Bartók: Contrasts for Clarinet, Violin & Piano (Mvt III)

Yehudi Menuhin (violin) and Jeremy Menuhin with Thea King, clarinet.

Bartók: Contrasts for Clarinet, Violin & Piano, Sz. 111

III. Fast Dance. Allegro vivace

go here to see the first two movements:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2niZ2hDl14

Filmed at the ORTF, Paris, 03/12/72

by Eric Tishkoff:

The final movement, Sebes (fast dance), is a frenzied dash, whose only detour is an off-balance, but still quick-moving section in the uncommon meter (8 + 5) / 8. The beginning of the final movement calls for the use of a violin with several of its strings tuned differently (scordatura). This yields a courser, rougher sound that suggests the playing of a folk musician. The clarinet part requires the use of both B-flat and A clarinets, which is done to more easily facilitate technical passages in different key signatures. While the first movement is scored for A clarinet, some players prefer to play it on B-flat clarinet. The transposition makes certain technical passages easier to play. However, there are several low Es in the movement, which the B-flat clarinet can't play, thus the transposition is somewhat problematic musically.

Performance

All three instrumental parts of Contrasts are extremely demanding from the standpoints of technique and ensemble. Compounding the unusual scales and intervals in many of the fast passages are complex rhythms within the individual parts, and almost constant rhythmic counterpoint, or cross-rhythms, between the parts. Thus, the most technically difficult passages also turn out to be the most treacherous in terms of playing together. A combination of individual preparation and rehearsal methods can be used to work out such sections.

The most important method for solving or preventing ensemble issues is to know the other parts well. While most chamber music is such that the other parts can be easily learned while rehearsing, Contrasts is more problematic...

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bela-Bartók
• Yehudi
• Menuhin
• YehudiMenuhin
• classicalmusic
• Clarinet
• Violin

[nlmalleus]

The clarinettist isn't in the mind of Bartok and has problems, what a shame !

[Chlarisnetty]

@MrFpam

Yeah, but i believe it was meant to sound as a CLARINET! And it has nothing to do with the recording... ;)

[trollinsm]

great music!

[heartsandscissors]

Like most Bartok, playing it overly pretty is wrong. It should be fairly aggressive and folksy. 

[darkmatter88]

@panamericana9 um. no. I can tell by the sound she gets when she tongues the reed that her embouchure is at fault.

[metaphysician67]

first off - recorded in the 70's in a very dry environment. 2nd - compressed audio at likely no better than 128Kbps, likely from a video tape. 3rd - she's a British Dame, and you don't get that by being a terrible clarinet player. i agree her sound is pretty strident and totally unlike Benny Goodman's that i've heard but i wouldn't judge her entirely from this performance. if there was a nice reverb sound from a natural room you'd like it 10X more. please grow up, people...

[felix365clarinet]

@darkmatter88 Obviously you have no idea who Dame Thea King is then!!!!!!!!!! Geez

[buenobus]

unreal! 4:42 to 5:10

[Chlarisnetty]

@sologuitardeath Seriously?! This is what you have to say ABOUT THE VIDEO?!

My comments were about the clarinet sound and you reply on that with curse words, wishing that i break all my fingers and telling me to f*** my self??! And after all that you say i'm nobody and a douche... Tell me then, how do you call people that leave this kind of comments like you did?

First learn some manners and then post a comment(a comment with an actual constructive point)

P.S. Highest rated comments support me!

[MrFpam]

@Chlarisnetty

Very arrogant and immature comments.

Just 2 points: The clarinet is not meant to sound beautiful in this piece,

and the video doesn't give an accurate reproduction of the sound anyway.