Department of Music

National Sun Yat-Sen University

Lecture Recital Report

A Study of Zoltn Kodly's Sonata for

Unaccompanied Violoncello, Op.8

Chu, Ya-Han

Lin, Min-Yuan

103 7

July 2014

ii

Abstract

The twentieth century was a period of non-stop innovation for western music.
During that time Hungary also broke free of communism. It was because of under
these circumstances which helped Kodaly developed his own style. Sonata for
Unaccompanied Cello, Op. 8 in 1915 is one of Zoltn Kodlys (1882-1967) earlier
works. It contains influences of polyphonic style music from Giovanni Pierluigi da
Palestrina and Johann Sebastian Bach as well as the inflections and nuances of Debussy
and Hungarian folk music.
The article will focus on different perspectives of Kodlys Sonata for
Unaccompanied Cello, Op.8. It first gives a brief summary of Kodalys historical
background. Then it discusses the details and differences in tonality and modulation
that has been used in this piece. Finally, the article will discuss performance technique
focusing on both hands and preparation practices.
The writer wants to assist the reader whoever plays this piece in the future can
easy to overcome any predicament in the music. Aside from technical aspects that
Kodaly used, the author hopes the reader will understand the connotation and messages
Kodly tried to embody in Sonata for Unaccompanied Cello, Op. 8.

Keywords:

Zoltn Kodly, Sonata for Unaccompanied Cello, Op. 8, Composer in

twentieth century, Performance skills

iii


................................................................................................................... i

....................................................................................................................... ii

...................................................................................................................... iii

.............................................................................................................................. iv

................................................................................................................................1

......................2
....................................................................................2
........................6
....8
..........12

........................20
..............................................................................................20
..............................................................................................27
..............................................................................................35
........................44

..............................................................................................................................55

......................................................................................................................56

iv

Petfi
Sndor, 1823-1849Life or Death
1

Bela Bartok,1881-1945

Zoltn Kody, 1882-1967

2

1
2

2003
2
2001
391
1

Zoltn Kody, 1882-1967

Nagyszombat
Trnava

D
E
Janos Koessler
Stanzaic Structure of
Hungarian Folksong
Vikr Bla, 1859-19453

5
Hungarian folksongs

(Vikr Bla, 1859-1945)

4
Lazl Esze, Zoltn Kodly. Grove Music Online. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.
(accessed Dec 8, 2013).
5
390
2
3

Nyrieste

Waldbauer-Kerpely String Quartet

New Hungarian Music Society

Ern Dohnnyi, 1877-1960

133
Universal Edition

Psalmus hungaricus

Hnry Jnos, 1926Six-movement

suite, 1927
ToscaniniMengelbergAnsermet
Furtwangler
The Folk Songs of Hungary

( Zoltn Kodly)( A Magyar npzene )(

2002 )9-10
3
6

Hungarian
Musical Essays

""Kodaly Year

Atlanta
Laudes Organi

8
Guido d Arezzo, 995-1050
John Curwen, 1816-1880

Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, 1865-1950

7
If I were to name the composer whose works are the most perfect embodiment of the Hungarian
sprit, I would answer, Kodaly. His work proves his faith in the Hungarian spirit. The obvious explanation
is that all Kodalys composing activity is rooted only in Hungarian soil, but the deep inner reason is his
unshakable faith and trust in the constructive power and future of his people. Lazl Esze,

8
Lazl Esze,
4

9
10

2000

23
10

82

89
5

11

12

Palestrina Giovanni Pierluigi, 1525-1594

13

1909-10

1914

1915

14

cimbalom

11

Lazl Esze,
Ferenc Bnis, Zoltn Kodly, a Hungarian Master of Neoclassicism. Studia Musicologica
Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, T.25, Fasc 1/4 (1983) , http://www.jstor.org (accessed Dec 8, 2013.).
14
Jnos Breuer, A Guide to Kodly. trans. Maria Steiner. (Budapest: Corvina Books, 1990.), 47.
6
12
13

15

bagpipe16
Eugene de Kerpely-

Waldbauer-Kerpely String Quartet

17

15

(cimbalom) 16 (zither)
bagpipe

17
Jnos Breuer, 46.
7
16

Folk Music of Hungary

18

pentatonic
Parlando-Rubato
1 pentatonic

Szkely

Bucovina Csngszlys
TransdanubiaUplands

DorianAeolianPhrygian
19

18
19

Zoltn Kodly, Folk Music of Hungary.

