20th Century Piano Music; 1

I am. I am. I am. I am. From Cincinnati your hearing bagatelles by my tone. Which will be played and discussed by Jean Kirstein an internationally known interpreter of contemporary piano music. On today's program 20th century music for piano. I Myron Bennett and on this program I talk with Jean Kirstein about the music you want to hear and the composer. I am. They have about I guess one of the best known and best appreciated of the contemporary composers. Most of us are familiar with his revival of Hungary and folk music and his rhythmic percussive style. Jean Kirstein Could you tell us something about the early development of bartók early in his career at

the time they bagatelles which you're going to play were written. Is it possible to see the composer that was to come. I think the bagatelles which I'm going to play are a very important part of his early development. In a kind of a focal point in his early works. They are very short studies each of a slightly different aspect of contemporary style that was beginning to interest by talk about this time. Therefore this is a particularly good way to examine some of the influences which make up our tax at latest. Many have difficulty in unraveling the influences and Paradox mature style he seems to have been very skillful at fusing the dominant trends in contemporary music and making them his own work. What were some of the influences from other composers in Bach's music. Aside from the Hungarian folklore. Well actually Liszt was the first big musical influence.

He has written a rhapsody Bartek which sounds like so much like Liszt if you didn't see the label on the record you wouldn't know that it was but I could have written it. Strauss and large tonal scale affected his earlier Crystal music. In the bagatelles there are subtle influences of Tennessee Schoenberg and Stravinsky. Now if the fuse works the bag very. Much a focal point as you said there were the elements that we come across and to be found in these works. Not quite all but a great many. One bagatelle consists of the harmonization of a Slovakian folk songs. One actually has words all the way through it. Several exploit Polytone ality. One foreshadows the eerie sort of Night Music which appears in many of biotechs later compositions. Another one has an accelerating repeated note much like the xylophone figure used in the third movement of the music for strings percussion into Leicester. The only important element which does not seem to be represented in the

bagatelles is the strong percussive one. This first appeared a few years later in the Allegro. What were the reactions of the contemporary audience these bagatelles were first played. I think he was largely ignored. Through his composer of 19 away it was expected to express himself on a broad canvas with symphonies concertos an opposite side. I don't I think the first piece that attracted great attention was the Allegro of it. Wasn't until then. He did compose large works of the kind I mentioned at various points throughout his life however. But one isn't a characteristic music like the bagatelles began to reach audiences. What some regard as this short dry even cynical language made people rather uncomfortable. This is especially true when these pieces were programmed next to the non-dramatic works as you can imagine. We hear a lot about systems of composition and system serial techniques and so on. Use a system.

He was certain that a 12 tone composing or even an atonal composer though some people seem to think he was. Throughout his life he remained a tonal composer and the idea that this is in itself a system. Also writing in a key it is that sort of thing such as Beethoven and Brahms to. Know the tonality that the TUC used based on the melodic line while previous composers base their is strictly on harmonic structure. But this melodic tonality could be used with the older forms. That we spoke before about the influences that Tuck learned from. Has bartók influenced following composers. Not greatly. He not in the sense that Sharon Burke did with his school of any school. There's been a whole host of lesser important Kweisi by talking composers but these have contributed nothing new. However the present Polish avant garde music which is very vigorous and original seems to have taken part as its point of

departure. This could be most interesting. Interesting in the future. Other bagatelles quite pianistic work very much so they are very. Colorful you can use a whole range of the piano and I personally did not find them as technically difficult as some of other partner works have played with. And the. The use of shadings in tone on the piano he uses at its fullest. Well let us hear now these bagatelles by piano bar talk played by Jean Kirstein. I am.

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By details by Bale about talk played by Jean Kirstein on this program of 20th century music for piano played down discussed by Jean Kirstein an internationally known interpreter of contemporary piano music and sound of earlier works. This is Christine is a member of the artists faculty of the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. Research for this series by Walter majors. It was recorded and produced at WG U.S.-EU the University of Cincinnati stay should be by your announcer Byron Bennett and made possible by the Friends of WGA U.S.. This is the national educational radio network.