Customer Reviews

Bela Bartok: An Analysis of His Music

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This is the most concise musical analysis I have ever read. The examples are clear and without ambiguity. The logical progression of discussing the simple building blocks of Bartok's style leading on to the complex aspects of his writing is perfect. However, the pinnacle achievement of this book is the section that explains the natural progression of harmonic structures from Bach through Bartok that dispells any rumors or theories that 20th century music is merely a mathematical aberration or a gratuitous construct. If you want to discover why modern Jazz owes much of it's theory to Bartok, read this book.

I have been a lifelong student of composition, and this book opened up a whole new realm of musical thought for me. There are brilliant observations regarding chromatic tonality, atonality, and structure that (although they are presented largely in the context of an analysis of Bartok's music) shed light on the development and future of modern music in general.

The book serves also as a fitting tribute to Bartok, a genius who all too often is written off as merely the modern adaptor of Hungarian folk-song. In this book the author demonstrates how the folk-song interest, and other fundamental Bartok building blocks, have a deep basis in the fundaments of life and the world.

If you've known Bartok's music speaks to you in ways you can't explain or understand, or if you just want to wrap your head around one of the most important contributions to the development of music in the modern era, then this book is for you.

I hope this review is more helpful than the one below, which seems to be more of a jumble of random thoughts, most of which appear to be associated with some other, more biographical work.

A composition teacher of mine turned me on to this book many years ago. Had a profound impact on me. Still holds a place of honor on my shelf.

Lendvai is an expert on Bartok and he has insights that make compositional sense too, so not just any old reviewer.

The peaceable existences do not use to be genius ` man patrimony . We have come to life for getting our bliss and the most of times you must to fight for reaching it .

Few times a tragic destiny as Bartok was , a man will have treated with such implacable symmetry . In last instance , Bartok argues talking about The bluebeard castle , we enter to world with tears and with tears we come out from it . The teardrops point our existence ...

Grillparzer ` s epitaph on Schubert `s tombstone could not be more appropriate to resume Bartok `s life : "The art of music here entombed a rich possession , but even fairer hopes".

For curious circumstances I have been involved with Bartok `s music and this fact has enriched my life gaze .

This book is a passionate, intense and vivid B.B. ` s portrait . The author penetrates with frantic commitment to the interfolds of the soul of this unique musician .

More than a simple advise , it `s impossible for you to abandon your life without reading this biography .

I had the enormous privilege of talking briefly with György Sandor - the maxim exponent of his piano music - in that unforgettable December 9 1982 night in Caracas after his performance and he told me among other issues the huge human quality , his shaman wisdom , the domain of fourteen idioms and the profound influence through his entire life .

And these words of Bartok will talk by themselves : "An ideal folklorist of popular songs should be poly historian , polyglot and linguist , phonetic specialist to watch and observe the minor hues of the several dialects and jargon . Something like a phonograph , in his exact description about the interferences between the music and the popular dances"

It can sound speculation but I have always thought the profound esteem felt by the Russian people to Dimitri Shostakovich must be parallel to the Hungarian people to Bela Bartok