Six-volume progressive set of piano pieces by Bartók
Béla Bartók's Mikrokosmos (Hungarian: Mikrokozmosz) Sz. 107, BB 105 consists of 153 progressive piano pieces in six volumes, written between 1926 and 1939[1] and published in 1940.[2] The individual pieces progress from very easy and simple beginner études to very difficult advanced technical displays, and are used in modern piano lessons and education. In total, according to Bartók, the work "appears as a synthesis of all the musical and technical problems which were treated and in some cases only partially solved in the previous piano works." Volumes one and two are dedicated to his son Péter, while volumes five and six are intended as professionally performable concert pieces.[3]
Bartók also indicated that these pieces could also be played in different arrangements. In 1940, shortly before they emigrated to the United States, he arranged seven of the pieces for two pianos, to provide additional repertoire for himself and his wife Ditta Pásztory-Bartók to play. Tibor Serly transcribed six of the pieces for piano and string orchestra, arrangements which were first performed on the composer's 61st birthday in 1942.[4] In 1969 Huguette Dreyfus recorded selected pieces from Books 3 to 6 on the harpsichord.
The pieces are notable for their display of folk music influence, their unusual use of tonality, and their use of additive rhythms. Bartók travelled extensively during the period 1906–1936 to rural Hungary, Romania, Algeria and Turkey, transcribing folk songs and dances; that influence is especially apparent in the Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm at the end of Mikrokosmos, as well as in his (separate) set of Romanian Folk Dances (1915).[5]
Title
The title Mikrokosmos comes from the Greek mikros kosmos, meaning "little world", to reflect Bartók's aim that the pieces "deal not only with the rhythmic, but also with melodic, harmonic and pianistic problems."[6]
The works were first published with the subtitle "Progressive Pieces for Piano" to emphasise the collection's didactic structure. Ernst Roth, as representative of the publisher Boosey & Hawkes, initially suggested "Progressive Piano Pieces in Modern Idiom", but this was rejected by Bartok on the grounds that "in 20, or let us say in 40 years this work will cease to be 'modern.' And what does it mean 'modern'? This word has no definite sens [sic], can be misinterpreted, misunderstood!"[7]
Volumes
The pieces progress gradually in difficulty through the entire collection, from number 1 at the beginning of volume I to number 153 at the end of volume VI.
Volumes I and II: Pieces 1–36 and 37–66, beginner level
Volumes III and IV: Pieces 67–96 and 97–121, moderate to advanced level
Volumes V and VI: Pieces 122–139 and 140–153, professional level
The list of pieces is as follows:
Volume I
Six Unison Melodies (I)
(a) Six Unison Melodies (II)
(b) Six Unison Melodies (II)
Six Unison Melodies (III)
Six Unison Melodies (IV)
Six Unison Melodies (V)
Six Unison Melodies (VI)
Dotted Notes
Repetition (1)
Syncopation (I)
With Alternate Hands
Parallel Motion
Reflection
Change of Position
Question and Answer
Village Song
Parallel Motion with Change of Position
Contrary Motion
Four Unison Melodies (I)
Four Unison Melodies (II)
Four Unison Melodies (III)
Four Unison Melodies (IV)
Imitation and Counterpoint
Imitation and Inversion (I)
Pastorale
Imitation and Inversion (II)
Repetition (II)
Syncopation (II)
Canon at the Octave
Imitation Reflected
Canon at the Lower Fifth
Dance in Canon Form
In Dorian Mode
Slow Dance
In Phrygian Mode
Chorale
Free Canon
Volume II
In Lydian Mode
Staccato and Legato (I)
Staccato and Legato (Canon)
In Yugoslav Style
Melody with Accompaniment
Accompaniment in Broken Triads
(a) In Hungarian Style (for two pianos)
(b) In Hungarian Style
Contrary Motion (2) (for two pianos)
Meditation
Increasing-Diminishing
County Fair
In Mixolydian Mode
Crescendo-Diminuendo
Minuetto
Waves
Unison Divided
In Transylvanian Style
Chromatics
Triplets in Lydian Mode (for two pianos)
Melody in Tenths
Accents
In Oriental Style
Major and Minor
Canon with Sustained Notes
Pentatonic Melody
Minor Sixths in Parallel Motion
Buzzing
(a) Line against Point
(b) Line against Point
Dialogue (with voice)
Melody Divided
Volume III
Thirds against a Single Voice
Hungarian Dance (for two pianos)
Study in Chords
Melody against Double Notes
Thirds
Dragons' Dance
Sixths and Triads
(a) Hungarian Matchmaking Song
(b) Hungarian Matchmaking Song (with voice)
Triplets
In Three Parts
Little Study
Five-Tone Scale
Hommage à Johann Sebastian Bach
Hommage à Robert Schumann
Wandering
Scherzo
Melody with Interruptions
Merriment
Broken Chords
Two Major Pentachords
Variations
Duet for Pipes
In Four Parts (I)
In Russian Style
Chromatic Invention (I)
Chromatic Invention (II)
In Four Parts (II)
Once Upon a Time...
(a) Fox Song
(b) Fox Song (with voice)
Jolts
Volume IV
Notturno
Thumbs Under
Hands Crossing
In Folk Song Style
Diminished Fifth
Harmonics
Minor and Major
(a) Wandering through the Keys
(b) Wandering through the Keys
Game (with Two Five-Tone Scales)
Children's Song
Melody in the Mist
Wrestling
From the Island of Bali
And the Sounds Clash and Clang...
Intermezzo
Variations on a Folk Tune
Bulgarian Rhythm (I)
Theme and Inversion
Bulgarian Rhythm (II)
Song
Bourrée
Triplets in 9 8 Time
Dance in 3 4 Time
Triads
Two-Part Study
Volume V
Chords Together and in Opposition
(a) Staccato and Legato (II)
(b) Staccato and Legato (II)
Staccato
Boating
Change of Time
New Hungarian Folk Song (with voice)
Stamping Dance
Alternating Thirds
Village Joke
Fourths
Major Seconds Broken and Together
Syncopation (III)
(a) Studies in Double Notes
(b) Studies in Double Notes
(c) Studies in Double Notes
Perpetuum mobile
Whole-Tone Scales
Unison
Bagpipe Music
Merry Andrew
Volume VI
Free Variations
Subject and Reflection
From the Diary of a Fly
Divided Arpeggios
Minor Seconds, Major Sevenths
(a) Chromatic Invention (III)
(b) Chromatic Invention (III)
Ostinato
March
Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (I)
Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (II)
Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (III)
Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (IV)
Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (V)
Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (VI)
Music
The opening (mm. 1–76) of "Boating" (V, 125) is typical of the modernist compositional techniques used in the later volumes, featuring the bimodal use of the pentatonic collection on E♭ in the right hand and either G mixolydian or dorian collections in the left:[8]
Volume VI contains the "Six Dances In Bulgarian Rhythm", dedicated to the English pianist Harriet Cohen. Bulgarian folk music is characterized by additive rhythm, that is, rhythm where the beats in each bar are of unequal length. For example, the first dance (148) is grouped into 4+2+3 8 (nine quavers in each bar), and the final dance (153) is grouped into 3+3+2 8 (eight in each bar).
Some pieces utilize extended technique, such as stomping or tapping in piece 9, holding down keys silently in piece 102, or singing in pieces 14, 65, and 127.
Stein, Deborah (2005). "Introduction to Musical Ambiguity" in Engaging Music: Essays in Music Analysis, pp. 82–83. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN0-19-517010-5.