Háry János Suite

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The Háry János Suite is a compilation of some instrumental pieces from the Singspiel Háry János by Zoltán Kodály, composed the year before . It premiered in Barcelona on March 24, 1927.

Title of the suite

The orchestral suite in six movements is played very often in Hungary and around the world and is known by the Hungarian name Háry János-Suite , where Háry is the surname and János is the first name, or as he was called as a soldier in the Imperial Army : Johannes Háry. Adapted to German usage, the title should be János Háry Suite .

Orchestral line-up

  • 3 flutes (all also piccolo flute), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (1st also Eb clarinet, 2nd also alto saxophone in Eb), 2 bassoons
  • 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 3 cornets in Bb, 3 trombones, 1 tuba
  • Timpani
  • Drums: glockenspiel, xylophone, tubular bells, triangle, cymbal, tam-tam, snare drum, tambourine, bass drum
  • Celesta, piano, cimbal
  • Strings

Sentence names

  • I. Foreplay. The fairy tale begins
  • II. Viennese carillon
  • III. song
  • IV. Battle and defeat of Napoleon
  • V. Intermezzo
  • VI. Entry of the imperial court

background

At the beginning of the 19th century, after his service in the k & k army , the potter János Háry told of his fictional heroic deeds in the Napoleonic war. These stories were recorded in writing by János Garay in an epic published in 1843 and served as the basis for the Singspiel and the suite. The story of János Háry, the retired soldier and farmer, is a folk tale from Simontornya that is known throughout Hungary . In keeping with Kodály's endeavors to make up for the lost, failed development of Hungarian music, he devoted himself to the musical reworking of the folk tale into a Hungarian singspiel. There he limited himself to four of János' adventures.

action

1st adventure: János and his bride Örzse meet Napoleon's second wife, Marie-Luise, the daughter of Emperor Franz, on the border between Galicia and Russia Society by pushing the booth into imperial territory. Marie-Louise wants to win the courageous hero for the bodyguard, and János agrees after a short negotiation. The guard booth is pushed back on Russian soil and the company moves to Vienna.

2nd adventure: János serves as a sergeant in the Vienna Castle and earns further services. Örzse was not deterred by the resident knight Ehabenin and firmly believed in the loyalty of János, who enjoyed Marie-Luise's attention. Out of anger, the knight Eludin pulls Napoleon's declaration of war on Emperor Franz out of his pocket.

3. Adventure: János is stationed near Milan as a warrior and is asked for advice by General Krucifix, and “Napoleon's battle” begins, at the end of which Napoleon kneels and begs the invincible János Háry for mercy. Marie-Luise wants to separate from Napoleon in order to take János as a companion. Then Örzse and Marie-Luise get into a quarrel. Her Highness wishes that Örzse return to her homeland and that János Háry be appointed Duke. Örzse cries bitterly until János whispers in her ear that he will fix everything.

4. Adventure: Marie-Luise and her mother prepare for the wedding at the Imperial Court. Örzse arrives at the feast during all the favors to say goodbye to János. He confesses that he only longs for his former bride and his homeland. The two say goodbye to the farm and János Háry reappears in the aftermath in the dirty village tavern. In his poverty he seems happy: a king in the realm of his dreams.

instrumentation

Zoltán Kodály orchestrated his Singspiel Háry János as well as the Háry János Suite for large orchestra. This suite is divided into six movements of different lengths and scoring:

  • First sentence
    • Instrumentation: 3 (+ Picc) 222-4331-Pk, Schl (4), Klav, Str
    • Duration: 3 '

The first movement of the suite “Foreplay. The fairy tale begins “( con moto ) begins with a powerful glissando, with a large orchestral sneeze, as a symbol of Hungarian superstition: A sneeze before the start of a narration is interpreted as a confirmation of what is being told.

  • Second sentence
    • Scoring: 2 (+ Picc) 220-3300-0, Schl (3), Glcksp, Röhrengl, Cel, Klav
    • Duration: 2 '

“Wiener Glockenspiel” ( Allegretto ) is a rondo with four appearances of the theme and three episodes, played by high wood and brass instruments, metal percussion instruments, glockenspiel and tubular bells, as well as piano and celesta (without strings and timpani). The movement begins as a little anecdote (also known as the “Wiener Spielwerk”) with the sound of air from the impeller of a mechanical music box, performed by a small drum, tubular bells and tam-tam.

  • Third sentence
    • Occupation: 1110-2000-Zimb, Str
    • Duration: 4 '

“Lied” ( Andante, poco rubato ) is an authentic Hungarian folk song. Kodály built it up like stanzas and lets the solo viola play the first stanza without accompaniment ( espressivo ). The second stanza, now again with the accompaniment of the strings and the cimbal, takes over the oboe, the third stanza ( poco piu mosso ) the horn in F ( vigoroso ). The fourth verse is played by the oboe, but this time in unison with the solo cello. The final bars of ppp are played by the clarinet with the accompaniment of the strings. The Háry János Suite is one of the few works in which the zymbal (a box zither struck with two mallets, also known as a dulcimer ) is used. It can be heard prominently in the sentences “Lied” and “Intermezzo”.

  • Fourth sentence
    • Instrumentation: 0 (3Picc) 00 (1Asax (Es) 0-0331-0, Schl (5)
    • Duration: 4 '

"Battle and Defeat Napoleon" ( Alla Marcia ), is a grotesque battle painting, with novel, original sound combinations of the wind and. Percussion instruments (without strings and timpani). The battle begins with the marching up and signal calls of the enemy armies, it ends with the defeat of Napoleon (bar 99), symbolically represented by two accentuated ff beats of the bass drum (solo). The subsequent coda ( Tempo die Marcia funebre ), Napoleon's funeral march with the modified theme of the French victory march played at the beginning, ends with a melancholy alto saxophone solo, accompanied by the deep brass and drums.

  • Fifth sentence
    • Instrumentation: 3222-4300-Pk, Schl (4), Zimb, Str
    • Duration: 5 '

"Intermezzo" ( Andante maestoso, ma con fuoco ) is a Hungarian dance , originally a song that Kodály arranged for orchestra. The part of the cymbal is again worth listening to. It fulfills its solo, accompanying and figured functions with ease.

  • Sixth sentence
    • Scoring: 3 (+ Picc) 222-4331-Pk, Schl (4), Xyl, Glocksp, Röhrengl, Klav, Korn (3), Str
    • Duration: 5 '

The finale "Entry of the Imperial Court" ( Alla Marcia ) is a festive march with two themes and two episodes. This is where the tutti orchestra shows itself in its full splendor: the three cornets now join the high brass instruments with their soft sound, and the xylophone adds a high mallet instrument to the drums .

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