Bartók: Hungarian Pictures, Sz.97

Introduction

The Hungarian Sketches are probably Bartók's most popular orchestral transcriptions. Each of the five pieces was originally conceived for the piano: the first two, "Evening in Transylvania" and "Bear Dance," are taken from the Ten Easy Pieces (1908; Nos. 5 and 10, respectively); the next, "Melody," is No. 2 from the Four Dirges (1910), while the ensuing "A Bit Drunk" comes from the Three Burleskes (1911; No. 2), and the concluding "The Swineherd-Dance" from No. 40, Volume 2, of For Children (1908-09). All five have folk-like flavors, even though most have original themes.

The first piece, "Evening in Transylvania," has much the same character of the piano version, though Bartók's skillful orchestration enhances the already colorful manner of the piece. It opens with a nostalgic melody of serene mood and follows with a joyous theme of playful, folk-like character. Thereafter, the melodies alternate, and Bartók deftly converts the mood of the first theme at the close to a sense of longing, undoubtedly for his native locale. "Bear Dance" could hardly offer greater contrast in its rambunctious manner and somewhat zany theme. The piano version has more bite, but what this Scherzoish orchestral piece may lack in menace and humor it makes up for in its greater range of instrumental color and sense of excitement. These first two pieces are quite popular in both their piano and orchestral versions.

"Melody" is a songful but mournful piece, featuring lovely writing for the woodwinds and strings. Its piano counterpart is simpler and even lighter in its textures, but also darker and somewhat Impressionistic. "Melody" probably exhibits greater expressive depth than any other piece in the Hungarian Sketches set, though it makes no serious attempt to convey profound ideas or emotions. The ensuing "A Bit Drunk" sounds tipsy, all right, and its deliciously grotesque character gives its ubiquitous humor bite. Here, hiccups and a staggering gait mix with low growls and sudden tempo shifts to yield a masterpiece of color and wit. Its piano counterpart, which has a slightly faster tempo marking, holds its own against the orchestral version, sounding a bit more subtly humorous, but lacking the range of colors.

The last piece, "Swineherd-Dance," is a festive piece, the one work in the set using genuine folk material. It sounds considerably richer in texture than its simple piano-arrangement counterpart, which only attempts to present the joyful folk melody in a relatively unembellished manner. The orchestral version is clearly superior and more vital-sounding. In the end, while Bartók's Hungarian Sketches may bleach away some of the flavorful grit of the originals, they invest them with greater color and richer, more folkish atmosphere. 

Parts/Movements

1. Este a székelyeknél (An Evening at the Village)
2. Medvetánc (Bear Dance)
3. Melódia (Air)
4. Kicsit ázottan (A Bit Tipsy)
5. Ürögi kanásztánc (Dance of the Urog Swinherds)