The History of Music - 5

Hoday,

Some of the best Motets were written by Phillip DeVitry while Isorhythm continued as the dominant form in music composition.

Another composer who found notoriety during this time, Guilliame DeMachaut, 1300-1377 found his way through the modern years to become one of NPR Radio's the number one greatest composers of all time. So for those who think Michael Jackson was the greatest composer of all time you may want to wait 633 years to see if his name still 'pops' up.

Let's begin with the piece, Missa de Notre Dame. This piece was a major milestone in history as it was the first polyphonic setting of the mass ordinary. If you need more information of the history of church music please read Ideas and Styles of Western Musical Tradition by Douglas Seaton.

From the early composers Leonin and Perotin the use of polyphony was limited to alleluias and graduals but never on the Kyrie or anything in the mass proper. This was the first attempt, as we know it, to set the mass ordinary to polyphony. There are even motivic connections between the movements perhaps making this one of the first full scale pieces of music.

The piece is Isorhythmic and not only in the tenor but also in the contra tenor, which is a new voice we begin to see more of and what will eventually become known as the bass.

You can also see how DeMachaut has begun 4-part choral harmony. The tenor and contratenor interact and even cross voices. Go ahead and take a look at the piece below.





So we have secular text in the secular form and you can see 1,4,and 7 for the A section and then how the text interrelates. Measure 21 is the B section and so on; in measure 8-9 you'll see musica-ficta with the sharps. But one of the most interesting things about the piece is in the text. The text talks about the forms of the songs, "My end is my beginning." And you will see a retrograde from the beginning.

DeMachaut was also a trouvere in the northern part of France and wrote secular songs. Because he lived in a later period of time than DiVitry, and even though he was active as a sacred composer, he was one of a whole trend of composers who began to set secular songs polyphonically. He may have also used fixed compositional forms such as the Rondaeu or the Veralay as a base to his secular music. Remember however this was music in France so we should also talk about what was happening in Italy at this time as well. So next time we talk, let's make about the Italian Trecento.

See You.

The History of Music - 4

Hoday,

In our last blog we discussed the invention of Isoryhthm used by composers Phillipe DeVitry and Franco Cologne. It is important to keep in mind that the years surrounding these events were strife with The Black Plague where one-third of the world's population was dead or dying which brought forth a split in the church and led to an increase in secular music outside the church. Also, the school of Notre Dame in Paris had already been in business since 1190, and musical styles like the Motet and other forms of music had already been cataloged and other composers such as Guillaume de Machaut and Francesco Landini were already experimenting with multi-voiced harmony.

Philippe de Vitry (1291-1361) was musical advisor to several kings of France as well as Bishop of Meaulx. He was educated in the liberal arts at the University of Paris and became one of the greatest music theorists of his time. He was also credited with the development of the ideas in the treatise called Ars Nova or new music.

One of the earliest pieces of multi-part harmony, called Garrit Gallus-In Nova - N[euma], Motet, began to stray from the divinity of triple meter and helped introduce the world into other measurments of the time signature also known as mensuration or measurement. de Vitry introduced systems of duple and triple meter together which was referred to as prolation. The combination of the meter fostered a new musical style and technique. These two meters combined perfect - 3/4 and imperfection 2/4 throughout the piece and affected how music would be composed throughout the next 200 years and even has some inspiration today.

Here is an example of how the piece looked, just click on it to enlarge; Keep in mind that this piece was written in modern musical language. To hear the piece you will have to download it from iTunes. Just search for Phillipe de Vitry and look for Garrit Gallus





As previously discussed this piece contains elements of color and talea. The talea, meaning to count, demonstrates mathematical relationships in sound and the color represents repetitions of melodic patterns.

In order to compose a piece that made sense de Vitry came up with mathematical systems of proportion and order. The tenor has seventy-two notes with a talea of twelve durations and a color of thirty-six pitches. The talea is stated six times and the color twice. And the tenor of the second half of the motet is identical to the first half.

We have a three voice isorhythmic motet here and with the typical motet we have three different texts. The Nuema, which was some original chant and then two texts that were written over the top of it. So if we have Isorhythm in the tenor, can you tell where it repeats? If you look at the note values and not the pitch you will find that it is in measure eleven. The piece also gives it away with a ll at the bottom of the measure as well the third repeat at measure 21 and fourth at measure 31, fifth at measure 41 and the remaining at every ten measures.

Let's look at the color or the pitch pattern. There is a repeat at measure 31 and lasts for 3 talea and is also considered a perfect talea. You following? Don't worry it's usually a straight forward thing and is only a way of constructing a piece of music so that you have this structure ahead of time so you know what's going on as a performer.

So essentially what we have is two repeats of the color and six repeats of the talea. You may also notice the sharps above the notes also known as Musica Ficta or false music. Look at measure 25 there is a C in the top part with a sharp above it. This was an improvised musical practice that told the performer to sharp this note. This note was sharp usually at the cadence and was not written because the practice was well known even into the renaissance.

