Second Movement from "Streichquartett nr. 2"

Béla Bartók

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General Info

Year: 1915-1917 / 2006
Duration: c. 8:48
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Bravo Music
Cost: Score and Parts - Rental

Instrumentation

Full Score
Piccolo (doubling Flute III)
Flute I-II
B-flat Clarinet I-II (div.)
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II (div.)
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II
Euphonium (div.)
Tuba (div.)
String Bass
Timpani

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

The String Quartet No. 2 in A minor by Béla Bartók was written between 1915 and October 1917 in Rákoskeresztúr in Hungary. It is one of six string quartets by Bartok.

In a letter to André Gertier, Bartók described the first movement as being in sonata form, the second as "a kind of rondo" and the third as "difficult to define" but possibly a sort of ternary form. Zoltán Kodály, who thought of the three movements of this quartet as "life episodes," heard "peaceful life" in the first movement, and for all its roiling emotions, the movement does indeed leave an impression of tranquility at the end. The brooding, intense last movement (Kodály heard it as "suffering") is particularly funereal because it is as immobile as the second movement is animated.

The work was dedicated to the Waldbauer-Kerpely Quartet, who gave the piece its premiere on 3 March 1918 in Budapest. The work was first published in 1920 by Universal Edition.

- Program Note adapted from Wikipedia

This arrangement was commissioned by Osaka (Japan) Toin High School Symphonic Band, Premiered in July 2005. It was intended to be technically demanding but within the capabilities of small bands.

-Program Note adapted from arranger

Media

Reference Recording. Japan Ground Self-Defence Force Central Band (Shigeru Sugawara, conductor)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Fukushima (Japan) Prefectural Haramachi High School Band (Naoto Saito, conductor) - 10 October 2016
Sapporo City (Hokkaido, Japan) Kotoni Junior High School Band (Hisao Nakata, conductor) - 10 October 2015

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

For Children (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Kurokawa) (1909/1945/2014)
Romanian Folk Dances (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Nakamura) (1915/2017)

All Wind Works

Allegro Barbaro (arr. Roman) (1911)
Allegro Barbaro (arr. Wallace) (1911/1995)
Bartok Folk Rhapsody (arr. McGinty) (/2004)
Bartok: Folk Trilogy (arr. McGinty) (1992)
Bartok for Band (arr. Schaeffer) (/1981)
Bartok for Children, three pieces (arr. Finlayson) (1909/1966)
Bartok Sketches
A Bartok Suite (arr. Clark) (1909/1997)
Bear Dance (arr. Leidzén) (1909/1931/1955)
Changing Time (arr. Schaeffer) (1909/1984)
Children's Album (arr. Gordon) (1909/1957)
Country Dance (arr. Henderson, Stoutamire) (1976)
Dance Suite (arr. Suzuki) (1923/2000)
Dance Suite (arr. Vandenberghe) (1923/)
Divertimento (arr. Abe) (1939/2015-2017)
Evening in the Country (arr. Suchoff) (1908/1931/1970)
Evening in the Village (arr. Leidzén) (1908/1931/1955)
Folk Song and Dance (arr. McGinty) (1988)
Folk Song Suite (tr. Erickson) 1909/1968)
Folk Trilogy (arr. McGinty) (1992)
For Children (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Kurokawa) (1909/1945/2-14)
Four Pieces for Band (arr. Suchoff) (1961)
Four Sketches (arr. Schaefer) (1908/1963)
Hungarian Folk Song (arr. Castle) (1975)
Hungarian Folk Suite (arr. Gordon) (1967)
In a Quiet Mood (arr. Applebaum) (1909/1972)
Jocùri Poporale Romanesti (arr. Goto) (1999)
Little Suite (arr. Lijnschooten)
Maypole Dance
The Miraculous Mandarin (arr. Morita) (1918-1924/2017)
Nocturne (arr. Gardner) (1908/1931/1962)
Petite Suite (tr. Cushing) (1936/1963)
Piano Concerto No. 1 (1926)
Piano Concerto No. 2 (1932)
Play (arr. Pharmer) (1909/1969)
Rhapsody for Children (arr. Erickson) (1909/1969)
Roumanian Folk Dances (arr. Goto). See: Jocùri Poporale Romanesti
Romanian Folk Dances (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Nakamura) (1915/2017)
Second Movement from "Streichquartett nr. 2" (arr. Koh) (1915-1917/2006)
Silly Story (arr. Gordon) (1909/1974)
Song of the Mountain Horn (arr. La Plante) (2013)
Suite No. 14 (1916/)
Swineherd's Dance (arr. Suchoff) (1908/1931/1962)
Three Bartok Themes (arr. Pharmer) (1971)
Three Folk Songs (1907/)
Three Hungarian Songs (arr. Gordon) (1975)
Three Pieces for Children
Two Bagatelles for Band (arr. Gardner) (1970)
Two Pieces (arr. Lijnschooten)
Two Portraits (arr. Hanna)
Two Songs and a Dance (arr. Hastings) (1976)

Resources

"String Quartet No. 2 (Bartók)". Wikipedia. Accessed 27 March 2022
"Streichquartett nr. 2 op. 17, 2nd Movement". (in Japanese) Brain Online Shop. Web. Accessed 27 March 2022