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🎸Music History – 1850 to Present

🎸music history – 1850 to present review

6.1 Bartók and Kodály: Folk Music and Modernism

5 min readLast Updated on August 13, 2024

Bartók and Kodály revolutionized music by blending Hungarian folk elements with modernist techniques. They collected and studied folk songs, incorporating their unique melodies, rhythms, and harmonies into their compositions.

Their work not only preserved Hungarian musical heritage but also pushed the boundaries of classical music. Bartók's approach was more avant-garde, while Kodály focused on accessibility and national identity, both shaping modernism in unique ways.

Folk Music in Bartók and Kodály's Modernism

Integration of Folk Music Elements

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  • Bartók and Kodály, Hungarian composers, extensively studied and collected folk music from various regions of Hungary and other parts of Eastern Europe in the early 20th century
  • Transcribed and analyzed the melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic structures of these folk songs and dances, which served as a rich source of inspiration for their own compositions
  • Bartók incorporated elements such as modal scales, asymmetric rhythms, and complex meter changes into his works, creating a distinctive modernist style that blended folk music with avant-garde techniques
    • Examples of Bartók's works that demonstrate this fusion include his "String Quartets," "Mikrokosmos," and "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta"
  • Kodály drew upon the pentatonic scales, simple melodic lines, and strophic forms found in Hungarian folk music, integrating them into his compositions to create a more accessible and nationalistic style
    • Kodály's works, such as the opera "Háry János," the orchestral suite "Dances of Galánta," and the choral piece "Psalmus Hungaricus," exemplify his approach to combining folk music with classical forms

Preservation and Promotion of Hungarian Musical Heritage

  • Bartók and Kodály's efforts to collect, study, and incorporate Hungarian folk music into their compositions played a significant role in the development and promotion of Hungarian national identity in the early 20th century
  • Their work helped to raise awareness of Hungary's rich musical heritage and fostered a sense of pride in the country's cultural traditions
  • Kodály's emphasis on music education and his creation of the Kodály method, which incorporated folk songs into music pedagogy, further contributed to the preservation and dissemination of Hungarian folk music
  • Their integration of folk music elements into their compositions can be seen as a response to cultural and historical factors, as well as a means of preserving and promoting Hungarian musical heritage

Bartók vs Kodály: Folk Music and Modernism

Differences in Approach

  • While both Bartók and Kodály drew inspiration from folk music, their approaches to incorporating these elements into their compositions differed
  • Bartók's use of folk music was more abstract and focused on integrating the raw materials of folk melodies, rhythms, and harmonies into his avant-garde compositional style, often resulting in complex and challenging works
    • Examples include his "String Quartets" and "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta"
  • Kodály, on the other hand, sought to preserve the essence and simplicity of folk music in his compositions, creating works that were more accessible and aimed at promoting Hungarian national identity
    • Examples include his opera "Háry János" and the orchestral suite "Dances of Galánta"

Contributions to Modernism

  • Bartók's contributions to modernism were significant, as his innovative use of folk music elements, combined with his experimental approach to harmony, rhythm, and form, helped to expand the boundaries of classical music in the early 20th century
    • His work influenced other composers, such as Stravinsky and Janáček, who also drew inspiration from folk music in their own modernist works
  • Kodály's contributions to modernism were less radical than Bartók's, but his efforts to integrate folk music into classical forms and his emphasis on music education helped to popularize and preserve Hungarian musical heritage
    • His accessible style and focus on music education helped to bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary music, making modernist compositions more approachable to a wider audience

Influences on Bartók and Kodály's Folk Music

Cultural and Historical Context

  • In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Hungary experienced a growing sense of nationalism and a desire to assert its cultural identity in the face of Austro-Hungarian rule
  • This nationalist sentiment, coupled with the influence of the Romantic era's fascination with folk culture, inspired Bartók and Kodály to explore and collect Hungarian folk music
  • The political and social upheavals of the early 20th century, including World War I and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, further intensified the desire to assert Hungarian national identity through art and music

Other Influences

  • The composers' interest in folk music was also influenced by the work of other ethnomusicologists and composers, such as Zoltán Kodály's teacher, László Lajtha, who encouraged the study and preservation of traditional Hungarian music
  • The growing field of ethnomusicology and the increasing interest in non-Western musical traditions also played a role in shaping Bartók and Kodály's approach to folk music
  • The influence of other modernist composers, such as Debussy and Stravinsky, can be seen in Bartók's experimental approach to harmony and rhythm, while Kodály's emphasis on simplicity and accessibility reflects the influence of composers like Vaughan Williams and Holst

Bartók and Kodály's Impact on Hungarian Identity

Preservation and Promotion of Hungarian Folk Music

  • Bartók and Kodály's efforts to collect, study, and incorporate Hungarian folk music into their compositions played a significant role in the development and promotion of Hungarian national identity in the early 20th century
  • Their work helped to raise awareness of Hungary's rich musical heritage and fostered a sense of pride in the country's cultural traditions
  • Kodály's emphasis on music education and his creation of the Kodály method, which incorporated folk songs into music pedagogy, further contributed to the preservation and dissemination of Hungarian folk music

Influence on Other Composers and Musicians

  • Bartók and Kodály's use of folk music elements served as an important example of how traditional music could be integrated into contemporary classical compositions
    • Their work influenced other Hungarian composers, such as Zoltán Székely and Sándor Veress, who also incorporated folk music into their compositions
  • The success of Bartók and Kodály's folk-inspired works helped to establish Hungarian music as a significant force in the international classical music scene
  • Their efforts to preserve and promote Hungarian folk music also inspired a new generation of Hungarian musicians and ethnomusicologists, who continued to study and celebrate the country's musical heritage


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© 2025 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.