The normal motet was written in 3 and 4 part for voice. But most motets were written in three voices. Remember that the pieces at this time the concept of major and minor does not exist and this still would have been a modal piece. Composing in modes went into the the baroque era and even early J.S. Bach pieces hint that he was thinking in modes. He would use key signatures like two flats that would normally equal G minor or B-flat major but he would use the 2-Flat key signature for C minor as a hold over of a certain type of modal implication.

Let's look at the text of this piece. During the times of the Great Schism and the Babylonian captivity there was a lot of poking fun at the Catholic church or different nationalities or political events going on at that time. You have to realize that we look at these words without provocation but in these times those words may have meant something insulting;

"The cock babbled lamenting sorrowfully for the assembly of cocks..." see the text on page two of the image above.

If you notice that the two top lines, the duplum and triplunm have text but the tenor does not. Does this suggest that there was an instrument paying this line? Perhaps it was simply a chant, but we do not have evidence what type of instrument this would be. Modern recordings however usually have an instrument accompanying the two voices on top which suggests that de Vitry would have been one of the first composers to pair an instrument with a multi-voice harmonic piece.

As time progressed however you will find more instruments subtly added to music. And at the end of the 1300s the motet would be expanded into new forms both in secular and religious aspects.

Next up we'll look at a composer who would set new standards that even are today are studied and analyzed; Guilliame DeMachaut.

Later,

John

The History of Music - 3

The Middle Ages 1300s

As I said in the last segments there were two defining moments in history during the 1300s and they were The Great Schism and The Black Plague. These vents caused a lot of trouble for the Catholic church prior to the Renaissance as the people began to lose faith in church leadership. And then on top of this the 1300s are defined by the Black Plague. Europe loses some one-third of its population and unbelievable devastation that is difficult to understand.

These defining cultural events had an impact on musical development. You will see the cutting-edge avant-guard music at this time centered around rich cities usually protected by the church. The countryside however was not able to participate in the technologies and musical concepts of the city and most were most likely unaware of Gregorian Chant.

Some of the new musical concepts introduced by Phillipe DeVitry and Franco Cologne were divisions of note and values as well time signatures. In written music the circle and the dot stood for perfection and all the note values would be divided into three.

The higher levels would be divided into three and the lower levels of the music would be divided into twos or sometimes visa-verse. You would see evidence of 9/8, 6/8, or 2/4 divided into triplets. The now common meter 2/4 was also developed.

Another invention was with the use of color. When notation was first developed in chant the first line, or the chant line, or the C-Line, might be the color of red and when they added the F-Line the color might be yellow in place of actually writing the F or C note since actual notes were not invented yet. The color also informed the performer if they were singing perfect or imperfect meter.

Isoryhytmic Motets were developed in the Ars Nova and became the dominant form of composition and eventually influenced the masses of musical composers. You may recall what a Motet is. The origin was mainly a trope that eventually became its own piece and by this time Motets have very little relation left over from the original chant other than using a few belts from some chant and building a new piece on it.

Isorhythm basically refers to a device that you would use in the tenor voice. You may recall the tenor had been the original chant. And basically what you would do is that you would have a repeating rhythmic pattern and a repeating pitch pattern. The rhythm was known as the Talea. If you are familiar with Indian Music, as in North India, they refer to the rhythm as the tal so it's actually a connected word. So the rhythm was the Talea and the pitch was the Colour. Basically you would establish some sort of repeating pattern, which was the Talea, and then you would have a series of pitches you would use that was probably part of the original chant. Now these may or may not coincide as you might have a situation when the rhythm may not change with the colour.

Next up an analysis of Garrit Gallus - In Nova Fert - N[uema], Motet by Phillpe de Vitry (1291-1361)

Later,

John

The History of Music - 2

Hoday,

You may be wondering why I am posting all of these blogs on the same day...well, I've been writing but not posting. There you go so here it is.

The following points are just a summary to lead us up to the 1300s.

Medieval period - 313 A.D. through 1150 A.D.

World Events:
Contstantine 313 A.D. Edict of Milan, Destruction of Rome 455, Code of Justinian 1 529, Rule of St. Benedict 530, Reign of Pope Gregory 1 590-605, Charlemagne becomes Holy Roman Emperor 800, Norman conquest of Britain 1066, First Crusade 1096-1099, First Universities founded in Paris, Bologna, and Oxford 1150

Music and Musicians: 700 Liturgy of Office, 900 First classicifcation of Pslam Tones, 1000 Troping, Sequences, Parallel organum, Notker Balbulus, 1200 Mass liturgy completed, Solmization, Staff Notation, Free organum, Goliard songs, Conductus, Guido of Arezzo, 1098-1179 Hildegard von Bingen, 1100-1200 Troubador Songs, Melismatic organum, 1150-1300 Trouvére songs, Minnelieder

