String Quartet No. 5, Sz. 102 (parts) by Bela Bartok
Published by Boosey & Hawkes
Bela Bartok (1881-1945) was one of Hungary's greatest composers and one of the most outstanding composers of the 20th century. He was a committed modernist, applying the contrapuntal rigor of Bach and Brahms to the broader tonal sensibilities of Debussy and Schoenberg. He was also one of the first ethnomusicologists; he recorded folk music across Eastern Europe with fellow composer Zoltan Kodaly, later incorporating folk song into his own music. He wrote much in the way for strings, including string quartets, concertos, and folk suites.
Bartok's six string quartets form one of the most fascinating and unique cycles of the quartet literature. His String Quartet No. 5, Sz. 102 (1934), a commission by patron Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, continued his exploration of symmetrical arch form, folk music, and whole-tone harmony on a highly inventive and sophisticated scale. The middle movements are particularly noteworthy: two exemplify his mysterious, evocative "night music" style, and the central movement is a lively, dance-like scherzo using aksak time signatures of Bulgarian folk music. Parts only. Master level, Grade 6.
