The Hidden Message of a Masterpiece

 

To this day, most composers record their artistic creations in musical notation, which performers then read, interpret and re-create. For the audience, the "work" is the audible recreation of the composition. However, a true masterpiece is more than simply a performance. It is an intellectual creation of the highest order, often containing multiple "messages" that the composer has buried within it. It is possible that even the performer will be oblivious to some of these messages, as musical notation does not reveal them. One of the most exciting tasks for a musicologist is the decoding and interpretation of discrete messages hidden between the notes of a masterpiece. During such research, a lot can be gained from looking at the composer's earlier manuscripts, and through detailed analysis of the work itself. This lecture will focus on Béla Bartók's Sonata No.2 for Violin and Piano (1922). This composition may be reminiscent of the "slow-fresh" form of rhapsodies, while in fact it demonstrates a path of musical development from improvisation to standardized forms of expression. The work, influenced by folk music, also shows how a musical piece can begin with an ancient, raw idea and attain a high level of development wherein its structure contains motives and later adopts a chorus form.

About the lecturer