Description
Book Synopsis'The publication of this study of the music of Bela Bartok is an important event. Many descriptive analyses of particular works of his have appeared, but here for the first time is an authoritative and convincing exposition of the theoretical principles which the composer worked out for himself but refrained, as far as is known, from expounding it to anyone during his lifetime. Erno Lendvai has disclosed the fact that Bela Bartok, in his early thirties, evolved for himself a method of integrating all the elements of music; the scales, the chordal structure with the melodic motifs appropriate to them, together with the proportions of length as between movements in a whole work, main divisions within a movement such as exposition, development and recapitulation and even balancing phrases within sections of movements, according to one single basic principle.' Alan Bush
Trade Review'Erno Lendvai is a Bartok specialist of the highest order...a theorist of genius.' Tempo; 'Essential reading for any composition student.' Composer; 'His analysis of the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion is remarkable.' The Listener
Table of ContentsIntroduction, 1. Tonal Principles - The Axis System, 2. Form Principles - Golden Section, 3. Fibonacci Series, 4. The Use of Chords and Intervals - Chromatic System, 5. Diatonic System, Appendices