Figures in the Arts and Humanities: 500 St. Ambrose, 354-430 St. Augustine, 600 Martianus Capella, 480-524 Boethius, 480-527 St. Benedict, 540-604 Pope Gregory, 1075-1142 Abelard

Middle Ages 1163-1364

World Events: 1163-1250 Cathedral of Notre Dame built in Paris, 1189-1199 Reign of Richard the Lionhearted, 1215 Magna Carta

Music and Musicians: 1163-1190 Notre Dame School, Leonin, 1200 Perotin, Motet, 1291-1361 Phillipe de Vitry, 1300-1377 Guillaume de Machant

Figures in the Arts and Humanities: 1225-1274 Thomas Aquinas, 1265-1321 Dante Alighiee, 1267-1337 Giotto di Bondone

Let's begin at this point we're going to begin the next series with The Great Schism and The Black Plague.

Later,

John

The History of Music - 1

This multi-part series will attempt to generally discuss music history, overall music theory, composers, performers, and instruments reigning from 1012 B.C Through 2009 A.D.

Essentially music history is broken up into categories and subcatagories known as periods.

Antiquity

the 1st period is called Antiquity and generally spans 1012 B.C. through 313 A.D.

World Events: Reign of King David, First Recorded Olympic competitions 776 B.C

Music and Musicians: First notated music 800 B.C., Greater Perfect System 4th Century B.C.

Figures in the Arts and Humanities: Homer 700 B.C., Pythagoras 500 B.C., Aeschylus 456 B.C., Sophocles 400 B.C., Plato 340 B.C., Artistotle 322 B.C., Jesus.

For the most part little is known about the entirety of music prior to the 1300's. Therefore this series will begin around that time period. In the meantime however I will bore you with the information available prior to music's real beginning.

In essence we know about the Doctrine of Ethos and how music can affect human character. Plato thought of music as education and Aristotle thought of music as art. There was some music theory we knew called tetrochords and tonoi. Tetrachords was a span of two octaves with a series of intervals based around the fourth. Tonoi was an order of pitches that eventually led to the greater perfect system which was the development of two octaves of tones - essentially invented by Pythagoras.

Before 313 B.C., music was basically passed down by story telling and education but little written music was around basically because notation wasn't invented yet. The Edict of Milan (313 B.C.) when Constantine and Licinicus granted freedom from Christianity dictated the beginning of cataloging music in written forms however not in the form of the notation we read today.

It was not until 480 B.C. when Boethius wrote a doctrine known as De Institutione Musica that we have written forms of how music was perceived, taught, played, and cataloged.

And it was not until Pope Gregory 590-604 A.D. developed the first school that musicians could read and sing together by using a codified system of notes.

Charlemagne 742-814 A.D. along with Thomas of Celeano cataloged Pope Gregory's Schola Cantorum's writings and established the first body of church music and classified it as the following: (Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Trinity, Advent, Divine Office, Rule of Benedict, Matins, Lauds, Vespers, Compline, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Antiphony, Mass, Eucharist, Ordinary, Proper, Requiem, Dies Irae, Recitation Tones, Psalm Tones, Melismas, Church Modes, Authentic, Plagal, Modes, and Nuemes. Yes, he was a busy fellow.

Guido of Arezzo: 1000 A.D. by means of Guidonian hand standardized the 4 line staff, sight singing, and the additional solfege; ut, re, mi, fa, sol, and the ever popular la.

As music grew through between 1000 and 1300 a plethora of scholars, religious figures, and composers developed more modernized theories but from this point I would like to discuss the two most defining moments in history during the 1300's - The Great Schism and The Black Plague - next time on The History of Music

Later,

John

Stravinsky - AGON Part-4, (A Little History)

Hoday!

Stravinsky's thirst for using colorful orchestration had always been his forte. Since the first of his successes, Le Sacre du printempts (The Rite of Spring 1913) to the more tame, L'oiseau de fue (The firebird, 1910) and Petrushka (1911) his commissions included a wide and non-conforming array of instrumentation not previously used in the late mannerisms of the classical and romantic periods of music.

In fact in all three periods of Stravinsky's musical life, Russian Period (1908-1919), Neo-Classical Period (1920-1954), and his Serial Period (1954-1968) included abstract influence from his first teachings by Rimsky-Korsakov and through his works with ballet impresario Serge Diaghilev as well the famous dancer Nijinski, and up to performances with Balancine. Agon was only an addition of brilliance achieved after successfully composing since age 20.

Movement 5 - First Pas-de-Trios Saraband Step for one male dancer - (1:11 seconds) and Movement 6 - Gailliarde for two female dancers (1:12 seconds)
The triple meter of the Saraband dance offered Stravinsky an opportunity to express his ability to mix in a gallant yet playful texture of instrumentation. For example a violin solo plays against a xylophone while the brass playfully wanders around an F major chord that meanders into the sixth movement whereby the Mandolin, Harp, and a Piano makes an appearance.

