The Piano Concerto No. 1, Sz. 83, BB 91 of Béla Bartók was composed in 1926. Average playing time is between 23 and 24 minutes.

Background

For almost three years, Bartók had composed

little Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...

. He broke that silence with several piano works, one of which was the Piano Concerto, composed between August and November 1926.Petazzi

Premieres

The work was premiered at the fifth International Festival of the

International Society for Contemporary Music The International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) is a music organization that promotes contemporary classical music. The organization was established in Salzburg in 1922 as Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik (IGNM) following th ...

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...

on July 1, 1927, with Bartók as the soloist and

Wilhelm Furtwängler Gustav Heinrich Ernst Martin Wilhelm Furtwängler ( , , ; 25 January 188630 November 1954) was a German conductor and composer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century. He was a major ...

conducting. The scheduled 1927 American premiere in Carnegie Hall by the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

, on a tour by Bartók, was canceled by conductor

Willem Mengelberg Joseph Wilhelm Mengelberg (28 March 1871 – 21 March 1951) was a Dutch conductor, famous for his performances of Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler and Strauss with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest s ...

due to insufficient rehearsing. Bartók's Rhapsody had to be substituted into the program.Anonymous. The Concerto eventually premiered in the USA on February 13, 1928 in the same venue, with

Fritz Reiner Frederick Martin "Fritz" Reiner (December 19, 1888 – November 15, 1963) was a prominent conductor of opera and symphonic music in the twentieth century. Hungarian born and trained, he emigrated to the United States in 1922, where he rose to ...

conducting the

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its primary concert venue is Music Hall. In addition to its symphony concerts, the orchestra gives pops concerts as the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. The Cinc ...

and Bartók as the soloist.

Analysis

The concerto comes after an increased interest in Baroque music on the part of Bartók, which is demonstrated by such devices as the increased use of counterpoint. The work, however, retains the harshness and dissonance that is characteristic of Bartók. Here, as elsewhere in Bartók's output, the piano is used percussively.Allsen. The importance of the other percussion instruments is illustrated by Bartók’s note:

The percussion (including timpani) must be placed directly next to the piano (behind the piano).

This note is omitted in a number of printed scores, restored in recent printings.Somfai, p. 274. Bartók wrote of the concerto: "My first concerto ..I consider it a successful work, although its style is up to a point difficult, perhaps even very difficult for the orchestra and the public."Bartók, unknown article published in 1939, as quoted in Petazzi

Instrumentation

The concerto is scored for an orchestra consisting of a solo

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

, two flutes (one doubling on piccolo), two

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. ...

s (one doubling on cor anglais), two clarinets (one doubling on bass clarinet), two bassoons, four

horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...

s (in F), two

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

s (in C), three

trombones The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally ...

, two snare drums (one with snares and one without), bass drum, four cymbals,

triangle A triangle is a polygon with three edges and three vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC. In Euclidean geometry, any three points, when non- colline ...

tamtam The tamtam, sometimes spelled tam-tam, is a type of gong. TamTam, Tam-Tam, tamtam, or tam-tam may also refer to: * ''Tam-Tam'' (album), a 1983 album by Amanda Lear * Tam Tam (''Samurai Shodown''), a character from the fighting game ''Samurai Sh ...

, and strings.

Movements

Media

Recordings

Leonid Hambro Leonid Hambro (June 26, 1920 – October 23, 2006) was an American concert pianist and composer. Life Hambro was born in Chicago, the son of immigrant Lithuanian Jews; his father was a pianist accompanying silent films. He studied at the Juil ...

(piano),

Robert Mann Robert Nathaniel Mann (July 19, 1920 – January 1, 2018) was a violinist, composer, Conductor (music), conductor, and founding member of the Juilliard String Quartet, as well as a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music. Mann, the fir ...

