An analysis of Géza Frid s Concerto for Clarinets, Op. 82 (1972): Rediscovered repertoire by a Hungarian, Jewish, Dutch composer

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1 Boston University OpenBU Theses & Dissertations Boston University Theses & Dissertations 2017 An analysis of Géza Frid s Concerto for Clarinets, Op. 82 (1972): Rediscovered repertoire by a Hungarian, Jewish, Dutch composer Luttik, Karen Boston University Boston University

2 1 Karen Luttik MP 705 Lecture Recital (in partial fulfillment for DMA degree) Géza Frid, Concerto for Clarinets Op. 82 (1972): Rediscovered repertoire by a Hungarian Dutch, Jewish composer 1. Why this composer and piece are deserving of attention a. Géza Frid ( ) Hungarian Dutch composer, pianist of Jewish descent i. Highly regarded in the Dutch musical scene of the 20th century 1. The Concertgebouw Orchestra of Frid s hometown Amsterdam, has performed the music of Géza Frid eleven times during a 56 year period. 2. City of Amsterdam Music Award Béla Bartók prize posthumously awarded Internationally renowned musician of Hungarian descent 2. Who was Géza Frid? a. Musical development i. Star student of Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály ii. Travels with Bartók searching for folksongs iii Exams in Piano and Composition b. Life Events i. Moves from Hungary to the Netherlands (1929), marries (1937), Arthur is born (1939) ii. German occupation of Holland; ( 40-45) 1. Travel and work forbidden a. Musician s resistance i. Clandestine concerts for food ii. Poem Between Four Walls iii. Life after WWII 1. Tours as pianist and accompanist a. Zoltán Székely. b. Erna Spoorenberg ( ) c. Luctor Ponse 1943 Between Four Walls Trapped, in anguish of soul, By small and large worries, Spiritually broken, without hope. i. Bartók s Sonata for 2 Piano s and Percussion, London Symphony Orchestra, Doráti conducting c. Writings (portions translated) i. Around the World in 80 Years ii. Eye to Eye With iii. Mens en Melodie d. Frid the Composer i. Géza Frid s music mostly performed mostly only during his lifetime. ii. 116 pieces; often uses folk idiom of Hungary 1. Musical style a. Striking sense of rhythm b. Creativity rooted in the folk idiom of native Hungary c. Inspired by Bartók, Debussy and Ravel. 2. Chamber works with clarinet

3 2 a. Serenade for Winds Op. 4 (1928) b. Rhapsodie Op. 42 for clarinet and piano c. Metamorphosen Op. 54a (1963) d. Sextet Op. 70 (1965) 3. Orchestral Suite, Opus 6 a. Paris by Pierre Monteux, b. Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra c. New York, Boston, BSO iii. Awards 1. Dutch awards a Paradou Op. 28 b Etudes Symfoniques Op. 47 c. Variations on a Dutch Folksong, Opus 29 for choir and orchestra d. Sonata for Violin and Piano, Opus 50 e. Third String Quartet, Opus 30 f. Fourth String Quartet, Opus 30a Béla Bartók prize a. posthumously awarded Internationally renowned musician of Hungarian descent. iv. Frid Renaissance 1. 4 CD s 2. Eindhoven Composer Focus Weekend 3. Foundations crucial to this research a. Leo Smit Foundation promotes music of composers persecuted during WWII. b. Géza Frid Foundation draws the attention of the public to the extensive and varied oeuvre of the composer Géza Frid Goal of this research a. Introduce and promote this hitherto unknown work to the worldwide clarinet community 5. Concerto for B-flat, A, E-flat and bass clarinets a. Deserves attention! i. Effective and interesting piece ii. Significant addition to the standard clarinet repertoire iii. Situation today 1. Scholarly discussions of Géza Frid s concerto are nonexistent 2. No recordings Frid s Concerto for Clarinets b. Background i. Composed in 1972 ii. Dedicated to George Pieterson, principle clarinet with the Concertgebouw Orchestra iii. Uses four clarinets, A, B-flat, E-flat and Bass iv. String orchestra v. Frid wrote his own piano reduction which we use today. vi. Concerto is Informed by folksongs rhythm and melodic line (Frid accompanied Bartók on his search for authentic Hungarian folk songs and dances) c. Performances

4 i. Amsterdam Concertgebouw, George Pieterson, clarinet; Dutch Chamber Orchestra; David Zinman, conductor; February 24, 1975 ii. Recording was broadcast via the Dutch World Service 1. Unavailable for purchase iii. Michael Bryant, English clarinetist and researcher, shared a recording of the broadcast of Frid s Concerto. d. Reviews i. He combined the professionalism of four master clarinetists in one! ii. played with complete technical control iii. a lively and convincing work, due to the virtuoso performance of the soloist, as well as the creative and masterful and transparent style of the composer. iv. A kind of artistic circus routine.nicely and playfully musical, whereby the composer bets on the talent of a performer like George Pieterson, to whom the work was dedicated, and who is at the moment, the Netherlands best clarinetist. 3

