Bela Bartók (1881-1845)

An Analysis of the first movement of the Sonata for two

Pianos and Percussion (1937)

by Andrew Kuster
The first movement of the Sonata for two Pianos and Percussion is in sonata form
with introduction and coda. The introduction lasts from ms. 1-31. The exposition
(ms. 32-174) presents two main theme areas (ms. 32-83 & 84-174). The
development extends from ms. 175-273. The recapitulation is from ms. 274-331.
An extensive coda (ms. 332-443) ends the movement.

The introduction begins after a measure-long timpani F# roll, with an ostinato

pattern that will become important for the rest of the work. The pattern, which
begins on F# and is played in the first piano beginning in m. 2, fills the tritone D#-
A with all chromatic notes (D#-E-E#-F#-G-G#-A). The ostinato also sounds like
the combination of the open-ing theme of Bach’s C#-minor fugue from the first
book of the 48 (F#-E#-A-G#) and the first few notes from the first movement fugue
motive of Bartók’s Music for Strings, Per-cussion and Celeste (D#-E-G-F#). From
ms. 2-5 the ostinato motive is repeated three times beginning on F#, each time
beginning on a different part of the beat. In m. 5 the second piano joins with the
ostinato beginning on C (a tritone from the opening F#). After a brief chromatic
interjection, the ostinato starts again on G in the first piano and Db in the second
piano (both playing in sixths) in ms. 8-9. Again, a short chromatic interjection leads
to a third statement of the ostinato, this time inverted on Ab and D beginning in ms.
12 and accelerating to a climax in m. 18 where the timpani hammers the tritone F-B
and the pianos fragment the ostinato and the dynamics are reduced. At m. 21 as the
F-B tri-tone continues in the timpani the pianos play Bb/B in the low register. An
agitato battle ensues for the primacy of tonal area (will F become the dominant of
Bb or will F resolve to F# and B become the tonic?) and in bar 31 the timpani
yields to B and F#. The B area is hardly implied in m. 31 by the timpani when in m.
32 the tritone C/F# from the first pairing of ostinato patterns in m. 5 reasserts itself.
A powerful C-major sounds in both pianos in ms. 33 as the exposition begins.
Howat points out that, when considering groups of 3/8, Lendvai’s concept of
golden proportion is exemplified in the introduction of the Sonata for two Pianos
and Percussion (Howat, 321). Wilson demonstrates that a background stepwise
pattern is set up that spans from F# to C (F# in m. 1, G in m.8, Ab in m. 12, Bb in
m. 18, and C in m. 33, Wilson, 143). The octatonic collection and subsets play an
extremely important role in Wilson’s analysis.

Bartók states that “the Allegro movement itself in C and is in sonata form.”
(Bartók, 417) Therefore, the arrival of the C becomes the first strong tonal pillar of
the movement. The first theme area begins in m. 32 with the timpani and the
syncopation of the pianos, whose motive is played on thickening harmonies (much
of which is octatonic) around C, Eb, Ab, and F#. The ostinato from the introduction
returns in elaborated form at m. 41, where the second piano stresses Ab and the
first piano enters a measure later stressing the tritone D. At m. 50 an octatonic
collection shifts, and a new tonal area seems to have been reached, but the pedal C
in the timpani reminds us of the solid tonic from m. 33. The motive of m. 33 returns
in m. 61 in the first octatonic collection, rounding out the first theme area in an A-
B-A’ form. The motive of m. 33 now is in A-minor, and in m. 65 moves to F#-
minor beginning a transitional process (at m. 69 ion imitative inversion) and
moving to the second theme area at m. 84.

The second theme area begins with a pair of possible of key centers: is the E in the
first piano the more important center, or the pedal D in the second piano and
timpani which continues from the beginning of the second theme area at m. 84 until
m. 98? The melodic importance of the E seems to hold out against the static, if
repeated D. A “Lydian” background step progression in the first piano moves from
E (m. 84) to F# (m. 91), Ab (m. 95), Bb (m. 98) and B (m. 99). At m. 99 the pedal
moves down to G and the tempo slows down to that of the original statement of the
second theme. From ms. 105-160 a “codetta” is played which gradually undermines
the seemingly stable second theme area. (See Wilson, 147-148 for set analysis)
Beginning in m. 133 the folk-like melody is imitated in the pianos above a timpani
glissando. A short compressed section using the second theme and centering on E
from ms. 161-174 implies an A-B-A’ structure for this area as well.