(conductor), Zimbler Sinfonietta. LP recording, 1 sound disc: 33⅓ rpm, monaural, 12 in. Bartók Records 313, recorded 1958. New York: Bartók Records, 1959. *

György Sándor György Sándor (; 21 September 1912 – 9 December 2005) was a Hungarian pianist and writer. Early years Sándor was born in Budapest. He studied at the Liszt Academy in Budapest under Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály, and debuted as ...

(piano), Rolf Reinhardt (conductor), Sudwestfunkorchester, Baden-Baden, LP recording, 1 sound disc: 33⅓ rpm, stereo, 12 in. Vox STPL 511.350. Paris: Vox, 1960. Reissued on 12-inch LP, Turnabout TV 340655, New York: Turnabout Records,

970s The 970s decade ran from January 1, 970, to December 31, 979. Significant people * Mar Abdisho I, Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, held position 963–986 * Eric the Red (950–1003), Norse Explorer * Richard I of Normandy (933� ...

Géza Anda Géza Anda (; 19 November 192113 June 1976) was a Swiss- Hungarian pianist. A celebrated interpreter of classical and romantic repertoire, particularly noted for his performances and recordings of Mozart, he was also considered to be a tremendo ...

(piano),

Ferenc Fricsay Ferenc Fricsay (; 9 August 1914 – 20 February 1963) was a Hungarian conductor. From 1960 until his death, he was an Austrian citizen. Biography Fricsay was born in Budapest in 1914 and studied music under Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, E ...

(conductor), Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin, LP recording, 1 sound disc: 33⅓ rpm, monaural, 12 in. DGG LPM 18708. amburg Deutsche Grammophon, 1961. Reissued on CD, DG 447 399-2, Hamburg: Deutsche Grammophon, .d. recorded 1960. *

Rudolf Serkin Rudolf Serkin (28 March 1903 – 8 May 1991) was a Bohemian-born Austrian-American pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Beethoven interpreters of the 20th century. Early life, childhood debut, and education Serkin was born in ...

(piano),

George Szell George Szell (; June 7, 1897 – July 30, 1970), originally György Széll, György Endre Szél, or Georg Szell, was a Hungarian-born American conductor and composer. He is widely considered one of the twentieth century's greatest condu ...

, conductor

Columbia Symphony Orchestra The Columbia Symphony Orchestra was an orchestra formed by Columbia Records strictly for the purpose of making recordings. In the 1950s, it provided a vehicle for some of Columbia's better known conductors and recording artists to record using o ...

, LP recording, 1 sound disc: 33⅓ rpm, stereo, 12 in. Columbia Masterworks MS 6405. New York: Columbia Masterworks, 1963. *

Peter Serkin Peter Adolf Serkin (July 24, 1947 – February 1, 2020) was an American classical pianist. He won the Grammy Award for Most Promising New Classical Recording Artist in 1966, and he performed globally, known for not only "technically pristine" pl ...

(piano); Seiji Ozawa (conductor),

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenu ...

, LP recording, 1 sound disc: 33⅓ rpm, stereo, 12 in. RCA Victor LSC 2929. ew York RCA Victor, 1967. *Kornel Zemplény (piano),

János Ferencsik János Ferencsik (18 January 190712 June 1984) was a Hungarian conductor. Ferencsik was born in Budapest; he actively played music even as a very young boy. He took violin lessons and taught himself to play the organ. He studied at the Nati ...

(conductor), Hungarian State Orchestra, LP recording, 1 sound disc: 33⅓ rpm, stereo, 12 in. Westminster WST 17003, New York: Westminster Records,

960s The 960s decade ran from January 1, 960, to December 31, 969. Significant people * Abd al-Rahman III caliph of Córdoba * Otto I of Holy Roman empire * Al-Muti caliph of Baghdad * Al-Hakam II caliph of Córdoba * Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah of Fatim ...

