Concerto for Orchestra

E899654

Concerto for Orchestra is a landmark 20th-century orchestral work by Béla Bartók that showcases the virtuosity of the entire orchestra through its symphonic scale and vivid, folk-influenced musical language.

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Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf 20th-century classical composition
concerto
orchestral work
catalogueNumber BB 123 NERFINISHED
Sz. 116
commissionedBy Koussevitzky Music Foundation NERFINISHED
Serge Koussevitzky NERFINISHED
composer Béla Bartók NERFINISHED
countryOfOrigin Hungary NERFINISHED
dateComposed 1943
dedicatedTo Natalie Koussevitzky NERFINISHED
Serge Koussevitzky NERFINISHED
features contrapuntal textures
prominent solos for various instruments
rhythmic vitality
use of folk-like themes
virtuosic writing for entire orchestra
firstPerformance 1 December 1944
genre classical music
concerto for orchestra
orchestral music
historicalPeriod World War II era
importance key work in the concerto for orchestra genre
landmark 20th-century orchestral work
influences Eastern European folk music
Hungarian folk music
key no single overall key (multi-tonal, with prominent use of B minor and other centers)
languageOfWork instrumental (no text)
movement I. Introduzione: Andante non troppo – Allegro vivace
II. Giuoco delle coppie (Game of the Couples): Allegretto scherzando NERFINISHED
III. Elegia: Andante non troppo NERFINISHED
IV. Intermezzo interrotto: Allegretto NERFINISHED
V. Finale: Pesante – Presto
notableSection parody of Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony in the Intermezzo interrotto
numberOfMovements 5
placeComposed United States NERFINISHED
placeOfFirstPerformance Boston, Massachusetts, United States NERFINISHED
premiereConductor Serge Koussevitzky NERFINISHED
premieredByEnsemble Boston Symphony Orchestra NERFINISHED
publisher Boosey & Hawkes NERFINISHED
reception considered one of Bartók’s most popular works
immediately successful at its premiere
relatedWorkOfComposer Dance Suite NERFINISHED
Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta NERFINISHED
scoring full symphony orchestra
structure symphonic scale with concerto-like treatment of sections
style folk-influenced
modernist
tonalCharacter largely tonal with modal and chromatic elements
yearOfCompletion 1943

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Béla Bartók notableWork Concerto for Orchestra