____________, 23.

(New York, Praeger, 1971), 13-72.

8


1-6 Locrian
12
F#-A-B-C#-E 2

212

2Parlando-RubatoTempo Giusto

20

3a

3b

Corinne Kay Ong, A Historical Overview and Analysis of the Use of Hungarian Folk Music
in Zoltn Kodlys Hry Jnos Suite, Dances of Morosszk, and Dances of Galnta. (University of
Kansas), 2011, 30.
9
20

 3a 1-6

3b 454-465

19 Singspiel

21
DorianAeolian

AABA
22

21
22

Corinne Kay Ong, 32.

Zoltn Kodly, 62.
10

1 Verbunkos

lass or lassanfriss or friska

23

bokazo24cadence-pattern

25

426

4208-219

Jonathan Bellman. verbunkos. Grove Music Online. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.

(accessed Dec 8, 2013).
24

25
23
26
Celeste Power. Zoltn Kodlys Sonata for Unaccompanied Cello, Op.8: One Cellists path to
Performance. (DMA diss. University of Louisiana State, 2013).
11
23

( scordatura ) 1600-1750
CG-d-a
B1-F-c-g C-G-d-g C-G-d-g
Italian tuning Domenico Gabrielli, 1651-1690
Benedetto Marcello, 1686-1739Giuseppe Torelli, 1658-1709
27 C

23

Bb-Gd-a

B- F#-d-aRalph Shapey

28

Krosnick soli, A1-G-d-a 6

27
Mark Chambers, scordatura Grove Music Online. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.
(accessed Dec 8, 2013).
28
Ralph Shapey, 1921-2002
1911

12

 6 1-6

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

1.
2.
3.

4.

glissando

David Boyden
29
29

David Boyden, The History of Violin Playing from Its Origins to 1761.
University Press, 1965), 66-68.
13

(London: Oxford


glissando

A G G C
F# B

1. CG B F#DA
B-D-F# B
7
B B
B 8 1-7
B
B-D-F#

7 1-3

8 1-8

14

2.

B 9
D-A B-F#
10

9 6-11

10
a. 68-70
b. 60-65
a.

b.

15

3.

11 99 B-F#
12

13
11
62-67

12 99

13 326-333

16

Jargar
LarsenSpirocoreDAddario

2 Cook, Nathan.
Scordatura Literature for Unaccompanied Violoncello in the 20th
Century : Historical Background, Analysis of Works, and Practical
Considerations for Composers and Performers30

Degli Antonii, Giovanni

Ricercate Op.1

Della Bella,

Domenico (1700-1715)

Gabrielli, Domenico (c.1659-90) :

Ricercari per violoncello solo 1-7 (1689)

Marcello, Benedetto (1686-1739)

Sonata No.4 in G Minor

Bach, Johann Sebastian

Suite No.5 BWV 1011

Klein, Jacob

VI duetti a due Violoncelli, Op.2

Taglietti, Luigi

Suonate da camera a tr due violini, e

Violoncello con alcune aggiunte
Violoncello Solo, Op.1

Klein, Jacob

VI Sonata une bassa de Violon &

Continue, Premier Ouvrage, Livre
Troisime
D-A-e-b

Nathan Cook. Scordatura Literature for Unaccompanied Violoncello in the 20 th Century :

Historical Background, Analysis of Works, and Practical Considerations for Composers and Performers
(PhD diss., University of Rice, 2005), 120.
17
30

 3 Cook, Nathan. Scordatura

Literature for Unaccompanied Violoncello in the 20th Century: Historical
Background, Analysis of Works, and Practical Considerations for
Composers and Performers.31

Amy, Gilbert

Quasi Scherzando (1981).