Interesting enough is the use of medieval technique as the music and dancing tells an almost chanson style without text. Most of the 6th movement seems to have a clear and accurate declamation of poetry as well the clarity of some Ars Nova and Ars Subtilor from the late 1400's.

Movement 7 - Coda - (1:20 seconds)

Like most music of the past and the present composers would play the beginning of the piece a second time. Stravinsky however at this stage of his life would throw in a previously played section of the piece backwards and inverted while using a popular technique commonly known by serial composers as Klangfarbenmelodie, or tone color melody.

Stravinsky used serial technique in many of his compositions but none were more popular that in his pieces written for the ballet. The abstract aspects of dance in combination with the contrapuntal technique of serial music theory seemed aurally acceptable during the early and mid 1900s. One can find other works by composers Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern for examples of serial composition of the early and mid 1900's.

Movement 8 - Interlude - (44 seconds)

Using a tonal center around the key of C major Stravinsky uses hexagonic material from the Prelude. You will find the notes, C,D,F,G,B throughout the piece as they work through variated note values, and doubling emphasis while the movement ebbs and flows with high Timpanis or Tom-toms in Mi(b), Sol(b), and Si(b). There is a brief moment of tionality with an E-minor over D chord in measure 263 followed by, of course, a tri-tone Bb - typical Stravinsky - you gotta love it!

The remaining movements 9-17

At this point the piece works its way through many of the previous mentioned theoretical abstract practices of serial composition using simple instrumentation in complex harmony. Movement 9, Second Pas-de-Trios, Bransle Simple for two male dancers begins with an interesting trumpet duet in a fugue-like manner while the ensemble plays the same note structure in half-note value.

Movement 10, Bransle Gay for one female dancer is a slower paced 3/8 meter using a castagnette to set the poly-rhythmic structure against irregular subdivisions 7/16 & 5/16. The harmonic structure is again atonal using a hexagonic note cell and diminished harmonies in jazz-like improvisations.

Movement 11, Bransle Double for two male dancers, one female dancer makes use of larger intervals of the minor 9th in combination with minor 3rds and tri-tone. It is very dynamic while Stravinsky only called for a piano and a forte dynamic marking. Rhythmic manipulation accentuates various instrumentation exemplified in the trumpet/trombone in jux with the rhythm as the flutes enter with clarinet. The juxtoposition characterizes two opposing sides in the music.

Movement 12, Interlude uses no dancers and is a short repeat of the earlier interlude.

Movement 13, Pas-de-Duex for one boy and one girl begins with a subtle string and is almost Bartokian in nature as the intervals range from major seven, minor nine, minor second, and minor third. It may also be considered Jancekian in nature between high and low ranges - if only!

Movement 14, Coda for both dancers see a return of the mandolin against furious string intervals. It uses a twelve-tone structure while the quick 3/4 and 4/4 signature heads into the multi-metered 15th Movement, Four Duos for male and female dancer. The marcato and pizzicato of the strings over a trombone solo leads up to the repeat of the opening theme of the 16th Movement, Four Trios for male and female dancers and quickly climaxes to all dancers in the final 17th Movement, Coda for all dancers as the piece ends like it begins.

In my opinion Agon reflects Stravinsky's entire life's study of music composition. Although it can be argued, this piece reflects every aspect of music dating from the medieval troubadour songs, to the multiple generations of renaissance theory, some classical, some romantic, and definitely post Webern attributes - in my opinion of course.

For additional references and resources please see, read, listen and watch:
Burkhart, Charles. "Anthology for Musical Analysis." New York: Thompson Schirmer, Sixth Edition, 2004.
Routh, Francis. "Stravinsky, The American Master Musician Series." London: J.M. Dent & Sons LTD, 1975.
The London Symphony Orchestra, Agon Audio CD. BMG Entertainment 1997.
Balancine, DVD. Kutler for the American Masters Video Series - ISBN: 7697-2448-5.

Thanks for reading!!! Next up, a short synopsis of music history from antiquity to Michael Jackson - that ought to wake em up!

Later,
John

Stravinsky - AGON Part-3, (Form and Structure)

Movement 3 - Triple Pas-de-Quatre for 8 Female and 4 Male Dancers (1:4 Long)

Beginning with the woodwinds in 4/8 the pizzicato string provide tension as the piece continues the fury left by movement 2. As more dancers enter the stage Stravinsky adds additional instrumentation while decreasing note vales to 32nd note chromatic passages adding tone color. This playful ascending and descending chromaticism continues throughout the movement. You can also find a playful harmony of tritones in measures 118-120 in the clarinets in Sib.

There is almost a Mozartian playfulness during the entire piece. In fact, Stravinsky eluded to Mozart in an interview and said that it was ok to steal from composers, referring to Mozart, and that Mozart would have wanted us to use his material.(1) The 17 movements make up the whole ballet and is similar in nature to Webern's Op. 21 with the tonality of Berg's Wozzeck.

