MUSIC 9 SEPTEMBER

Primitivism
Presented by: Shekaina Ballesteros
Presented to: Ma’am Margarette Ann Sala

01
 Recall
IMPRESSIONISM
One of the earlier forms clearly declaring
the entry of 20th century music. It is an
attempt to suggest reality not to depict it.
It is meant to create an emotional mood
rather than a specific picture.
OBJECTIVES

Objectives
• Understand the primitivistic musical style.
• Learn about the composer who used this musical
style
 Primitivism
Primitivistic music is tonal through
the stressing of one note as more
important than the others. New
sounds are synthesized from old
ones by juxtaposing two simple
events to create a more complex
new event.
Primitivism has links to Exoticism
through the use of materials from other
cultures, to Nationalism through the use
of materials indigenous to specific
countries, and to Ethnicism through the
use of materials from European ethnic
groups. Two well-known proponents of
this style were Stravinsky and Bela
Bartok. It eventually evolved into Neo-
classicism.
Bela Bartok (1881-1945)
Bela Bartok was born in Nagyszentmiklos, Hungary on
March 25, 1881 to musical parents. He started piano
lessons with his mother and later entered Budapest Royal
Academy of Music in 1899. Bartok was inspired by the
performance of Richard Strauss’s Also Sparch Zarathustra
to write his first nationalistic poem, Kossuth, in 1903. He
also performed as a concert pianist as he travelled
texploring the music of Hungarian peasants.
In 1906 Bartok published his first collection of 20
Hungarian folk songs. Although his music was being
badly received in his home country, he continued to
explore Magyar folk songs for the next decade. He later
then resumed his career as a concert pianist, while
composing several works for his own use. As a neo-
classicist, primitivist, and nationalist composer, Bartok
used Hungarian folk themes and rhythms. He also
utilized changing meters and strong syncopations. His
compositions were successful because of their rich
melodies and lively rhythms.
Bartok is most famous for his Six String Quartets (1908-1938). These
represent the greatest achievement of his creative life, spanning a full 30
years for their completion. The six works combine difficult and dissonant
music with mysterious sounds.

Bartok’s approximately 700 musical compositions include concerti, orchestral

music, piano music, instrumental music, dramatic music, choral music, and
songs. In 1940, the political developments in Hungary led him to migrate to
the United States, where he died on September 26, 1945 in New York City.
Thank You for
Listening!