Music for string percussion and celesta was composed and written by Bela Bartok in 1936 to be performed by the Basel chamber orchestra. Assimilated elements of folk music inspire the piece. The elements range from the melodies to rhythms that reflect folk music from Bulgaria, Croatia, and Hungary drawing from folk music elements. It made sure that Bartok could have a new source for composing modern music, making this piece highly individual.
The piece is written to be played by a variety of instruments in an orchestra. The strings section is divided into two groups where the violins poised at the left of the orchestra are distinct from the viola, cello, and bass stationed at the right; the violins carry most of the melody in the piece. The piano, harp, celeste, and percussion also have a role in the piece as they are positioned in the orchestra.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Four movements divide the piece. A slow fugue marked by unique sounds from the violas, violins, cellos, basses, and the xylophone, which plays a single repetitive pitch in f. after each movement, there is a transition played before starting the next movement. The fast sonata form marks the second movement. The theme is shared between the violins that play in solo and the celesta. An eerie background is developed from the trills played by the strings and parallel major sevenths produced by the piano.
The slow arch form announces the start of the third movement. Two exclusive pentatonic scales play rapidly in the harp piano and celesta, progressively allowing a twist of the theme to be brought by parallel octaves and tremolos that slowly rise. Eventually, reaching a climax and the piano and celesta slowly dim, stating the rondo finale's start. The rondo finale encompasses modifications from the second movement accompanied with a texture similar to the third movement. It is closed off from an abbreviated recollection of the first movement to mark the piece's end.
Reference
Bela Bartok-music for strings, percussion, and celesta: third movement.