Bb1-G-d-a

Andriessen,
Louis

La Voce (1981)

C-G-a-a

Berio, Luciano

Sequenza XIV (2001)

C-G#-d-a

Borsody, Lszl

Alone

C/G1-G-d-a

C
G
C

Bozay, Attila

Formazioni,Op.161969 C/G -G-d-a

Braun, Gerhard

Portrait III1969-70

C-F#-d-a

A
G#-

Dun, Tun

Intercourse of Fire and

Water1995

C/G1-G-d-a

Dutilleux, Henri

3 Strophes on the name of

sacher1982

Bb1-F#-d-a

Golijov,
Osvaldo

Omaramor1991

B1-G-d-a

Harvey,
Jonathan

Three Sketches1989

C-d-d-a

Hekster, Walter

Sonata No.21967

C G

G
D

Nathan Cook. Scordatura Literature for Unaccompanied Violoncello in the 20 th Century :

Historical Background, Analysis of Works, and Practical Considerations for Composers and Performers
(PhD diss., University of Rice, 2005), 121-122.
18
31

Hosokawa,
Toshio

Sen II1986

A -G-d-a

Kodly, Zoltn

Sonata for Unaccompanied

Cello,Op.81915

B1-F#-d-a

Kodly, Zoltn

Capriccio per violincello

solo
Pression1969

B1-G-d-a

Macbride,
David

Plainsong1981

C1-G-d-g

Okasaka, Keiki

Komposition A
1971

Saariaho, Kaija

Spins and Spells1996

Bb1-G-c#-a

Schnittke,
Alfred

Klingende Buchstaben
1988

C/G#-G/Db -

d-a

Lachenmann,
Helmut

Ab1-G-db-f

G# Db
Sculthorpe,
Peter

Requiem for cello alone

1979

Bb1-G-d-a

Segerstam, Lief

Epitapf No.11977

A1-G-d-a

Shapey, Ralph

Krosnick Soli1983

A1-G-d-a

Uitti, FrancessMarie

Xantruttm1977-79
Oaxano1979
Riskku1980

Xenakis,Iannis

Nomos Alpha1965-66

19

4 Lin, Min Yuan. The Treatment of The Cello in

Kodalys Sonata for Unaccompanied Violoncello, Opus 8 . 32

mm. 1-9

B Aeolian

mm. 10-19

mm. 20-25

B Aeolian

mm. 26-31

tritone

mm. 32-42

mm. 1-79

mm. 43-79

Eb Aeolian

mm. 80-99

mm. 100-127

G#Locrian

mm. 100199

mm. 128-145

mm. 146-151

mm. 152-162

tritone

mm. 163-199

B 1-5 14a
B

32

Lin, Min Yuan. The Treatment of The Cello in Kodalys Sonata for Unaccompanied
Violoncello, Opus 8 . (DMA diss. University of Boston, 1996 ), 2.
20

a d
C#-DF#-E
A-DB-E
14a

87-88 160-162
tritone

14a 1-7

14b 1-2

21

 1-31 B 1-14
D-E-F#-A-B 15 1-14
C E
C B 15

33
14b34

15 4-12

13-14 G
F# 15-16
17-18 D C 18-19
19-20
F# V 16

31 B
30 C D B B
B F# B
D 31 16

33

1718 3/2 3/4 16

34
Ferenc Bnis, 76.
22

 16 13-31

32-79
39 E
32-43
E 17a
E 43
43-63 B D E
A 61-62 A E 63 A
17b
70
E E
32

17a
44

17b
44

23


17a 32-47

17b 58-69
b.

E
80 E 18a
100 A
116 G 124 E 132133 B 146-148 C 137
F F 144
F 144 F
18b
146-151

24

 18a 76-93

18b 137-145

146-149 19a

25

 152
B F 190 B 19a
Ab-G
191-195 Db-C 193 197
19b
19a 146-156

19 189-199

26


5 Lin, Min Yuan. The Treatment of The Cello
in Kodalys Sonata for Unaccompanied Violoncello, Opus 8 . 35

mm. 1-6

B Locrian

mm. 1-52

(I)

mm. 7-17

F#Aeolian
B

mm. 18-29

C Lydian B
Dorian

mm. 30-38

(II)

F# AeolianC
Lydian F#

mm. 39-52

F#-D F#-A

mm. 90-96

G Lydian

mm. 52-96
A

mm. 97-110

F# AeolianC

mm. 97134

(II)

Lydian

(III)
mm. 116-134

A/D Phrygian

mm. 135147

Adagio con grand espressione

Laments36

35

Lin, Min Yuan, 33.

Laments
14
1718

27
36

drone
lyre37zither38

A 1-6
20
B
3-4 D D
5 C
6 7 B
5-6 C#-E-C
A 50-51
21a B 94-95 21b
A 130-131 21c
A

20 1-6

37

lyre 3000

hurdy-gurdy
zither
28

 21a 48-51
a.