Modeled after 17th century mathematician Mersenne, the piece lasts about 30 minutes when all 17 movements are complete. One of the best videos to watch is in a biography of Balanchine ballets titled Balanchine by Kultur DVD D2448.

Movement 4 - Prelude - (52 seconds)

Beginning with the timpani imitating the melodic lines, this movement quickly moves to an ascending hexachord, C,D,F,G,B,C, in cannon. The movement is used as the introduction to the first Pas-de-Trios ending with material taken from the first movement which nicely sets up the next movement.

Stravinsky's choice of orchestration can be compared to that of the 16th century French composer de Lasus' from his Apologie de la danse.(2) Like de Lasus', Stravinsky uses 3 Flaute (Fl. lll anche Piccolo), 2 Oboi, Corno Inglese, 2 Clarinette in Sib, Clarinetto basso in Sib, 2 Fagotti, Contrafagotto, 4 Corni in Fa, 4 Trombe in Do, 2 Tromboni tenori, Trombone basso, Arpa, Mandolino, Pianoforte, Batteria, Timpani, 3 Tom-toms or high timpani in Mib, Sob, and Sib, Silofono, and Castagnette.

The hardship Stravinsky faced between losing his family and leaving his homeland would have possibly affected his composing style. It was not until his later life that he was allowed to return to his Russian homeland still bearing the burden of never becoming recognized as a Russian composer.

More to come...


(1) Kulter. Balanchine. New Jersey: American Masters. Teledec DVD, D2448, 2005.
(2) Stravinsky, Agon.

Stravinsky - AGON Part-2, (Form and Structure)

There are 17 movements, all short pieces named after the various types of ballet. Each movement has a certain amount of dancers that depict mood and give reason to the composition as a whole. The overall form of all the movements can be considered ABA. There is a coda in the 9th movement that contains material from earlier movements all combined into one movement and can be considered the apogee of the arch form. The pace and intensity of meter and registration of instruments increases and decreases with the amount of dancers during the entire piece. The layout below explains the name of each movement and little explanation of form, instrumentation, and dancers.

I would suggest that at this time you download the piece from iTunes or some source and listen as you read along.

Movement 1 - Pas-de-Quatre for all 12 Dancers (1:37 Long)
Introduction starts fast and strong in 4/8 time, the eighth note = 156, using four boy dancers. The theme is both rhythmic and modal, mostly Lydian based off G, and there is a trumpet fanfare similar in nature to French orchestration and that of the Court of Burgundy found at the 17th measure, Bransle Simple. The notes of the G-Lydian scale are G,A,B,C#,D,E,F#,G, and can be found in measures 10-12. The number 17 will play a large part in many of his compositional techniques.

Movement 2 - Double Pas-de-Quarte for 8 Female Dancers (1:33 Long)
This movement begins with a fast and strong introduction in a spicatto bowing style while legato flutes employ a flutter tonguing technique. The use of twelve notes begin in measure one and continue through measure five where a developmental section begins. The twelve notes are: Eb(0),D(1),E-natural(2),F(3),C(4),B(5),Db(6),Bb(7),Ab(8),A-natural(9),G(10),Gb(11) The use of hexagonic passages the first in measure nine, Bb,F,Ab,Db,A,D#, are traded between instruments while the 12-tone row in cannon can be found against a polyphony of strings.

Movement 3 coming soon.

Stravinsky - AGON Part-1

With over 120 works spanning from 1898 through 1966 Igor Stravinsky was one of the most prolific and predominant music composers of the twentieth century. After two periods of Stravinsky's musical styles, Agon helped to solidify his maturity as a serial composer as it was the first atonal ballet ever performed.(1) It reflects a major turning point in the history of the ballet and was the third Balanchine ballets named after Greek mythological figures, Apollo in 1928, Orpheus in 1948, and Agon in 1957. This extraordinary piece of music was not only a unique culmination of ballet with an abstract fusion of music and gesture but it also contains traces of boogie woogie and blues.

The piece includes 17 movements, extraordinary mathematical computations, and precompositional planning unlike many previous works. Stravinsky began his third period, the serial period, around the death of Arnold Schöenberg in 1951. A pupil of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky was 20 years old when his compositions began to be recognized. In 1910 he left Russia, the first time, to attend his premier of the ballet L'Oiseau de feu (The Firebird).(2) Stravinsky composed a series of popular works in what has been divided into three periods: The Russian Period, The Neo-Classical Period, and The Serial Period. He is considered by some as one of the three most influential composers of the twentieth century along with Arnold Schöenberg and Claude Debussy.

As the nineteenth century came to a close, so did music's golden age of harmony. Tonality, form, rhythmic structure, instrumentation, and virtuosity would take a new direction. Stravinsky grew into the forefront of what was known as the anti-romantic and post Wagnerian era.

I hope you enjoy this series about the analysis behind the Balanchine ballet, Agon, Ballet for 12 Dancers, composed by Igor Stravinsky, 1957.

