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BÉLABARTÓK PianoConcertoNo.3inEmajor,Sz.119,BB127 BORN:March25,1881,inNagyszentmiklós,Hungary DIED:September26,1945,inNewYork WORKCOMPOSED:1945 WORLDPREMIERE:February8,1946,inPhiladelphia.GyörgySándorplayedthesolopart,and EugeneOrmandyconductedthePhiladelphiaOrchestra. BélaBartókwasoneofthemajorcomposersofthe20thcentury,amusicianwhoseimportance wasnotfullyappreciatedduringhislifetime.Overthecourseofhiscareer,Bartókcreateda remarkablyoriginalcompositionalstyle,drawingontwoseeminglydisparatesources.Onewas thepossibilitiesforharmonicfreedomandinnovationthatemergedaroundthebeginningofthe 20thcenturyintheworkofDebussy,Schoenbergandothercomposers.Thesecondwasthefolk musicofhisnativeHungaryandothereasternEuropeancountries,whoseunusualrhythms, scalesandtonalinflectionsbecamepartofthecomposer’sownmusicallanguage.Melding thesetworesources,Bartókachievedathoroughlymodernidiomthatheusedinadistinctive andpersonalway. Bartók’sfinalcompositionwasapianoconcertowrittenforhissecondwife,DittaPasztory Bartók.Previously,Bartókhadcomposedtwokeyboardconcertosforhisownuseasa performer.Butbyearly1945hiscareerasapianistwasover.Hehadbeenillforseveralyears, andheundoubtedlyunderstoodthathislifewasdrawingtoaclose.Bartókandhiswifehad arrivedalmostpennilessinNewYorksomefouryearsearlier.Hehadnothinginthewayof assets,andtheroyaltiesfromhiscompositionswouldnotsufficetosupportDitta.Thecomposer thereforethoughttoleavehiswifeapieceshemightperformtohelpsupportherselfasa concertartistafterhewasgone. Bartókbarelyfinishedtheconcertobeforehesuccumbedtopolycythemia,ablooddisease,in September1945.(Actually,hefailedtoorchestrateitslastseventeenmeasures,butthistask wascompletedbyhisstudentTiborSerly.)Thework’spremiereperformancewasgivennotby thecomposer’swifebutbyGyörgySándor,anotherofBartók’sstudents,whoplayedthe concertowiththePhiladelphiaOrchestrainFebruary1946,andfrequentlythereafter. IntheThirdPianoConcerto,theangularlines,rhythmiccomplexitiesanddissonantharmonies thatearnedBartókhisreputationasanuncompromisingmodernistgivewaytofamiliarkindsof harmoniesandsingingmelodies.Whatpromptedthissimplificationofthecomposer’sidiom remainsunclear.ItcertainlyaccordswiththepopulisttrendembracedbymanyAmerican composersduringthelate1930sandearly1940s,aswellascorrespondingdevelopmentsin muchEuropeanmusicoftheperiod.Inanyevent,thework’sresorttocompositionaltradition extendstoitsoverallform,whichfollowsthetraditionalconcertodesignofthreemovementsin afast–slow–fastpattern. AlltheimportantthemesoftheopeningAllegrettoareimbuedwiththeflavorofHungarianfolk music.Despiteafewfullyscoredpassages,muchofthemovemententailswonderfully transparentorchestraltextures.Thesecondmovement,verymuchtheheartoftheconcerto, unfoldsinamodifiedA–B–Adesign.Itsoutersectionsposespare,lucidpassagesforthe orchestralstringsagainstshort,poeticphrasesforthepiano.(Thistypeofdialoguebetween orchestraandpianorecallsthedramaticbutotherwisecomparableexchangesintheslow movementofBeethoven’sFourthPianoConcerto.)ThecentralepisodebringsabitofBartókian “nightmusic,”withevocationsofbirdandinsectsounds.Avariedrepriseoftheinitialsection roundsoutthemovement.Thefinaleconveysajoyous,life-affirmingoutlookthatgivesnohint ofitsauthor’sgraveillness. WHATTOLISTENFOR ThefirstmovementopenswiththepianosingingwhatsoundslikeaHungarianfolksongagainst asoftmurmurfromtheorchestra.Later,thatthemereturnsagainstluminoustrillsinthe strings.Thefinalmeasuresbringsuggestionsofbirdcallsfromtheflute,aharbingerofthingsto come. Slowlyunfolding,widelyspacedmusicforstringsalonebeginsthesecondmovement.Tothis thepianorespondswithhymn-likephrases,initiatingaraptdialoguebetweensoloinstrument andorchestra.Anepisodeofnocturnalnaturemusicintrudes.Returningatlasttothepianoorchestracolloquy,Bartóklargelysubstituteswoodwindsforthestringchoirheardearlierand expandsthepianoparttoincludemorerhapsodicutterance. Heardrepeatedlyduringthecourseofthemovement,thefinale’sprincipalthemeestablishes thepropulsiveenergythatmarksmanyofBartók’sclosingmovements.Betweenitsseveral appearancesareepisodesthatincludeapairofcontrapuntalpassages. Scoredforsolopiano;2flutes,theseconddoublingpiccolo;2oboes,theseconddoublingEnglish horn;2clarinets,theseconddoublingbassclarinet;2bassoons;4horns,2trumpets,3 trombonesandtuba;timpani,percussionandstrings. ©2016PaulSchiavo