5 4 Figure 1 Form Diagram of Concerto for Clarinets Movement Clarinets Used Form 1.Allegretto risoluto A Short Introduction m Sonata form Exposition Theme A m. 15 Theme B m. 33 Closing Theme m. 41 Development m. 59 Cadenza with tremelo speciale m. 108 Recapitulation 2. Andante cantabile 3. Allegretto pesante A Bass B-flat E-flat A Bass B-flat Theme A m. 125 Theme B m. 131 Closing Theme (augmented) m part song form Theme A: m. 1 Theme B: m. 29 Theme A: m. 47 Sonata Form Exposition Theme A: m. 1 Theme B: m. 21 Development String pizzicato fugue with E-flat counter melody m. 70 Recapitulation From Movement 1: m. 112 From Movement 2: m. 126 Fugato: m. 138

6 5 Figure 2 Rhythmic drive Figure 3 Interval Expansion First movement, m. 128 interval expansion Third movement m. 90

7 6 Figure 4 Pick-up Motives (All score excerpts from Géza Frid, Concert voor clarinetten en strijkorkest. Amsterdam: Donemus, 1973.) The theme from the first movement is expanded in the last movement in a fugato. The rhythm is a mirror image at first then continues in running sixteenths in a fugato. Climax of pickup motives

8 7 Figure 5 Extremes - Cadenza Low E High F-sharp Recapitulation Minor second Diminished fourth

9 8 Figure 6 Golden Ratio Mens en Melodie The Golden Ratio and Form Relationships in Art. pleasing to the eye in visual art practical application in music Ratios of the golden ratio The ratio of (a) to (b) is equal to the ratio of (b) to (a) + (b) Multiply the number of measures (or the number of metric units) by Ernö Lendvai related golden ratio to Bartóks music Bartók followed this principle to the minutest detail of the piece. a b Frid suggests composers use formula to decide length of pieces Frid adopted this formula in his own compositions Movement I. Allegretto risoluto II. Andante cantabile Number of Measures in movement Golden Ratio in the Concerto Apply Golden Ratio Formula (..X.618) = Golden Ratio measure Event near Golden Ratio 148 Measure 91 Measure 89 poco maestoso meter and tempo change 66 Measure 40 Measure 41 accelerando to fermata ending the A clarinet melody; switch to bass clarinet III. Allegretto pesante 193 Measure 119 Measure 121 ends the A clarinet melody, switch to bass clarinet. Measure 126 meter change.

10 9 Figure 7 Accent Patterns Dactyl (Lower notes) and iamb (upper notes) accent patterns in measure 60-70, first movement Iamb, dactyl, trochee and anapest accent patterns in third movement, measures 20-25

11 10 Figure 8 Harmonic Language Octatonic Octatonic scale First movement from measure 89, drawn from OCT₀₁ collection Hexatonic First movement, measure 49, F-sharp A-sharp A subset of hexatonic set (014589) Hexatonic scale First movement, measure 45, B--D A subset of hexatonic set (014589)

12 11 Hexatonic continued First movement, measure 135, E-flat A-flat C--E (0148) A subset of hexatonic set (014589) First movement, measure 138, G-sharp C-sharp--E--A (0158) A subset of hexatonic set (014589) Second movement, measure 1-8 Melody (horizontal) and harmony (vertical) are members of hexatonic set (014589)

13 12 Hexatonic continued First movement last chord A E A E C G-sharp (0148) A subset of hexatonic set (014589) Second movement last chord C-sharp E G-sharp--C (0148) A subset of hexatonic set (014589) Last movement last chord B D-sharp F-sharp A- sharp (0158) A subset of hexatonic set (014589)

14 13 Figure 9 Tremelo Speciale (Whole Cadenza see Figure 5) Figure 10 Clarinet Systems

15 14 Clarinet Systems continued. Inspiration from the Past and Hopes for the Future Géza Frid was an extraordinarily talented musician, composer and writer. His music is deserving of more recognition and should be programmed more regularly. His Concerto for Clarinets in particular offers an attractive and meaningful addition to the clarinet repertoire; contemporary clarinetists need to master all four instruments featured in this work and the preparation of this piece will contribute to a clarinetist s fluency and capability on each instrument. George Pieterson recently passed on in April His personable clarinet teaching and performances have inspired many clarinetists over the years, the author included. A revitalization of Géza Frid s Concerto which he championed, will hopefully be a small tribute of his teaching to a generation of professional clarinetists in the Netherlands and beyond.

