irregular rhythm formations in bartók’s string quartets

8/12/2019 Irregular Rhythm Formations In Bartks String Quartets

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Tolga T. Yayalar Department of Music

Irregular Rhythm Formations

In Bartks String uartetsTolga Yayalar

[1] Introduction

!arly "#th century music $itnesse% numerous inno&ations in %i&erse fiel%s. 'ne significant feature $as

an increase% interaction $ith folk music. ( significant conse)uence $as %e&elopments in rhythm an%

meter as a result of this influence. The e&olution of Bela Bartks music in tan%em $ith his stu%ies in

ethnomusicology represents a goo% e*ample in this respect.

In this paper+ I $ill focus on one of the rhythmical features that surfaces in Bartks music in a

significant $ay. Rhythmical an% metrical irregularities in Bartks mi%%le an% late perio% $orks are

features that $ere intro%uce% to the &oca,ulary of -estern music through the %isco&eries of !astern

!uropean folk music. I $ill highlight the influence of folk music in this process I $ill then analy/e

specific e*amples from Bartks string )uartets.

[2] Background

0".12 Meter in Western Music

If $e e*clusi&ely concentrate on the classical an% romantic perio% music+ $e can get a false impression

that all -estern art music makes use of regularly recurring meters. 3o$e&er+ this $asnt the case in

most Renaissance an% Me%ie&al music. In the a,sence of ,arlines+ the natural accents of the te*t

%etermine% the meter in early &ocal music. Thus+ the music ha% irregular groupings of rhythmic

patterns. This ten%ency of -estern music $as replace% ,y the e*tensi&e use of regular an% simple

meters %uring the perio% of 14th through 15th century. In the ,eginning of the "#th century+ the

%isco&eries of early music an% folk music helpe% composers to %epart from this metric regularity.

!*amples can ,e Stra&inskys 67etrouchka+ Rite of Spring8 an% -e,erns 69ariations for 7iano+ II8.

0"."2 Folk Music Influence

In the romantic perio%+ $e can o,ser&e fe$ e*amples of irregular metric groupings. The most popular

one $as :; thsymphony an% -agner in

Tristan ? Isol%e. These e*amples ha&e relati&ely slo$ tempi an% )uarter pulse is easily noticea,le.

3o$e&er+ one feature that %istinguishes asymmetric meters of folk music from -estern art music is

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groupings of meter in his mi%Gperio% )uartets+ he %oesnt in%icate the groupings in the meter. For

e*ample in the :thmo&ement of his


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manifestation of Bulgarian Rhythm that Bartk %escri,es as a%%iti&e com,ination of " an% @ pulse

,eats of short )uantities such as eighth or si*teenth notes in fast tempo.

The secon% approach appears most clearly in @ r%;1stmo&ement+ at rehearsal num,er 4+ $here Bartk

uses o%% meters such as :; an% 4;. 3ere the goal is %ifferent+ in the :; he constructe% a regular

irregularity+ $here the effect is totally the opposite. -e %o not percei&e any meter. The asymmetric

time signatures are use% to esta,lish a fluctuating feel. Both :; an% 4; %o not seem to %i&i%e clearly

into "s an% @s.

0


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( similar passage occurs fe$ ,ars later in the same )uartet.

-.(M,*- &A@r%uartet+ Secon%a 7arte

A3ere+ means three ,eats per pulse an% means " ,eats per pulse

The cello has a " ,eat %elay again. The melo%y here suggests a :; time signature. But $ith the other

parts+ the smallest common %enominator is @;. The cello follo$s a rhythmic pattern of 1#; A@""@

or " :;s A@" an% "@.

The last e*ample is from the < th)uartet. In the first mo&ement+ ">4thmeasure+ The 1st&iolin an% &iola

form groupings of @@"+ "@@ $hile the cello plays up,eat thnotes in ";< time. This part soun%s

more like a syncopate% passage that polyrhythm+ ,ut Bartk often uses %ifferent grouping of ; time

signature. A!*ample


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-.(M,*- 0A@r%uartet+ =o%a

The groupings of @ sho$s the upper &oice notate% in a%%iti&e meter.

-.(M,*- A:thuartet+ 1stmo&. M":

>


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In this e*ample+ Bartk use% a %ifferent notation techni)ue. 3e notate% the $hole passage in >:@44>:::>::44 $hile cello;&iola ha&e groupings of

>>:4A@@::4:>4


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-.(M,*- 3 A


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'riginally this passage is notate% in ";


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45

45

4:::4

>

This passage in a $ay prece%es the Bulgarian Rhythm passages in his *th +uartet A@r% mo&ement+

15@+ onata for Two ianos

and ercussion Asecon% mo&ement.15@4 an% $ontrasts Athir% mo&ement 15@.

In the same mo&ement+ theres a short passages that occurs t$ice. Ae*ample 5 an% 5.1

-.(M,*- 4A

This part is 1# measures after the @@"+ "@@ e*ample Asee !*ample


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!specially in the secon% system $e ,enefit from the %ynamic marks. -hen the same passage occurs

earlier in the piece+ there is no am,iguity a,out $hat the irregular groupings are. This time $e percei&e

the irregular meter from the contrasting i%eas. I trie% to notate this e*ample in a%%iti&e meters. In this

case the t$o contrasting i%eas are fitte% in a measure.

-.(M,*- 15'1A


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=''7!R+ H. an% . B. M!Y!R. 15>#. The Rhythmic Structure of Music+ The Lni&ersity of =hicago

7ress.

K'STK(+ S. 1555. Materials an% Techni)ues of T$entiethG=entury Music+ Je$ ersey+ 7renticeG3all.

K'STK(+ S. "###. Tonal 3armony+ McHra$G3ill.

'TTM(J+ R. 15. !lementary 3armony+ Je$ ersey+ 7renticeG3all.

RI=!+ T. "###. 6Bela Bartok an% Bulgarian Rhythm8 in (ntokolet/+ Fischer+ Suchoff Ae%s. Bartok

7erpecti&es. '*for% Lni&ersity 7ress.

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irregular rhythm formations in bartók’s string quartets

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