Reissued on 12-in. LP, Music Guild MS 197, .p. Music Guild, 1970. * Daniel Barenboim (piano), Pierre Boulez (conductor), New Philharmonia Orchestra, LP recording, 1 sound disc: 33⅓ rpm, stereo, 12 in. Angel S-36605. Hollywood: Angel, 1970. *

Zoltán Kocsis Zoltán Kocsis (; 30 May 1952 – 6 November 2016) was a Hungarian pianist, conductor and composer. Biography Studies Born in Budapest, he began his musical studies at the age of five and continued them at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in 19 ...

(piano), György Lehel (conductor), Budapest Symphony Orchestra, LP recording, 1 sound disc: 33⅓ rpm, stereo, 12 in. Hungaroton SLPX 11516, Béla Bartók Complete Edition: Orchestral Music 7, Budapest: Hengaroton, 1970. * Stephen Bishop Kovacevich (piano), Colin Davis (conductor),

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's Hall Orc ...

, CD recording, 1 sound disc: digital, stereo, 4¾ in. Silver Line Classics. ermany? Philips, 1990, recorded in London, 1975. *

Vladimir Ashkenazy Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy (russian: Влади́мир Дави́дович Ашкена́зи, ''Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazi''; born 6 July 1937) is an internationally recognized solo pianist, chamber music performer, and conductor. He ...

(piano),

Sir Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-servin ...

(conductor), London Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded 1981 *

(piano),

Iván Fischer Iván Fischer (born 20 January 1951) is a Hungarian conductor and composer. Born in Budapest into a musical family of Jewish heritage, Fischer initially studied piano, violin, cello and composition in Budapest. His older brother, Ádám Fisc ...

(conductor),

Budapest Festival Orchestra The Budapest Festival Orchestra ( Hungarian: ''Budapesti Fesztiválzenekar'') was formed in 1983 by Iván Fischer and Zoltán Kocsis, with musicians "drawn from the cream of Hungary's younger players", as ''The Times'' put it. Its aim was to mak ...

(piano), Ádám Fischer (conductor), Hungarian State Orchestra * Maurizio Pollini (piano),

Claudio Abbado Claudio Abbado (; 26 June 1933 – 20 January 2014) was an Italian conductor who was one of the leading conductors of his generation. He served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony ...

(conductor),

, DGG 415 371-2. * András Schiff, piano,

(conductor),

, recorded April 1996 in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

in the Italian Cultural Institute. Eberhard Sengpiel (sound engineer). *

Krystian Zimerman Krystian Zimerman (born 5 December 1956) is a Polish-Swiss concert pianist, conductor and pedagogue who has been described as one of the greatest pianists of his generation. In 1975, he won the IX International Chopin Piano Competition. Follo ...

(piano), Pierre Boulez (conductor),

. Deutsche Grammophon – 00289 477 5330. Germany, 2005. *

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (born 17 October 1962) is a French classical pianist. Education Bavouzet was born in Lannion, France and grew up in Metz. He started his music studies there, encountering successful composers including Iannis Xenakis, Oliv ...

(piano),

Gianandrea Noseda Gianandrea Noseda (born 23 April 1964, Sesto San Giovanni, Italy) is an Italian conductor. Biography Noseda studied piano and composition in Milan. He began conducting studies at age 27. He furthered his conducting studies with Donato Renzet ...

(conductor),

BBC Philharmonic The BBC Philharmonic is a national British broadcasting symphony orchestra and is one of five radio orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The Philharmonic is a department of the BBC North Group division based at Med ...

, Chandos, released 2010.

References

Sources

* * * Petazzi, Paolo (1979). ''Bartók: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2''. Liner notes to DGG 415 371-2 ( Maurizio Pollini piano,

conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra). Translated into English by Gwyn Morris. * Somfai, László (1996). ''Béla Bartók: Composition, Concepts, and Autograph Sources''. The Ernest Bloch Lectures in Music 9. Berkeley and London: University of California Press. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Piano Concerto No. 1 (Bartok) 1 1926 compositions