(1) Francis Routh. Stravinsky, The Master Musicians. London: J.M. Dent & Sons LTD. 1975.49.
(2) Douglas Seaton. Ideas and Styles of the Western World. London Toronto: Mayfield Publishing. 1991.

Bartók's Fourth String Quartet - 8 (Finale)

Hoday,

As a whole, the themes of the first and fourth movement are of the same material. The expansions and contractions of short cells and irregular rhythmic patterns follow the traditions of his native Bulgarian folk music. Rhythmic elements of both old Hungarian and Romanian hora lunga are present.(17) Bartók solved some of the problems he faced in his previous quartet by using the arch form known as Architect Tonically.(18) And if one desires to attach a key signature to the some of the movements they could call the first movement in C-major, the second movement in E-major, and the fourth movement in A-flat major, taking a major third followed by a minor third approach. The fourth movement used more diatonic idioms while the third movement, the apogee, is most representative of Hungarian Folk Music with a beginning and ending cello playing a tarogato melody. The fifth and final movement is related to the first movement but doesn't reveal itself until measure 15 and then again in full force about half-way into the movement at measure 100. The piece is simple yet composed with thought to current complexity of the time and notes a change to a different and mature style of writing.

Every period of music was rich with exceptional composers who made a difference in its mannerism. And it is only opinion that most musicians of serious study may agree that Bartók could be one of the greatest composers. Serious music today is difficult to celebrate amidst the mainstream of mediocrity, not only in the the realm of symphony music, but also in the fact that pop music has possibly reached its end as new ideas only emulate a shorter and condensed versions of old ideas. But for those who study the true masters of our music history they will encounter Belá Bartók and employ his music unanimously with the great composers of all time.

This report was only a short beginning looking back in history at great composers. I hope you enjoyed this first series.

"Like the poet, he followed his own road and held his head high If art has lost in Him a master, and science luminary, this world of ethical conjecture in which we live has lost a man, in the fullest sense of the term: honest, without reproach, and - in a word - right."(19) Constantine Brailoiu - philosopher


Footnotes:
(1) Halsey Stevens, The Life and Music of Belá Bartók (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2002),Introduction.
(2) ibid.,Cover.
(3) Belá Bartók, The Bartók String Quartets, (Julliard String Quartet),RCA CRL2-5801.
(4) Robert H. Amend, A Survey of Media Production (Denver: Metropolitan State College of Denver, 2004),Chapter One.
(5) Erno Lendvai, Belá Bartók (Khan and Averill, 1971),51.
(6) Halsey Stevens, The Life and Music of Belá Bartók (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2002),Introduction.
(7) Elliot Antokoletz, The Music of Belá Bartók (Berkley Los Angeles: UNiversity of California Press, 2000),94.
(8) Erno Lendvai, Belá Bartók (Khan and Averill, 1971),51.
(9) ibid,.51.
(10) Halsey Stevens, The Life and Music of Belá Bartók (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2002),306.
(11) Erno Lendvai, Belá Bartók (Khan and Averill, 1971),115.
(12) Fred Lerdahl, Spacial and Psychoacoustic Factors in Antonal Prolongation (Current Musicology 63, 1996),Article No.1.
(13) Erno Lendvai, Belá Bartók (Khan and Averill, 1971),117.
(14) Fred Lerdahl, Spacial and Psychoacoustic Factors in Antonal Prolongation (Current Musicology 63, no.1, 1996):9.
(15) ibid.,14.
(16) Quoted by Harry Cassin Becker, in Musical America, 17 December 1927.
(18) Bartók, The Six String Quartets, The Julliard String Qaurtet, Columbia Records D3L317/R64-1671.
(19) Brailoiu, C., Belá Bartók folkloriste (Address at the third plenary session of the commission Internationale des Arts et Traditions Populaires, Paris, October 1947).

Bartók's Fourth String Quartet - 7 (Compositional Formulas)

Hoday,

As one listens to the piece it seems as though there are two major compositional formulas that begin to take shape. Each formula contains several components of theory and the use of compositional tools. The first, as the the pitch material descends, the note values increase allowing the effect of the music to slow down. The second, as the pitch material ascends, the note values decrease allowing the effect of the music to speed up. The climax on the first effect becomes distant, the dynamics decrease along with the canons, the strettos, the inversions, and the retrogrades become stretched which allows the transition of new themes. The climax on the second effect becomes closer, the dynamics increase bringing along a more intense use of the canon, the stretto, inversions, retrogrades, and intervals - a simply marvelous concept.

Measure 14 marks the beginning of the second theme including a third group of four notes. Using hemeolas, ametric time, and circular rhythm, Bartók brings in the new notes, G#, C#, D, G, while combining additional dynamics of pianissimo. Antokoletz identified 3 groups of four notes and put them into a formula of group, X, Y, and Z. Group X, represents the first group of four notes at the introduction of the piece, C, C#, D, D#. Group Y represents the second group at the exposition, Bb, C, D, E. And Group Z represents the last group, G#, C#, D, G. Antokoletz also refers to the notes as pitches in a twelve tone row between 0 and 11.

