexity coinciding with Bar­ his music on folk-music instead of choral repertoire important is the tok's own maturing process. This is manner in which he handled his taking Brahms and Schumann as not to suggest, however, that the his models.? materials, whether they were ·folk­ 1917 writings are of less value than In a letter to Octavian Beu, a Ruma­ song settings or folk-poetry set­ those of 1930. The earlier work nian folklorist, Bartok further ex­ tings. A folk orgin is present in all of represents a side of Bart6k at that plained why he desired to quote folk his mature choral music: folk poetry point in history; also, it happens to materials: in Cantata Profana, Twenty-Seven be his only choral writing utilizing Choruses, and From Olden Times; piano. The piano writing for "Wed­ My creative work, just because folk melodies in all of the rest. it arises from three sources ding Song from Poniky," no. 1 from (Hungarian, Rumanian, Slova­ Thayer is Director of Choral Activities at Four Slovak Folk Songs, is par­ kian), might be regarded as the Lycoming College, Williamsport, Penn­ ticularly outstanding in its blending embodiment of the very concept sylvania. of folk elements and originality. of integration so much empha- August 1985 Page 33 sized in Hungary today.... My sky. However, the sonority seems choral sound, and so the Four own idea, however-of which I complete with piano. Hungarian Folksongs for mixed have been fully conscious since I Four Slovak Folk Songs should be chorus was completed in May, found myself as a composer-is performed as four movements of a 1930.12 the brotherhood of peoples, single composition. Although there The Four Hungarian Folk Songs brotherhood in spite of all wars is some beautiful polyphony in the and conflicts. I try-to the best of contain different types of complexi­ my ability-to serve this idea in first folk-song setting, the general ties from those found in Bartok's in­ my music therefore I don't reject style of writing throughout the set strumental works. any influence, be it Slovakian, must be considered homophonic. There is frequent division of the Rumanian, Arabic or from any This is one of Bartok's most acces­ chorus into eight parts, and this, other source. The source must on­ sible works. together with the rhythmic ly be clean, fresh and healthy!S Four Hungarian Folk Songs-1930 plasticity and the contrapuntal in­ The letter was written on January tricacy of the settings, makes per­ Bartok wrote nothing for chorus formance as difficult as in any of 10, 1931, just four months after the between 1917 and 1930. Only two Bartok's choral work. Yet the completion of Cantata Profana, vocal pieces were composed during handling of the voices is ac­ Bartok's principal composition por­ this span: complished with the greatest sen­ traying the "brotherhood of 1. Village Scenes-five Slovak folk sitivity and dexterity.13 peoples." songs for female voice and piano In a review of Four Hungarian Folk The following descriptions pro­ (1924); nos. 3, 4, and 5 were Songs, Peter J. Pirie said, "They are vide a closer look at several of transcribed for four or eight female written with sympathy and under­ Bartok's important choral works. voices and chamber orchestra standing for the voice, and with a Four Slovak Folk songs-1917 (1926); 10 profound understanding of choral 2. Twenty Hungarian Folk Songs style... .It cannot be sufficiently em­ The four folk tunes employed in for voice and piano (1929). phasized that such respect for the settings were collected by During this same period of thir­ medium is the mark of a master."14 Bartok from threetowns in the coun­ teen years, he produced several ma­ Bartok collected most of the folk try of Zvolenska. The subject matter jor instrumental works: melodies and texts used in the set in of the four texts is generally light. 1. The Miraculous Mandarin 1907. His choice and ordering of The first, a melancholy wedding (1919) folk songs is comparable in Four song, is the apex of the set. Bartok 2. Dance Suite (1923) Slovak Folk Songs and Four balanced this woeful mood by 3. Piano Concerto No. 1 (1926) Hungarian Folk Songs, i.e., nos. 1 following it with a short hay­ 4. String Quartet No. 3 (1927) and 2 are parlando melodies; nos. 3 harvesters' song and two short 5. String Quartet No.4 (1928) and 4, tempo giusto melodies. The dancing songs. Even though the subject matter of the parlando cumulative time of the three quick The composing of such important melodies, however, is distinctly statements of happiness is only ap­ instrumental works almost certainly more serious in this latter set, as it is proximately one half the length of influenced modifications in his concerned with peasants' afflictions. the sad wedding song, the three-to­ choral style. The most pronounced The work is classified as eight­ one relationship of movements is change to be found in the Four part choral writing, but Bartok used sufficient to provide a lasting im­ Hungarian Folk Songs is the care in determining how far to pression that the general mood of predominating element of stretch the divisi.
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