46

10 ^ Intffwi^aiiôn^ for Rano, Op.Zo

I L . 6 a r i f7 ^ é» o
(^2/^)(Ai\egfo wwWp)

B a r to k , w ith h i s k e e n s e n s e o f i d i o m a t i c s u i t a b i l i t y ,

r e a l i z e d t h e l i m i t a t i o n s o f th e p ia n o f o r p o ly p h o n ic w i- it-
in g . He a r r i v e d a t two s o l u t i o n s f o r t h i s fu n d a m e n ta l p r o b ­

lem o f t w e n t i e t h - c e n t u r y k e y b o a rd m u s ic . One was to w r i t e

p a s s a g e s o r c o m p le te w o rk s o f p u re p o ly p h o n y , b u t t o l i m i t
them t o tw o - v o ic e t e x t u r e s . ( B a rto k r e a l i z e d t h a t i t i s

im p o s s ib le f o r t h e p ia n o t o p r o j e c t c l e a r l y m u l t i - v o i c e d

p o ly p h o n y .) H is o t h e r s o l u t i o n , w hich was a p p l i e d to t h e

l a r g e r w orks o f h i s m a t u r i t y , was t o i n t e r m i x o r m erge h a r ­

m onic and c o n t r a p u n t a l w r i t i n g i n com plex fo rm a l sch em e s.

H ere a g a i n , B a r to k w as a b l e to r e c o n c i l e two m u s ic a l p o l a r ­

i t i e s i n a c o n v in c in g s y n t h e s i s . Making b r i l l i a n t u s e o f
th e v a r i e d r e s o u r c e s o f t w e n t i e t h - c e n t u r y p o ly p h o n y , h e

w ro te a t t h e same tim e p ia n o m u sic w hich i s f u l l - b o d i e d i n

t e x t u r e , r i c h i n h a rm o n ic c o l o r and rh y th m ic d i v e r s i t y .

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