Béla Bartók loved the folk music of his native Hungary. Much like a modern ethnomusicologist, he was an active collector of tunes, recording and transcribing melodies in remote villages all over the countryside. The music was far more than a library of source material, however. Ultimately, these tunes wholly informed Bartók’s entire compositional style, serving as models for his original melodies and suffusing his harmonies with unique musical color.

Given the impact of folk traditions on Bartók’s creative process, it is fitting that one of his first big successes came with his Dance Suite. Commissioned as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the formation of Budapest (Kodály and Dohnányi also made contributions), the Dance Suite was first performed on November 19, 1923. It was exceptionally well received and was immediately adopted by orchestras all over Europe, including 50 performances in Germany alone in a single year.

While the term “suite” typically refers to a multi-movement work, as in Bach’s orchestral suites, Bartók’s Dance Suite consists of six sections united by a recurring theme, or ritornello, which he characterized as “a true imitation of certain Hungarian folk tunes, to an extent that it could confuse even the most experienced music folklorist concerning the question of origin.” As the composer characterized the other melodies, No. 1 is partly, and No. 4 entirely of an Asian (Arab) character; the ritornello and No. 2 are Hungarian; in No. 3, Hungarian, Romanian, and even Arab influences alternate; and the theme of No. 5 is so primitive that one can only speak of a primitive peasant character here, and any classification of nationality must be abandoned.

—©Jennifer More, 2023