Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (6Trp)

Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (6Trp) (Bartok spent much time in his early years collecting and studying folk music in Eastern Europe. Although he made arrangements of some of this music it also permeated his style in many ways, contributing to his melodic, harmonic and rhythmic personality. Many of his works for piano are either based on exciting melodies or show their influence. Between 1926 and 1939 Bartok wrote a set of 153 progressive piano pieces which he called Mikrokosmos. They show a huge range of contemporary styles and techniques and provide the pianist, from the beginner to the concert artist with a wealth of imaginative and rewarding material. The final 6 pieces are a set of Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm and exploit the irregular grouping of notes in a bar so typical of that country’s folk idiom. This set of 3 is arranged for a group of 6 trumpets. Performance notes: Good balance and rhythmic accuracy are essential in these pieces; pay special attention to making sure the important lines are not covered by subsidiary parts and where melodic passages pass from voice to voice try to keep the level and style constant. Play rhythmically and lightly even in the louder dynamics; stlye and character are more important than volume: the music should dance and never become ‘unfriendly’.)