Romanian Folk Dances
Romanian Folk Dances (
Sz. 56, BB 68 is a suite of six short piano pieces composed by Béla Bartók
in 1915. He later orchestrated it for small ensemble in 1917 as Sz. 68, BB 76.
It is based on seven Romanian tunes from Transylvania, originally played on fiddle or shepherd's flute. Its title was originally Romanian Folk Dances from Hungary (Hungarian: Magyarországi román népi táncok, pronounced [ˈmɒɟɒrorsaːɡi ˈromaːn ˈneːpi ˈtaːnt͡sok]) but was later changed by Bartók when Transylvania became part of Romania in 1920.[1] It is nowadays available in the 1971 edition which is written with key signatures although Bartók rarely used key signatures.[2]
Structure
This set of dances consists of six movements and, according to the composer, it should take four minutes and three seconds to perform, but most professional pianists take up to five minutes. The list of the movements is as follows (with the original Hungarian title listed first, the most commonly known Romanian title second, and the English translation in parentheses):
- Bot tánc / Jocul cu bâtă (Stick Dance)
- The melody of the first movement, according to Bartók, came from the Mezőszabad (present-day Maros-Torda administrative county within Transylvania, and he first heard it when two gypsy violinists were playing it.[3]
- The melody of the first movement, according to Bartók, came from the Mezőszabad (present-day
- Brâul (Sash Dance)
- The second movement is a typical dance from Romania called Brâul, for which traditionally a sash or a waistband was used. This melody came from Egres (present-day
- Topogó / Pe loc (In One Spot)
- The third dance comes also from Egres (
Igriș), but its theme is much darker and its melody recreates Middle Eastern instruments, such as the flute.[4] - The third dance comes also from Egres (
- Bucsumí tánc / Buciumeana (Dance from Bucsum)
- The fourth dance came from Bucsony,
Alba county in Romania).[5] - The fourth dance came from Bucsony,
- Román polka / Poarga Românească (Romanian Polka)
- The fifth dance is an old Romanian dance similar to the Polka and comes from Belényes (present-day
- The sixth and last dance is formed by two different melodies: the first from Belényes (present-day
attacca—without a break between movements.[10] - The fifth dance is an old Romanian dance similar to the Polka and comes from Belényes (present-day
Analysis
| Movement | Tempo | Time to perform[11] | Key | Form | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bot tánc / Jocul cu bâtă | Allegro moderato
|
57 seconds | A minor | Binary | Dorian and Aeolian on key centre A |
| Brâul | Allegro
|
25 seconds | D minor | Binary | Dorian centered on D |
| Topogó / Pe loc | Andante
|
45 seconds | B minor | Binary | Aeolian and Arabic influence (augmented seconds) on key centre B or Gypsy scale without leading-tone |
| Bucsumí tánc / Buciumeana | Moderato,
|
35 seconds | A major | Binary with 2 tunes | Phrygian dominant scale on key centre A |
| Román polka / Poarga Românească | Allegro,
|
31 seconds | D major | Binary with 2 tunes | Lydian on key centre D |
| Aprózó / Mărunțel | Allegro,  = 152, after Più Allegro
|
13 and 36 seconds | D Major, modulates to A major | 3 tunes and coda | Key Centre A; first part begins with Lydian, but is in Mixolydian; second part is in Dorian |
Arrangements
Aside from the version Bartók wrote for a small orchestral ensemble, some of Bartók's friends wrote adaptations or transcriptions of this piece for several different ensembles. The following are the best-known:
- Arthur Willner's version for string orchestra. It is a mere transcription with no modification of the original music.
Notable recordings
Notable recordings of this composition include the following:
| Piano Solo | Record Company | Year of Recording | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| András Schiff | Denon Records / Brilliant Classics | 1980 | CD[12] |
| Jenő Jandó | Naxos Records
|
2005 | CD[13] |
Notable recordings of the arrangement by Zoltán Székely include the following:
| Violin | Piano | Record Company | Year of Recording | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Szigeti | Béla Bartók | EMI Classics | 1930 | CD[14] |
See also
- Two Romanian Folk Dances
- Culture of Romania
- Béla Bartók
- List of compositions by Béla Bartók
- Transylvania
References
- ^ a b Cummings, Robert. "Brâul (Sash Dance), for piano (Romanian Folk Dances No. 2), Sz. 56/2, BB 68 2: Composition description". Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-8283-1559-3.
- ^ Cummings, Robert. "Jocul cu bâta (Stick Dance), for piano (Romanian Folk Dances No. 1), Sz. 56/1, BB 68 1: Composition description". Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
- ^ Cummings, Robert. "Pe Loc (In One Spot), for piano (Romanian Folk Dances No. 3), Sz. 56/3, BB 68/3: Composition description". Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
- ^ a b Cummings, Robert. "Buciumeana (Dance of Buchum), for piano (Romanian Folk Dances No. 4), Sz. 56/4, BB 68/4: Composition Description". Rovi Corporation Ltd. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
- ^ Cummings, Robert. "Poarga Româneasca (Romanian Polka), for piano (Romanian Folk Dances No. 5), Sz. 56/5, BB 68/5: Composition description". Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
- ^ a b This movement is only present in the orchestrated version, as it is part of the sixth dance. Although most recordings set this track list for the orchestrated version, this last movement is part of the previous movement
- ^ Whitehouse, Richard (2005). 8.554718 – BARTOK, B.: Piano Music, Vol. 2 (Jando) – Dance Suite / Romanian Folk Dances. Hong Kong: HNH International Ltd. p. 4. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
- ^ Cummings, Robert. "Maruntel (Fast Dance from Belebyes), for piano (Romanian Folk Dances No. 6), Sz. 56/6, BB 68/6: Composition description". Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
- ^ Cummings, Robert. "Maruntel (Fast Dance from Belebyes), for orchestra (Romanian Folk Dances No. 6), Sz. 68/6, BB 76/6: Composition description". Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
- ^ This is the original timing Bartók wrote down after each movement
- ^ "Information about the CD 9714 from Denon Records". Santa Clara: Rovi Corporation. 1980. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
- ^ "Track list from the CD 8.554718 from the Naxos catalogue". Hong Kong: Naxos Digital Services Ltd. 2005. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
- ^ "Information about the CD 180761 from EMI Classics". Santa Clara: Rovi Corporation. 1930. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
Further reading
- Hinson, Maurice (December 1991). Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56, for the piano (Alfred Masterwork ed.). Alfred Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88284-864-8.
- Kroo, Gyorgy (1974). Guide to Bartok. Branden Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-8283-1559-3.
- Suchoff, Benjamin (1993). Béla Bartók essays. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-6108-2.
- Antokoletz, Elliott; Fischer, Victoria; Suchoff, Benjamin (2000). Bartók perspectives: man, composer, and ethnomusicologist. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-512562-7.
- Yeomans, David (1988). Bartók for piano. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-21383-9.