In an article written in The Journal of Musicology "The overall theory of utilizing three groups of four notes is a staple theory of Bartók and has become labeled Spacial and Psychoacoustic Factors in Atonal Prolongation."(11) Lendvai discovered, "No elements can be properly joined without the aid of a third one, for the two can only be united by the mediation of a link; but of all the links that one is the most beautiful which makes a complete whole of itself and of the elements united by it."(12)

When one analyzes Bartók they will find elements of the number three in many if not all of his later compositions. There is the arch form which is made up of three sections, there are numerous examples of hemeolas using three-over-four, the golden section featuring the .618 and its difference of .382 and even Bartók's axis theories shows three uses of tonic, dominant, and subdominant theories in the circle of fifths. On a side note, Lendvai points out Bartók's use of the circle of fifths using four note groups in opposite poles in example 4.


Lendvai explains, "chords based on the fundamental C, Eb, F#, A have a tonic function. Chords based on the fundamental F, B, D, Ab, have a subdominant function. Chords based on Db, G, E, Bb have a dominant function."(13)

Not everyone, including Bartók, however agrees with Erno Lendvai. Fred Lerdahl writes from his 1996 lecture regarding Spatial and Psychoacoustic Factors in Atonal Prolongation, " I see little interest in making a theory of atonal music that cannot find its place in a general theory of music."(14) Perhaps Bartók knew this idiom to be true because his pitch material and use of traditional forms reflect the stability of tonal musical theories, or perhaps Bartók just uses traditional compositional tools to bring familiarity to the piece so that there can be a common frame of reference. Halsey Stevens quotes Bartók from his book, The Life and Music of Belá Bartók, "I do not care to subscribe to any of the accepted contemporary musical tendencies...my ideal is a measures balance of these elements."(16)

Still More to Come...

Bartók's Fourth String Quartet - 6 (Theories of the Fourth String Quartet)

Hoday,

(You can click on the images to enlarge)

From Arab scales, arch forms, canonic techniques, and external sensations, Belá Bartók's Fourth String Quartet was an architectural masterpiece that demonstrated a mature and relaxed style of composition and was a pivot point to the future of his writings. Unlike the previous three quartets, the fourth exhibited new pitch material, shape, form, and set new trends for string composition. As discussed in the past blogs, Quartet No. 4 contains five movements of which the first and fifth are related by the allegro and allegro molto. The second prestissimo con sordino and the fourth movement, allegro pizzicato are also related, and the third non troppo lento stands alone in the middle and serves as the apogee of the arch.

The entire piece is 999 measures in length so if one multiplies the Golden Section (GS) ratio by .618 the Golden Mean occurs at measure 617 located in the tenth measure of the fifth movement according to Erno Lendvai.(8) Lendavai goes on to say, "the influence of folk music is inspired by the 1:5 ratio, and the perfect examples of 1:2 and 1:3 models also found in the compositions of Liszt and Rimsky-Korsakov."(9)

Another element of the fourth quartet is the four note symmetries used in conjunction with pitch cells. Bartók does not adhere by the rules of serialism in this piece however he does use pitch cells as motivic content to solidify musical continuity. Antokoletz summarizes a four-note symmetrical cell in the following example:






The first two cells in (a & b) are found in measure five and six and the third cell is found in measure 22. Bartók also uses the cells in various linear strettos and cannons throughout the piece. Both Antokoletz and Lendvai agree on the mathematical permutations used in these cells in relation to linear melody and vertical harmony. Their research is at best difficult to understand on the first reading and may be the reason Halsey Stevens elects not to address the technicalities in his book. Stevens writes, "From the Fourth String Quartet Bartók's tonalities are more sharply defined, his harmonies tending toward greater lucidity or even toward extreme simplicity, his rhythms vital and varied."(10)

Stevens is on track with his analysis as the piece begins with a strong statement of the first theme but then drifts to a calming controlled second theme in measure 14. Bartók is a master of theme development and quickly finds new life through the use of compositional tools and pre-compositional planning. Example 3 demonstrates a completely different structure using the same four notes from measure 1 to 13, never giving up on a simple idea but expanding them until they're ready for new development. In the exposition, measure 10 & 11, the four notes used are C, C#, D, D#. He uses non-linear ametric note values within the four string instruments to develop the four-note theme. In measures 1 and 3, the rotation of a major third interval exists between the violin-cello and violin two with a minor second in violin one then moves to a major second and holds while violin two closes the gap to another minor second between the two - and so on. Bartók continues to raise the pitch chromatically while the rotation takes place until the development reaches a climax. One may also notice that as the pitch ascends, the note values decrease creating a faster rhythmic pace to achieve the aural climactic effect.

