String Quartet No. 6 (Bartók)
Encyclopedia
The String Quartet No. 6 by Béla Bartók
was written from August to November, 1939 in Budapest
.
The work is in four movements:
Each movement opens with a slow melody marked mesto (sadly). This material is employed for only a relatively short introduction in the first movement, but is longer in the second and longer again in the third. In the fourth movement, the mesto material, with reminiscences of the first movement material, takes up the entire movement. It can be seen from Bartók's sketches that he originally intended ending with a lively dance-like finale; however, upon learning of the death of his mother, he re-wrote the last movement as a deeply sad elegy.
This was the last piece that Bartók wrote in his native Hungary
, and had things turned out differently it may have been his last of all, as he found it hard to compose in the United States
, where he had fled to escape World War II
. However, a commission from Serge Koussevitzky
, led to him writing his Concerto for Orchestra
, and he wrote a small number of other pieces after that, as well as making a few sketches for a seventh, never completed, string quartet.
The work is dedicated to the Kolisch Quartet
, and it was they who gave its premiere in New York City
on 20 January 1941. The work was first published in the same year by Boosey & Hawkes
.
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
was written from August to November, 1939 in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
.
The work is in four movements:
- Mesto - Vivace
- Mesto - Marcia
- Mesto - Burletta
- Mesto - Molto tranquillo
Each movement opens with a slow melody marked mesto (sadly). This material is employed for only a relatively short introduction in the first movement, but is longer in the second and longer again in the third. In the fourth movement, the mesto material, with reminiscences of the first movement material, takes up the entire movement. It can be seen from Bartók's sketches that he originally intended ending with a lively dance-like finale; however, upon learning of the death of his mother, he re-wrote the last movement as a deeply sad elegy.
This was the last piece that Bartók wrote in his native Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, and had things turned out differently it may have been his last of all, as he found it hard to compose in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he had fled to escape World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. However, a commission from Serge Koussevitzky
Serge Koussevitzky
Serge Koussevitzky , was a Russian-born Jewish conductor, composer and double-bassist, known for his long tenure as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949.-Early career:...
, led to him writing his Concerto for Orchestra
Concerto for Orchestra (Bartók)
Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 116, BB 123, is a five-movement musical work for orchestra composed by Béla Bartók in 1943. It is one of his best-known, most popular and most accessible works. The score is inscribed "15 August – 8 October 1943", and it premiered on December 1, 1944 in Boston Symphony...
, and he wrote a small number of other pieces after that, as well as making a few sketches for a seventh, never completed, string quartet.
The work is dedicated to the Kolisch Quartet
Kolisch Quartet
The Kolisch Quartet was a string quartet musical ensemble founded in Vienna, originally as the New Vienna String Quartet for the performance of Schoenberg's works, and settling to the form in which it was later known. It had a worldwide reputation and made several recordings...
, and it was they who gave its premiere in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on 20 January 1941. The work was first published in the same year by Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and wind musical instruments....
.