16 15 Bibliography Brokken, Jan, Carine Alders, and Eleonore Pameijer. Vervolgde Componisten in Nederland: Verboden Muziek in De Tweede Wereldoorlog [Persecuted Composers in the Netherlands: Forbidden Music in the Second World War], Amsterdam: AUP, Brymer, Jack. Yehudi Menuhin Music Guides: Clarinet. London: MacDonald and Jane s, Frid, Géza. Bartók en de Avant-Garde. Mens en Melodie 25, no. 12 (December 1970): Frid, Géza. Begrip en Toenadering. Mens en Melodie 20 no. 1 (January 1965): 1-2. Frid, Géza. Componist en Opdracht. [Composer and Commission] Mens en Melodie 10 no. 4 (April 1955): 98. Frid, Géza. Concert voor clarinetten en strijkorkest. Amsterdam: Donemus, (License to perform issued to Karen Luttik). Frid, Géza. Een brief van Béla Bartók. [A letter from Béla Bartók] Mens en Melodie 5, no. 1 (January 1950): Frid, Géza. Een Hervonden Melodie: Herinneringen aan Leo Tolstoi. [A Recovered Melody] Mens en Melodie 7 no. 7 (July 1952): Frid, Géza. Enkele Notities Over Het Uit-Het-Hoofd-Spelen. [Some Notes about Playing from Memory] Mens en Melodie 4 no. 4 (March 1949): Frid, Géza. Gedachten Bij Bartók s Graf. [Thoughts by Bartók s Grave] Mens en Melodie 21 no. 1 (January 1966): 2-4. Frid, Géza. De Gulden Snede en de Vorm Verhoudingen in de Kunst. [The Golden Section and Form Relationships in Art] Mens en Melodie 15, no. 3 (March 1960): Frid, Géza. Hedendaagse Muziek. [Contemporary Music] Mens en Melodie 15, no. 1 (January 1960): Frid, Géza. In Tachtig Jaar de Wereld Rond [Around the World in Eighty Years]. Amsterdam: Strengholt, Frid, Géza. Des Kunstenaars Lijdensweg voor de Microfoon. [The Artist s Path of Agony Working with the Microphone] Mens en Melodie 2 no. 11 (November 1947): Frid, Géza. Muziek en Politiek. [Music and Politics] Mens en Melodie (October 1971): Frid, Géza. Oog in Oog met...: Ontmoetingen met 7 grootheden [Eye to Eye With...: Encounters With 7 Bigwigs]. Amsterdam: Heuff, 1976.

17 16 Frid, Géza. Over de Achteruitgang van het Melodische Element in de Hedendaagse Toonkunst. [About the Decline of the Melodic Element in Contemporary Music] Mens en Melodie 5 no. 4 (April 1950): Frid, Géza. Pleidooi voor de Pianocomposities van Bartók. [An Appeal for the Piano Compositions of Bartók] Mens en Melodie 2 no. 11 (November 1947): Frid, Géza. Tien Jaar na de Dood van Bartók. [Ten Years after Bartók Death] Mens en Melodie 10 no. 7 (July 1955): Frid, Géza. Twaalf Contra Twaalf. [Twelve Against Twelve] Mens en Melodie 9 no. 12 (December 1957): Frid, Géza. Uitgeteld? [Down for the Count] Mens en Melodie (April 1971): Frid, Géza. Zoltán Kodály Vijfenzeventig Jaar. [Zoltán Kodály Seventy Five Years] Mens en Melodie 9 no. 12 (December 1957): Hoeprich, Eric. The Clarinet: The Yale Musical Instrument Series. New Haven: Yale University Press, Lendvai, Ernö. Béla Bartók: An analysis of his music. London: Kahn & Averill, MacDonald, Martha Frances. The Clarinet in Twentieth-Century Dutch Chamber Music. DMA diss., University of Texas, (accessed September 15, 2016). Paap, Wouter. De Componist Géza Frid. Mens en Melodie 25, no. 4 (January 1970): Rudge, Olga, and Ezra Pound. What Thou Lovest Well. New Haven CT: Yale University Press, 2008, p Spoorenberg, Erna. Daar Lig Je Dan. Amsterdam: Bert Bakker Boeken, Vis, Jurjen. Silhouetten: De componist Leo Smit [Portraits: The Composer Leo Smit]. Arizona: Arizona State University, Zijlstra, Miep. Géza Frid 70 Jaar. Mens en Melodie (March 1974): Discography Frid, Géza. Concerto for Clarinets. George Pieterson, B-flat, A, E-flat and Bass clarinets; Nederlands Chamber Orchestra, David Zinman, conductor, recorded Featured on Dutch Concert Rostrum, Radio Netherlands, The Dutch International Service, Bob Ellis, host, 2002; radio program recorded by Peter Vloeimans, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands. (exact address unknown); Michael Bryant, privately owned reel to reel recording shared on CD with author.