Suite, Op. 14 (Bartók)
Encyclopedia
The Suite, Op. 14, Sz. 62 is a piece for solo piano
written by Béla Bartók
. It was written in February 1916, published in 1918, and debuted by the composer on April 21, 1919, in Budapest
. The Suite is one of Bartók's most significant works for piano, only comparable with his 1926 Piano Sonata
. Though much of Bartók's work makes frequent use of Eastern Europe
an folk music
, this suite is one of the few pieces without melodies of folk origin. However, Romania
n, Arab
ic, and North Africa
n rhythmic influences can still be found in some movements. Originally intending the suite to be a five-movement work, Bartók later decided against the idea and discarded the second movement, the Andante, later publishing it in the October 1955 issue of Úf Zenei Szemle (New Musical Review).
The 1918 version, without the Andante, takes between 6 and 7 minutes to perform and is played in four movements:
writing. In 1945, he claimed to have used only the most restricted means of piano technique in this work, "accentuating in some of its movements the percussive character of the piano."
Though Bartók does not quote from folk melodies in this composition, he makes extensive use of other folk-like elements, such as a Romanian Ardeleanda rhythm in the first movement. In addition, the third movement of this Suite shows Arabic influence, the earliest Bartók work of its kind, and a North African influence in its ostinato
and scalar patterns. Throughout the piece, he uses exotic scale patterns, such as the Lydian
and whole tone scale
s in the first movement; in addition, there is a twelve-tone row in the second movement, which is probably the only one in Bartók's entire oeuvre.
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...
written by Béla Bartók
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...
. It was written in February 1916, published in 1918, and debuted by the composer on April 21, 1919, 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...
. The Suite is one of Bartók's most significant works for piano, only comparable with his 1926 Piano Sonata
Piano Sonata (Bartók)
The Piano Sonata BB 88 of Béla Bartók was composed in 1926. It is tonal, but is highly dissonant. It uses the piano in a percussive fashion.The work is in three movements, with the following tempo indications:*Allegro moderato...
. Though much of Bartók's work makes frequent use of Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
an 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....
, this suite is one of the few pieces without melodies of folk origin. However, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n, Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
ic, and North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
n rhythmic influences can still be found in some movements. Originally intending the suite to be a five-movement work, Bartók later decided against the idea and discarded the second movement, the Andante, later publishing it in the October 1955 issue of Úf Zenei Szemle (New Musical Review).
The 1918 version, without the Andante, takes between 6 and 7 minutes to perform and is played in four movements:
- Allegretto
- Scherzo
- Allegro molto
- Sostenuto
Analysis
According to Bartók, the Suite is part of a new trend in piano technique that he saw as a break from his earlier Post-romanticPost-romanticism
Post-romanticism or Postromanticism refers to a range of cultural products and attitudes emerging in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, after the period of Romanticism....
writing. In 1945, he claimed to have used only the most restricted means of piano technique in this work, "accentuating in some of its movements the percussive character of the piano."
Though Bartók does not quote from folk melodies in this composition, he makes extensive use of other folk-like elements, such as a Romanian Ardeleanda rhythm in the first movement. In addition, the third movement of this Suite shows Arabic influence, the earliest Bartók work of its kind, and a North African influence in its ostinato
Ostinato
In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase, which is persistently repeated in the same musical voice. An ostinato is always a succession of equal sounds, wherein each note always has the same weight or stress. The repeating idea may be a rhythmic pattern, part of a tune, or a complete melody in...
and scalar patterns. Throughout the piece, he uses exotic scale patterns, such as the Lydian
Lydian mode
The Lydian musical scale is a rising pattern of pitches comprising three whole tones, a semitone, two more whole tones, and a final semitone. This sequence of pitches roughly describes the fifth of the eight Gregorian modes, known as Mode V or the authentic mode on F, theoretically using B but in...
and whole tone scale
Whole tone scale
In music, a whole tone scale is a scale in which each note is separated from its neighbors by the interval of a whole step. There are only two complementary whole tone scales, both six-note or hexatonic scales:...
s in the first movement; in addition, there is a twelve-tone row in the second movement, which is probably the only one in Bartók's entire oeuvre.
See also
- Béla BartókBéla BartókBéla 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...
- List of compositions by Béla Bartók
- 20th-century classical music