The six books of Bartók’s Mikrokosmos seem to fall
into three sets of two. The first two books are most limited – so
far as the listener’s experience is concerned – by
Bartók’s pedagogic purpose, as he seeks to inculcate certain
ideas and skills in the minds and fingers of young pianists
(these two books were dedicated to the composer’s son Peter).
In books III and IV there is a greater emphasis on artistic
interest and effect, rather than so emphatically upon technical
understanding and keyboard technique. In Books V and VI Bartók
was – largely – writing pieces for a pianist ready, or almost
ready, for concert performance. The distinction between books – the
progression – is clear just from the titles. Almost all of
the pieces in Book I carry ‘technical’ titles – ‘Dotted Notes’, ‘Canon
at the Octave’, ‘Imitation and Counterpoint’ and so on; such
titles are still to be found in Books V and VI, but more
striking are titles such as ‘Jack-in-the-Box’, ‘From the
Diary of a Fly’ and ‘Bagpipe Music’.
That is not to say that the early books are quite without
interest for the general listener. Many of the ‘technical’ pieces
are intriguing in the way in which they contribute to that
larger project which Bartók referred to when he said that “Kodály
and I wanted to make a synthesis of East and West”. Early
pieces such as ‘Village Song’, ‘In Yugoslav Style’ and ‘In
Oriental Style’ are particularly striking in this regard.
Elsewhere, ‘Chorale’ is thoroughly ‘German’ (which predominantly
means ‘Bachian’ in this context) and ‘Waves’ is unexpectedly
French.
When Bartók recorded extracts from Mikrokosmos in
1940 (I am familiar with the reissue on SONY MPK 47676) he
recorded only pieces from the later books. He was, in effect,
recognising that it is in these later books that material
of autonomous aesthetic interest is predominantly to be found.
Indeed, in Bartók’s selection of 31 pieces all but 1 are
taken from Books V and VI. Still there are many fine miniatures
in Books III and IV too – as this recording makes clear.
The Hommages to Bach and Schumann are delightful pieces; ‘Children’s
Song’ has real charm and ‘From the Island of Bali’ is an
attractive piece of exotica; ‘Melody in the Mist’ is richly
evocative and ‘Notturno’ is appropriately poetic.
In the last two books of Mikrokosmos there is an abundance
of striking short compositions, witty, learned, subtle and
precise. In truth, it is perhaps only with Books V and VI
that one is ever likely to want to listen to these recordings
straight through, and even here the sheer number of short
pieces makes for a less than ideal listening experience.
But, of course, it was never Bartók’s intention that one
should sit down and listen successively to all 153 pieces
that make up Mikrokosmos.
Jandó is his an experienced Bartók player, whose earlier
recordings of compatriot have attracted a good deal of praise
(see reviews of Volume
2 and Volume
4).
And, not surprisingly, he proves a generally reliable guide
here. Perhaps there are times when the playing seems just
a little routine, a little uninvolved. Certainly there are
more exciting performances of individual pieces – such as
Andor Foldes’ playing of a selection from Books V and VI
on Deutsche Grammophon 423 858-2GDO or, convincingly lyrical,
Joanna McGregor’s interpretation of the last six items (the
Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythms) of Book VI on Collins Classics
1402-2. I don’t have access to any of the other complete
recordings of Mikrokosmos, so I am unable to make
any detailed comparisons. That by Zoltan Kocsis on Philips
462 381-2PH has been much admired, and I remember being much
impressed by the parts of it that I have heard. Still, this
Naxos double is a very useful and interesting ‘reference’ set
to have to hand. Listening to it constantly seems to throw
up echoes of other more ‘glamorous’ works by Bartók. One
of the people who learned from Mikrokosmos Bartók
himself was surely one of the most important.
Both Tamara Takács and Balázs Szokolay prove themselves effective
colleagues for Jandó when called upon, but they are very
much limited to supporting roles.
