Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Volume/Issue:
Volume 47: Issue 3-4

Bartók's “Fallow Years”: A Reappraisal

Author:
Malcolm Gillies The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia

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Pages:
311–320
Online Publication Date:
21 Aug 2006
Publication Date:
01 Sep 2006
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1556/smus.47.2006.3-4.7
Keywords:
periods; compositions; Béla Bartók
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Bartók's biographers have often constructed their portraits around his production of original compositions. While this is understandable it leaves gaps in some of the earlier years of each decade of Bartók's adolescence and maturity: 1900-02, 1912-14, 1923-26, 1931-34, 1940-43. Although Bartók did experience occasional periods of despair and self-doubt, and several times depicted himself as an “ex-composer”, he was rarely inactive during this years. Indeed, consideration of that activity is essential to understanding what followed. This paper examines Bartók's reportedly “fallow years”. It surveys his total production of compositions, including arrangements and educational works, against the backdrop of his work as an ethnomusicologist, teacher, and performer, as well as his public and private activities. The author concludes that these years near the start of each decade were important periods of inspirational renewal and led, particularly in 1926, 1934 and 1943, to powerfully fertile periods initiated by leading masterworks. Using Bartók's correspondence the author delves into Bartók's plans during these “fallow years”, and compares Bartók's actual production of compositions in following years with those he initially intended.

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Cover Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Print ISSN:
0039-3266
Online ISSN:
1588-2888

Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Language English
French
German
Year of
Foundation		 1961
Publication
Programme		 changed title
Founder Magyar Tudományos Akadémia  
Founder's
Address		 H-1051 Budapest, Hungary, Széchenyi István tér 9.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 0039-3266 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2888 (Online)

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