1st piano concerto (Bartók)

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The 1st Piano Concerto , Sz. 83, BB 91, is a 1926 work for piano and orchestra by the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók .

Emergence

Bartók was the last to write the piece in 1926, in which he showed great productivity, and it premiered on July 1, 1927 in Frankfurt with the ISCM Festival Orchestra under Wilhelm Furtwängler . This happened at the fifth festival of the International Society for New Music . With this work, its creator announces a turn to the “classical” forms.

To the music

For the composition, Bartók resorted to the form of the concert , which was richly developed in the 19th century , but avoided any connection with the style and aesthetics of the romantic piano concerto. The aesthetic attitude of the concert is more reminiscent of Ludwig van Beethoven's works, which is indicated by the sharply outlined, simple but also dynamic themes and the energy, combined with a precise and strong construction. The rhythm is the most prominent element, as was already the case in the sonata .

Allegro moderato

The first movement begins with the repetition of a sound, from which many melodic motifs break out. The bass sound of the piano accompanies persistent bangs and the brass instruments Con sordino . Over time, the simple melody of the introduction, played by woodwinds, sounds above it. Finally, the main theme emerges in a changed diatonic and played in octaves from the drums played on the piano. The first section, however, only represents the repetition of one note and very simple melodic motifs appear. The further development of this topic is also shaped by the rhythm. The characteristically coarse, joking side theme contrasts with a simple rhythm. At the end of the exposure the first topic reappears, albeit with a different sequence of intervals. In the development, the melody of the introduction is spun out by the piano in constantly different, sharp harmonization and at a constantly accelerating tempo. In the climax, the motifs of the first topic reappear. The harshness of the sound reaches its peak. The recapitulation sounds even more “brutal” than the exposition . The second theme contains a rhythmic deformation through the changeable meter 2/4 and 3/4.

Andante

The second movement represents a completely different and unusual music compared to the previous concert literature, both in the conception of the sound - with the exception of the middle section, the piano is only accompanied by percussion instruments - and in the form of the main idea. It is based on striking various notes and melodies in a 3/8 rhythm. A short allegro consisting of rhythmic sounds from the percussion instruments and glissandi from the trombones leads to the last movement.

Allegro molto

The third movement is joyful and spirited. In the piano part, the main theme appears against the background of evenly pulsating fourth chords of the strings, which is similar to that of the first movement because of the long repetition of only one sound. This repetition is then taken over by horns and timpani, on which the piano spins a melodic part of the theme in alternating diatonic scales. The theme is basically just a constantly repeated tone with minor deviations. The brass instruments play an important role in this movement. Together with the piano, they take on the second theme that was introduced earlier and develop these melodic motifs in different versions.

literature

  • Tadeusz A. Zieliński: Bartók . Atlantis Verlag Zurich and Freiburg i. Br. P. 253ff.

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