Bartok'S Use Of A Row In Bulgarian Rhythm (Mikrokosmos #115) (Page 2 of 3) in pdf

3. This passage (Bar 4-8) is later extended to provide a cadence to the entire work (Bar 23 to end).

The R11 form (altered as mentioned above) becomes an ostinato (27-32), building energy, until

Bartok substitutes an F on the 5th beat “shoving” the G on to the downbeat in bar 30 and 32,

permitting strong closure harmonically and rhythmically ( the cadence in 32 is a PAC).

Of particular interest is the row connection which Bartok uses to prepare the recapitulation

in Bar 23. The T1 of bar 21-22 (see explanation above) is followed quite naturally by its own

Retrograde R1 in bar 23. As we have seen, this form of the Row (R1) had already been used in Bar

5 as an “answer” to the previous T0 phrase. R1’s re-appearance now as the Retrograde of T1 allows

the entire hexachord in bar 23 to function as a natural “link” back to the material of Bar 5-9.

4. Other points to notice in regard to organizing the material according to the Row:

1. The canon at the 8ve (Bar 17-23)

2. The fragments of the Row, used in the LH accompaniment - horizontally (Bar 4-9, the

sequence is composed of fragments from R3 and R1) and later vertically (Bar 24 could be seen as a

use of elements 2-5 in T6, etc.)

5. Note also the relationships present in bar 9-16. This material does not appear to be derived from

the Row. (Also a relationship, of course!) Its musical purpose is clear however.

1. The F#, which is prolonged for 3 bars, is a fresh note. It replaces the G which is

eliminated for the next 8 bars (i.e. the absence of the piece’s center tone). It eventually drops to F,

also a new note, and then continues down chromatically to the Eb cadence in Bar 16.

2. Melodically stepwise movement is replaced by a pattern of leaps which are repeated in

each bar, hence the passage is less “linear”, more “vertical” creating a slower harmonic motion

which moves toward the tritone A Eb (Bar 15 and 16). In short, the material of 9-16 represents a

strong contrast harmonically and melodically with the preceding section. (The connection that does

remain is the ascending BbBC material executed on beat 5 in Bars 9-11.)

3. The relationship between the 4 opening notes F#C#EA of Bar 9, 10 and 11 and EAF#C#

of Bar 13, 14 and 15 is T0 to I10 with the special properties that I10 preserves the identical note

collection of T0 (“invariance”). The remainder of the notes used in bar 13-16 preserve the contour

inversion, but they do not strictly follow the interval pattern used in Bars 9-12. Here too the pattern

is shaped to further Bartok’s Harmonic goals.

6. Also to be noticed:

1. the very explicit tonal relationships – the variety of the cadences

2. the contrapuntal use of oblique, parallel and contrary motion - its importance in

establishing the character of each section.

The interval class vector for the Row is:

Question for thought: Compare the row as a melodic idea with the melody that opens Debussy’s

“The Girl with Flaxen Hair”. How does this choice of musical material indicate the difference in

musical intent? Contrapuntal vs. Harmonic thought? etc.

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