Allegro barbaro (Bartók)

Allegro barbaro (BB 63, Sz 49 ) is a 1911 composed piece for piano by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók. The title of the piece, barbaro, is a nod to Bartók's critics, who called him a barbarian.

About the Music

In the play Bartók developed a synthesis of traditional Hungarian folk sounds and modern harmony. Characteristic are hard blows that match Bartók's idea of the piano as a percussion, interspersed with simple melodies of Hungarian peasant music. These hard knocks are contrasted in a drastic reduction of the rate and the transition to a cantabile melody in one of the side issues. These strong variations in the mood of the piece are additionally enhanced by the use of strong dissonances.

The piece is created bitonal over long distances. At the outset, for example, the key of F sharp minor established in the accompaniment, which is then grafted a melody in natural A minor. At the end of the piece of bi-tonal character is once again proven to plastically by the final note of a clear A minor related unison passage is backed by thumping F sharp minor chords.

Due to a fairly high tempo ( 84 beats on half ) and complex chord structures, the piece - with exact configuration - a high degree of difficulty on; which is exactly why pianists Zoltan Kocsis, who have received special training on the piano technique of Franz Liszt, Allegro barbaro added to their repertoire.

Miscellaneous

Allegro barbaro was on their debut album in pop music known in the The Barbarian titled adaptation of the progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

From the French composer and pianist Charles- Valentin Alkan, there is a play of the same for Solo Piano ( Etudes, Op 35, No. 5). It is considered pretty sure Bartók barbaro known this Allegro, as he had several lessons with Liszt students who were acquainted with the works of alkane. Whether it is a conscious allusion, however, is not used.