The development begins at m. 175 with staccato imitation developing momentum

toward m. 195 where the ostinato pattern (centered on E) is combined with the first
theme three measures later. At m. 203 the first piano begins imitative entries of the
first theme motive, which are thickened and intensify up to m. 217, the central and
most climactic section of the development. A and E pedals in the timpani contend
with downward patterns in the pianos beginning on G# (ms. 217 and 221) or F (ms.
219 and 223). A G# center asserts itself at m. 232 where the ostinato returns, now
inverted. In m. 235 D returns again becoming the prominent tritone partner to G#
(as in ms. 12-17 and 41-60). Beginning at m. 243 the second piano plays the first
theme, which now imitates itself in inversion forming wedges which are extended
starting in m. 248 and again in m. 252. A transition back to the recapitulation
begins in m. 264 where an Eb pedal in the timpani is played (Eb is halfway
between F# and C and also on Lendvai’s axis system) as the pianos play entries
each a perfect fourth higher than the last.

The recapitulation begins strongly arriving on C at m. 274. The first theme area is
shorter than its statement in the exposition, and because the motive was used so
extensively in the development, the tonal area is reinforced by collectional stability.
In the background, the E center from m. 195 and the G# center from m. 232 have
collapsed into the C implying a large-scale 4-cycle pattern of completion. The
second theme area begins organum-like in m. 292, expanded from its statement in
the exposition, in A-major. F#-major is landed on in m. 301, akin to the A-F#
section in ms. 60-65. A final link to the coda begins in m. 309 with a pedal C in the
timpani as the pianos explore Debussy-like modal and whole-tone imitative
patterns.

The coda begins in m. 332 with a fugato with four entries each a perfect fifth higher
than the last (m. 332, 339, 346, 353). A section of freer imitation begins in m. 360,
and in m. 368 the fugato motive is imitated with its quasi-inversion in piano two
left hand. The coda continues in primarily octatonic collections using quasi-ostinato
slowing to m. 413 soon recommencing faster. At m. 433 begins a final closing
section using the first theme motive entering on C and G in the pianos and
highlighting the C/F# tritone and Eb midpoint (in the timpani). The F# in the
timpani finally moves to a G for the final “dominant to tonic” cadence in the last
two measures.

The overall structure of the form relies on the three strong pillars of C at the
beginning of the exposition, the start of the recapitulation, and the closing cadence.
The introduction serves as a structural upbeat to the exposition. Within the C pillars
both the second theme area and beginning of the development stress prominent E
centers, and G# is emphasized in the middle of the development. These three
centers form an overlay 4-cycle pattern, but because other centers are also
highlighted this 4-cycle pattern is not the strongest organizational principle of the
work. Rather, the work is held together motivically (as shown above) and
collectionally (as detailed in Wilson’s analysis).
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Howat, Roy. “Masterworks (II): Sonata for two Pianos and Percussion,”
in The Bartók Companion, ed. Malcolm Gillies. Portland, OR: Amadeus
Press, 1993. 315-330.

Howat provides a survey analysis of the Sonata for two Pianos and Percussion
including some application of Lendvai’s golden mean analysis.

Bartók, Béla. Béla Bartók Essays. edited by Benjamin Suchoff. Lincoln

and London: University of Nebraska Press, 1976. 417-418.

In this collection of writings by Bartók about music is a page-long description

entitled “About the Sonata for two Pianos and Percussion”. Important remarks
include formal descriptions of the work and its genesis.

Stevens, Halsey. The Life and Music of Béla Bartók. 2nd ed. New York:
Oxford University Press, 1964. 212-218.

Stevens provides a general analysis of the Sonata for two Pianos and Percussion,
points out several important motives and compositional devices, and concludes by
lauding the work’s genius.

Wilson, Paul. The Music of Béla Bartók. New Haven and London: Yale
University Press, 1992. 139-160.

Wilson presents an extremely detailed analysis of the first movement of the Sonata
for two Pianos and Percussion based on collectional analysis and a quasi-
Schenkerian graphic representation of the work’s background step progressions.
(C) Copyright 2004 Andrew Kuster. All Rights Reserved.