String Quartet No. 1 (Bartók)
Encyclopedia
The String Quartet No. 1 in A minor by Béla Bartók
was completed in 1909. The score is dated January 27 of that year.
The work is in three movements, played without breaks between each:
The work was at least in part inspired by Bartók's unrequited love for the violinist Stefi Geyer
- in a letter to her, he called the first movement a "funeral dirge" and its opening notes trace a motif which first appeared in his Violin Concerto No. 1
, a work dedicated to Geyer and suppressed by Bartók for many years. The intense contrapuntal
writing of this movement is often compared to Ludwig van Beethoven
's String Quartet No. 14
, the opening movement of which is a slow fugue
.
The following two movements are progressively faster, and the mood of the work lightens considerably, ending quite happily. The third movement is generally considered to be the most typical of Bartók's mature style, including early evidence of his interest in Hungarian folk music
.
The piece was premiered on March 19, 1910 in Budapest
by the Waldbauer-Kerpely Quartet, two days after Bartók played the piano
with them in a concert dedicated to the music of Zoltán Kodály
. It was first published in 1911 in Hungary
.
Many parts of this piece were sampled in the Venetian Snares
's song "Hajnal" on the Rossz Csillag Allat Szuletett album.
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
was completed in 1909. The score is dated January 27 of that year.
The work is in three movements, played without breaks between each:
- Lento
- Allegretto (sometimes referred to as Poco a poco accelerando all'allegretto)
- Allegro vivace
The work was at least in part inspired by Bartók's unrequited love for the violinist Stefi Geyer
Stefi Geyer
Stefi Geyer was a Hungarian violinist.She was the daughter of Josef Geyer, a police doctor who played the violin himself. When she was 3 years old she started playing the violin, with remarkable results for someone who had not practiced at all...
- in a letter to her, he called the first movement a "funeral dirge" and its opening notes trace a motif which first appeared in his Violin Concerto No. 1
Violin Concerto No. 1 (Bartók)
Béla Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 1, BB 48a was written around the years 1907–1908, but only published in 1956, after the composer's death. It was premiered on May 30, 1958 in Basel, Switzerland...
, a work dedicated to Geyer and suppressed by Bartók for many years. The intense contrapuntal
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
writing of this movement is often compared to Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's String Quartet No. 14
String Quartet No. 14 (Beethoven)
The String Quartet No. 14 in C minor, Op. 131, by Ludwig van Beethoven was completed in 1826. About 40 minutes in length, it consists of seven movements to be played without a break, as follows:#Adagio ma non troppo e molto...
, the opening movement of which is a slow fugue
Fugue
In music, a fugue is a compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and recurs frequently in the course of the composition....
.
The following two movements are progressively faster, and the mood of the work lightens considerably, ending quite happily. The third movement is generally considered to be the most typical of Bartók's mature style, including early evidence of his interest in Hungarian folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
.
The piece was premiered on March 19, 1910 in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
by the Waldbauer-Kerpely Quartet, two days after Bartók played the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
with them in a concert dedicated to the music of Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method.-Life:Born in Kecskemét, Kodály learned to play the violin as a child....
. It was first published in 1911 in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
Many parts of this piece were sampled in the Venetian Snares
Venetian Snares
Venetian Snares is the main performing alias of Canadian electronic musician Aaron Funk .From Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Funk is known for making electronic music often in odd numbered time signatures...
's song "Hajnal" on the Rossz Csillag Allat Szuletett album.
External links
- Performance] by the Belcea QuartetBelcea QuartetThe Belcea Quartet is a string quartet, formed in 1994, under the leadership of violinist Corina Belcea.-History:The quartet was formed while its members were studying at the Royal College of Music in London. Whilst there, they were coached by the Chilingirian Quartet...
from the Isabella Stewart Gardner MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner MuseumThe Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum or Fenway Court, as the museum was known during Isabella Stewart Gardner's lifetime, is a museum in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located within walking distance of the Museum of Fine Arts and near the Back Bay Fens...
in MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
format