Glyn Pursglove
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Complete Listing
BOOK I
6
Unison Melodies I [0:26]
6 Unison Melodies II
[00:46]
6 Unison Melodies III
[00:33]
6 Unison Melodies IV
[00:23]
6 Unison Melodies V
[0:33]
6 Unison Melodies VI
[00:25]
Dotted Notes [00:35]
Repetition
I [00:34]
Syncopation I [00:40]
With
Alternate Hands [00:44]
Parallel Motion [00:33]
Reflection [00:28]
Change of Position [00:35]
Question and Answer [00:46]
Village Song [00:31]
Parallel Motion with Change of Position [00:52]
Contrary Motion [00:33]
4 Unison Melodies I [00:24]
4 Unison Melodies II [00:32]
4 Unison Melodies III [00:45]
4 Unison Melodies IV [00:25]
Imitation and Counterpoint [00:33]
Imitation and Inversion I [00:34]
Pastorale [00:36]
Imitation and Inversion II [01:01]
Repetition II [00:31]
Syncopation II [00:38]
Canon at the Octave [00:35]
Imitation Reflected [00:34]
Canon at the Lower Fifth [00:49]
Dance in Canon Form [00:38]
In Dorian Mode [01:00]
Slow Dance [00:45]
In Phrygian Mode [00:50]
Chorale [01:20]
Free Canon [00:49]
BOOK II
In Lydian Mode [00:40]
Staccato and Legato I [00:16]
Staccato and Legato (Canon) [00:27]
In
Yugoslav Style [00:41]
Melody with Accompaniment [00:48]
Accompaniment in Broken Triads [01:23]
In Hungarian Style (version A: 2 pianos*; version B piano
solo) [00:56]
Contrary Motion II (2 pianos)[00:20] *
Meditation [00:44]
Increasing-Diminishing [01:01]
County Fair [00:34]
In Mixolydian Mode [00:54]
Crescendo-Diminuendo [00:33]
Minuet [00:36]
Waves [01:04]
Unison Divided [00:21]
In Transylvanian Style [00:40]
Chromatics [00:19]
Triplets in Lydian Mode (2 pianos) [00:31] *
Melody in Tenths [00:18]
Accents [00:50]
In Oriental Style [00:59]
Major and Minor [00:55]
Canon with Sustained Notes [00:46]
Pentatonic Melody [00:56]
Minor Sixths in Parallel Motion [00:40]
Buzzing [00:39]
Line against Point (versions A & B) [00:57]
Dialogue (with voice) [00:35] **
Melody Divided [01:12]
BOOK III
Thirds
against a Single Voice [00:45]
Hungarian
Dance (2 pianos [00:30] *
Study
in Chords [01:05]
Melody
against Double Notes [01:28]
Thirds
[01:17]
Dragon’s
Dance [00:32]
Sixths
and Triads [00:40]
Hungarian
Matchmaking Song (versions A* and B**) [01:23]
Triplets
[00:57]
In Three
Parts [00:30]
Little
Study [00:36]
Five-tone
scale [00:30]
Hommage ŕ Johann
Sebastian Bach [00:48]
Hommage ŕ Robert
Schumann [00:43]
Wandering
[01:06]
Scherzo
[00:33]
Melody
with Interruptions [00:43]
Merriment
[00:46]
Broken
Chords [01:21]
Two Major
Pentachords [01:25]
Variations
[01:29]
Duet
for Pipes [01:02]
In our
Parts I [00:54]
In Russian
Style [00:38]
Chromatic
Invention I [01:04]
Chromatic
Invention II [00:56]
In Four
Parts II [00:43]
Once
Upon a Time … [00:58]
Fox Song
(versions A* and B**) [01:23]
Jolts
[00:51]
BOOK IV
Notturno
[01:42
Thumbs
Under [00:36]
Hands
Crossing [01:15]
In Folk
Song Style [00:46]
Diminished
Fifth [00:59]
Harmonics
[01:24]
Minor
and Major [01:13]
Wandering
through the keys (versions A and B) [01:04]
Game
(with two five-tone scales) [00:57]
Children’s
Song [01:14]
Melody
in the Mist [01:16]
Wrestling
[01:01]
From
the Island of Bali [01:55]
And the
Sounds Clash and Clang … [01:07]
Intermezzo
[01:35]
Variations
on a Folk Tune [00:59]
Bulgarian
Rhythm I [01:04]
Theme
and inversion [01:12]
Bulgarian
Rhythm II [00:29]
Song
[01:35]
Bourrée
[00:59]
Triplets
in 9/8 Time [00:52]
Dance
in 3/4 Time [00:43]
Triads
[00:56]
Two-part
Study [01:04]
BOOK V
Chords
Together and in Opposition [00:55]
Staccato
and Legato II (versions A & B) [00:56]
Staccato
[01:12]
Boating
[01:28]
Change
of Time [00:42]
New Hungarian
Folk Song [01:08] **
Stamping
Dance [01:13]
Alternating
Thirds [00:49]
Village
Joke [00:50]
Fourths
[00:53]
Major
Seconds Broken and Together [01:27]
Syncopation
III [01:03]
Studies
in Double Notes (versions A, B and C) [01:02]
Perpetuum
mobile [01:02]
Whole-tone
Scales [01:43]
Unison
[01:46]
Bagpipe
Music [01:13]
Jack-in-the-Box
[00:53]
BOOK VI
Free
Variations [01:41]
Subject
and Reflection [01:17]
From
the Diary of a Fly [01:27]
Divided
Arpeggios [02:17]
Minor
Seconds, Major Sevenths [04:36]
Chromatic
Invention III (versions A and B) [02:33]
Ostinato
[02:09]
March
[01:53]
6 Dances
in Bulgarian Rhythm I [01:50]
6 Dances
in Bulgarian Rhythm II [01:08]
6 Dances
in Bulgarian Rhythm III [01:23]
6 Dances
in Bulgarian Rhythm IV [01:35]
6 Dances
in Bulgarian Rhythm V [01:11]
6 Dances
in Bulgarian Rhythm VI [01:57]
Jenő Jando (piano); * Balázs Szokolay
(piano); ** Tamara Takács (mezzo) (full track listing at end of review)
