Principal violist of the new york philharmonic, ms. He worked on this concerto and the viola concerto at the same time which was not his usual habit. A listeners guide oxford university press, 1998, used with permission. Bela bartok was born in nagyszentmiklos, transylvania then part of hungary, on march 25, 1881, and died in new york on september 26, 1945.
The alternative revised edition, by peter bartok and nelson dellamaggiore, has restored many original bartok features, but has not fundamentally challenged the orchestration. A belated account of the reconstruction of a 20thcentury. Certainly, as the last sad notes of the first movement are fading in the violins, there is already evidence of new life in the viola and the cello. Viola concerto that he left in sketches on odd scraps of paper. He had hoped that it would be a vehicle that would provide her with some income after his death. Program notes by phillip huscher bela bartok born march 25, 1881, nagyszentmiklos, transylvania now part of romania. The concerto for orchestra would be his final completed work he was in the early stages of leukemia when koussevitzky visited his hospital room to commission the concerto for orchestra. Program notes on a viola recital opensiuc southern illinois. Viola concerto bartok began this concerto in the summer of 1945 prepared the work for publication.
He began composing his viola concerto while living in saranac lake, new york, in july 1945. In the beginning he wanted to cancel the request for the viola concerto. A folk tune brings a reprise from this aggression for a while, but the moody theme returns. The piece was commissioned by william primrose, a respected violist who knew that bartok could provide a challenging piece for him to perform. Petrushka 1911 version program notes three of the last centurys most colorful composers. The last piano concerto, for whose sake he delayed completion of the viola concerto, was uncommissioned. Bela bartok was surely aware of his own impending demise as he worked feverishly in order to complete his last two major works, the piano concerto no. Nonetheless, he was able to compose the concerto for orchestra 1943, the sonata for violin solo 1944, and all but the last measures of the piano concerto no. Bela bartok, hungarian composer, pianist, ethnomusicologist, and teacher, noted for the hungarian flavour of his major musical works, which include orchestral works, string quartets, piano solos, several stage works, a cantata, and a number of settings of folk songs for voice and piano. Bartok concerto for orchestra, viola concerto eloquence 480. He then worked hard on the third piano concerto, since he wanted to leave a vehicle from which his pianist wife could earn a living. Bartoks viola concerto violists around the world know that, compared to the violin, their solo repertoire is rather limited.
Also on the evenings program is bela bartoks viola concerto, a technicallychallenging piece written by the hungarian composer while he was in the final stages of fighting leukemia. At first the composer was unsure of his ability to write a work for the viola. The viola concerto was commissioned by william primrose 19041982 before or in early december 1944. Programme notes for classical concerts by basil ramsey. Concerto for orchestra indianapolis symphony orchestra. Program notes each week, thousands of san francisco symphony concertgoers open their programs to read about the drama, the passion, and the inspiration behind the music theyre hearing. The third begins gently, with the piano unwinding a ruminating melody over a quiet accompaniment. Program notes by phillip huscher bela bartok born march 25, 1881, nagyszentmiklos, transylv died september 26, 1945, new york city. Handel, although born in halle, germany, spent most of his adult life in england. Bartok was given a new lease of life by this commission, and the concertos success led to several others, including the third piano concerto and the viola concerto. Our interesting and varied program will feature a number of scottishborn. Concerto in d minor for two violins and strings bach. The musical term concerto derives in part from the classical latin verb concertare meaning to contend, to skirmish, to debate, or to dispute, combined with the italian language meaning to arrange, to agree, or to get together. Commissioned by the great viola player, william primrose, it nearly didnt get heard because of bartok s death.
Since it was for his wife he devoted more time to this concerto and. Other recent highlights include complete hindemith viola concerti with the. Transcript of the panel discussion on bartoks viola concerto held at the 1997. Bela bartok viola concerto sheet music, music books.
The third begins gently, with the piano unwinding a. James ehnes violin, andrew armstrong piano sonata for violin and piano no. Bartoks first two piano concertos get off to aggressive starts. Pennsylvania sinfonia orchestra melodic conversations october 1, 2016. Journal of the american viola society volume 14 no. Journal of the american viola society volume 12 no. Orchestra, viola sheet music book by bela bartok 18811945. Michael barta this research paper provides extended program notes relating to the pieces performed on rossana cauti graduate viola recital, presented on april 21st, 2018. The concerto for orchestra was composer bela bartoks last completed work. From a very early age bartok showed a musical talent, encouraged by his parents. Having a premiere recording of bartok on naxos makes an unmissable bargain. Bartok viola concerto by kenneth woods dec 20, 2010 explore the score bartok, howard hanson, koussevitsky, primrose, serly, viola concerto bela bartok concerto for viola 1945 completed by tibor serly.