Bartók had a keen sense to know what the listener needed to complete the thought of a phrase. By the tenth measure, the four-note scheme includes the notes Bb, C, D, and E. The ascended pitch material is now involved in a furious and playful fortissimo that slightly descends to a vertical ending with a compound tri-tone between a Bb violin in the violin-cello and an E-Natural in violin one with a cluster of notes in between at the exposition nicely setting up the second theme at measure 14. The entire introduction establishes how Bartók will be manipulating his four-note theory in terms of articulation, dynamics, cannons, strettos, note values, and eventually inversions, retrogrades, and interval vectoring - in other words he pretty much uses the entire theory book in this piece.


More theory to come...

Bartók's Fourth String Quartet - 5 (The Musical Language)

Hoday,

To understand the language of Belá Bartók, one must understand the heritage and the culture from where he came. In the first decade of the twentieth century, Bartók was actively pursuing the collection of national folk music of Hungary. By using the recording devices invented by film and recording experts Edison, Dickson, and Eastman, Bartók collected hundreds of musical samples of his Hungarian heritage before the destruction caused by war.(4) By 1928, at the age of 47, Bartók had composed 13 complete genres of music with 28 total pieces ranging from orchestra, piano, violin, to opera, ballet, a pantomime, a symphonic poem, and four string quartets most containing information taken from his Hungarian folk song research.

The evolution of Bartók's musical language is perhaps best represented in the compositions of his string quartets. They contain a natural understanding of the string instruments possibly with influence by his training under János Koessler, Hans von Koessler composer, who was acquainted with Istvan Thoman, a student of Franz Liszt, as well as the music of Wagner and Strauss, both of whom Bartók knew personally.

According to Elliott Antokoletz, the quartets themselves were composed over a period of thirty-one years. The first three were written in 1908, 1917, and 1927. The lyrical and romantic styles link directly to many composers of the early twentieth century but by the third and fourth quartets abstract and expressionistic styles began to develop.
The last three quartets , written between 1928, 1934, and 1939 move in opposite direction devoid of tonality. It is especially the fourth string quartet that specifically contain the correct amount of motivic structures that become more familiar as the piece develops and follows a form that uniquely blends the nineteenth and twentieth century together along with the modality and history of Hungarian Folk Music.

Antokoletz writes about Bartók's analytical and theoretical studies as distinct and diverse, and says that Bartók was influenced by the geographic separation from his homeland. He claims that this separation perhaps accounted for influences in nurturing theories more relevant to traditional modality in Hungarian Folk Music. The separation, however, between Bartók and his homeland may or may not have existed but it may have contributed to the fourth string quartet by the influences from the second Viennese school, Arab modality, the atrocities inflicted to his homeland after World War 1, world tensions between the wars mixed with his interests of traditional sonata form, fugue, and his natural abilities to compose complicated asymmetries of music. All which are integral to the fourth string quartet as Bartók used compositional tools with conventional arch forms and motives that were altered in the simplicities of resultant patterns, retrogrades, and inversions.

Halsey Stevens writes that, "Hungarian peasant music has a number of different categories that include pentatonic scales, nonarchitectural parlando rubato and tempo giusto styles surrounded by architecturally rounded forms and heptatonic scales such as Dorian, Aeolian, modern major, Mixolydian, Phrygian and sometimes modern minor."(6) The fourth quartet contains many of these modes with mixed characters of dynamic expression and other blends of pitch construction. It also demonstrates pure natural ability combined with educated experience, not to leave out the simple love for music.

Antokoletz also writes, "In traditional tonal music, composers worked according to a system in which the octave was divided into unequal parts."(7) It seems odd that most of tonal music is based off of an unequal fifth interval of the octave, and not the equal sixth division of twelve notes. Serving as the harmonic root function of tonal music and its major and minor triadic systems the aural perception of unequal divisions of the octave creates pleasing sound when in fact the sixth interval of twelve notes, or the equal division of twelve notes is one of atonal or unusual sound. In fact of all of the harmonic theories in position for tonal music, Bartók has figured the opposite theory in his equal subdivisions of the octave. In addition, he places them into complex interval cycles, Antokoletz calls Interval Class, that is a system of complementary interval cycles and is key to Bartók's thematic schemes.It entails the opposite theory to tonality and provides more than enough material for composition. (See Previous Blogs for Interval Cycles).

It is not impossible to understand how any other form other than post war integral serialism could influence Belá Bartók. His management of row fragments and other uses of dodecaphonics, combined with theories of late nineteenth century romanticism along with his middle-eastern roots and those of ancient times has proliferated a kind of fortspinnung effect influencing today's twenty-first century composers. And it's entirely possible that the theories of the string quartets challenged new music on a global level in a time when Bel Canto still remained in Italy, the Wagnerian and Mahler influence was still popular in Germany, and the new Russian Schools looked toward methods to top what Bartók had already done back in the United States.

Later, still more to come...