Bela Bartok - Falun Sz.79 (1926)

Описание: Painting: "Rain" by Marc Chagall

Description (Robert Cummings):
This is a rarely performed Bartók work that exists in two versions, this choral/chamber work and the original one, scored for female vocalist and piano. In this larger adaptation the solo voice is replaced by a chorus of either four or eight female voices and the piano, of course, by a chamber ensemble. Actually, to call this the "larger version" is somewhat misleading: Bartók's original contained five sections, the last three of which were used to fashion this work. Whenever this composition is performed now, it is usually this revised version, a version that on the whole is the better one.

The work's themes were derived from Slovak folk songs, and its style has been related to Stravinsky's Les Noces (The Wedding). The first movement here is, in fact, entitled "Wedding." It opens with furious music that stops suddenly, the female voices then entering after a brief pause to introduce calm, then to present their own fury in the form of a riotous celebration with screams of joy. This colorful section alternates ecstasy with calm, serenity with joy.

The second movement, entitled "Lullaby," is the longest of the three, having a duration of about five minutes. Its main theme is ethereal and quite Stravinskyian, especially in its accompaniment. In the middle section the music takes on a ghostly aspect, the vocal writing and instrumentation turning intense and eerie. The mood settles and the calmer atmosphere from the opening returns.

The last movement, "Lads' Dance," is the shortest, lasting just under three minutes. Its playful, rhythmic manner in the opening instrumental introduction is charming in its graceful mischief, and the belated entry of the chorus, with its stomping earthy manner, punctuates the colorful character of the music. After alternating with instrumental passages throughout this finale, the chorus finally unites with the chamber orchestra to produce an ending of great color and subtlety.

The text in the first section tells of Annie, who has both gained and lost much because of her recent marriage. The second movement's text features a dialogue between a newborn and its mother. The text of the last movement advises nature's animals and plants to live boldly while they can and enjoy life. In the end, one must assess this Bartók work as a minor success, ranked a rung or two below Stravinsky's Les Noces, after which it appears to have been modeled.

1.Lakodalom (Wedding) 00:00
2.Bolcsodal (Lullaby) 04:05
3.Legenytanc (Lad's Dance) 08:36 (terrific segment IMO)

Moscow Conservatory Chamber Choir
Boris Tevlin, chorus master
Ensemble Contrechamps
Reinbert de Leeuw, conductor
Live, Victoria Hall, Geneve, 10.04.2003
from Swiss Radio ESPACE 2 broadcast