This disk provides a program of some of the most accessible music by three of the twentieth centurys greatest composers. Bela viktor janos bartok 25 march 1881 26 september 1945 performers. Program note excerpted from the late michael steinbergs the concerto. He had studied in germany and italy where he realized success in performance and composing. At 2 min, the viola begins a quick motif, like this. The bartok viola concerto has an interesting history.
The story of how the concerto came to be, from its commissioning by primrose to its first performance to the several. Moving seamlessly into the second movement, we are lifted by a gentle accelerando to a new state of grace, a lilting, dancing world that is miles distant from the heavy burden of the previous one. Bartok concerto for orchestra notes by paul serotsky. The initial compositional format featured separate vocal choirs, extending the idea after a few years to. Phelps has distinguished herself both here and abroad as one of the leading instrumentalists of our time. He was born on 25th march 1881 and at 11, in 1892, he made his first public appearance as a pianist and after some attempts at the composition of some chamber music works, at 18 he entered the budapest academy of music to study piano and composition. While no definitive version of the work exists, this concerto has become arguably the mostperformed viola concerto in the world. Pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky was born at votkinsk, russia district of vyatka, on may 7, 1840, and died in st. Serly felt dutybound to his deceased and close friend to be involved in completing the relatively few bars of the piano work and rescuing the viola concerto.
Concerto in d minor for violin, oboe and strings bach. You can read our critically acclaimed program notes online one week prior to select concerts. The concerto for orchestra and the viola concerto, at least, were commissioned. Bartok began sketching the work sometime between april and early august 1945 in new york city. Background three people want to commission compositions from me.
Bartok viola concerto piano concerto 3 nemeth ranki. The most conspicuous stravinsky reference, however, occurs at the very beginning of concerto no. His viola concerto was the uncompleted work which, soon after his death, tibor serly put together from sketches. A concerto for orchestra preserves the concertante element by selecting individual sections, or maybe an individual of an orchestra, to serve momentarily into the solo spotlight.
Bartok s viola concerto 1995 version begins slowly, the viola solo is accompanied with timpani notes. Sep 19, 2015 bela bartok was surely aware of his own impending demise as he worked feverishly in order to complete his last two major works, the piano concerto no. Cynthia phelps, viola not only does cynthia phelps produce one of the richest, deepest viola timbres in the world, she is a superb musician seattle postintelligencer. Works completed later by colleagues, or his son peter, include the third piano concerto and the viola concerto. Now bartok s son peter, with the scholar paul neubauer, has reedited those sketches. This research paper provides extended program notes relating to the pieces performed on rossana cauti. After the piano concerto got in a state where he started the notation he called mechanic work he could start to. When he died, his last composition, a viola concerto, was left an uncompleted mass of. He didnt have any useful idea also he didnt consider the viola as a solo instrument.
In 1943, the hungarian composer, bela bartok, wrote his iconic concerto for orchestra within the span of two months while visiting saranac lake in upstate new york. Concerto for orchestra viola concerto catalog record only czech philharmonic orchestra. It is one of his bestknown, most popular, and most accessible works. There he was an officer for the uppermiddleclass frauenstein association, which sponsored weekly great concertos of its collegium musicum. In bartoks hands, however, all of these elements turn into something only he could have written. William primrose, maybe the most important violist of modern times, asked the. Rescheduling mendelssohns scottish symphony charleston. F1017 berkshire sympony concert notes music at williams. Bartoks viola concerto 1995 version begins slowly, the viola solo is accompanied with timpani notes. It was koussevitsky who, prompted by szigeti and reiner in the hope that they might restore the very ill and hospitalised bartok, in 1943 tried to persuade bartok to do a commission for the boston so. Along with the walton viola concerto, it is among the most popular viola works of all time. Bela bartok was born at nagyszentmiklos, hungary, now sinnicolaue mare, romania, on 25 march 1881 and died in new york city on 26 september 1945.
Bela bartok concerto for viola 1945 completed by tibor serly. Bartok concerto for orchestra program notes lansdowne so. During the last years of his life, bartok lived frugally in a tiny apartment on. When bela bartok died in september of 1945, he left a partially completed viola concerto commissioned by the virtuoso violist william primrose. Viola concerto 1945 completed 1949 by tibor serly the famous violist william primrose commissioned bartoks viola concerto in 1945. When bela bartok died in september of 1945, he left a partially completed viola concerto commissioned by the violist william primrose. Other works written during this period featuring a prominent viola part include the eight pieces for clarinet, viola and piano, op. Tibor serly was born in budapest in 1901 and came to the united states as a young man. In the 70 years since its premiere, bartoks final composition has arguably become the most widelyplayed viola concerto in the world. The famous viola concerto, the first for that instrument, is one of nearly 200 telemann composed while serving in frankfurt as city music director 171221.