21b 94-96

21c 130-131

18-29 22
C
B C

22 17-29

29

 7-17 B

e-c#2
F 23

30-52
B
30-31 A 32 D E
33-36 G 35 E B
G 37-38 C G 39-42
D D 48 D
48-50 D
51-52 5-6 EC A
24

23 7-17

30

 24 30-52

52 B 53
53-54 61-62 68-69
B 53-60 A 61-67
C 68-75 G E
B 77-78
97
25

31

 25 52-70

79

26 90
A 89-96
96
C 97 B
26 74-88

32

 97 27

97-105 7-11 106-107 12

117

122 123
130-131 E-C 5-6
C#-E-C 135-138
A 28
27 97-101

33

 28 135-139

34


6 Lin, Min Yuan. The Treatment of The Cello
in Kodalys Sonata for Unaccompanied Violoncello, Opus 8 . 39

mm. 1-173

mm. 1-16

B Dorian

mm. 16-19

mm. 20-24

B Aeolian

mm. 25-27

mm. 62-77

mm. 81-96

F#

mm. 97-108

mm. 119-136
mm. 137-153

mm. 272-325

mm. 174419

mm. 326-419

sul
ponticellosul
tastiera

mm. 420566

mm. 420-435
mm. 436-457

mm. 458566

mm. 567673

mm. 638-658
mm. 659-673

Allegro molto vivace

B-b4

39

Lin, Min Yuan, 58.

35


sul
ponticello
sul tastiera

1-8 B 29

a B-F# b
c
29 1-20

17 17-19
B-E-A-B-D 30a
25-27 C#-F#-B-E
-A-D E 30b
26 29
B E 39 B 3941 B 41
a 3-5 31a

3-6 F#-A F#-B F#- C# 4244 44

45 ff 45-49
c 31b

36

 30a 16-19

30b 25-27

31a 1-6

31b 39-47

62

62 D
drone40 D 32
D F 7596 97 D

drone
Dourdon

37
40

 109 119-136
D
33 137-157 D
D-A
32 57-67

33 119-122

174-189 190-238
239-271 272-325 326-419
174
B F# 34
34 174-177

38

 190-238
35
Jnos Breuerdv
41
205-207 210-216
210-216 205-207
35
35 202-207

239-271 226-238
239-246 253-263
5-6 c 36
36 239-246

272-325
37a
303307 B-C 308
308-311 Bb-B-C-C#
312 C 315-317
The dv effect is described as being a characteristic accompanying rhythm of Hungarian folk
music and gypsy music, with the accent on the weak beats. Breuer Jnos, 55.
39
41

 37b
37a 272-277

37b 312-325

326 1-4
374 381383 c
38b
42
38a 326 338

358

42

(sul ponticello)

40

 38a 326-342

38b 379-388

420 B
420-429 D B
430-435 D# F# 436-444
c B1 a2
fff

39

41

 39 420-447

C 454-457 C C 458
B

C# 567 582-594
43
40a

604
40b
40a 582-588

43

Lin, Min Yuan, 78.

42

 40b 604

605-608 F#
609-617
E
618-628
247 264 B-D-F#-A
B-D 41a 642
B B 648 B
657 a B
41b

B
41a 618-636

41b 661-666

43

1909-10
1914

1.

Pablo Casals , 1876-1973

11 B-D 1
42

42 11-12

44

2.

leading finger

44

45
43a

43b

43c

43d
43a bc d

7
44
5 9
B 7 9 B F

2005
196
4 1
1 4
45
44
45


D F 9 10 BC
A
A
A
C
44 7-10

trill

104
45

33

46

(David Blum)( Casals and The Art of Interpetation )

(2003 )146-147
46
46

 45 103-110

46a

46b

46a 338-345

47

 46b 338-345

Ivan Galamian, 1903-1981

47

Demetrius Constantine Dounis, 1886-1954

easy settingdifficult setting
48

1
3 2
47a C
23322332 C 33222333

47bc

47

Ivan Galamian, Principles of Violn Playing and Teaching, ( Prentice Hall, 1962 ), 27.
Chris Costantakos, Demetrios Costantine Dounis-His Method in Teaching the Violin. ( New
York: 1988 ), 104.
48
48

 47a

47bC

47cC

205-215
48

22323332
48 205-215

49

1.

Nicolas Baudiot, 1773-1849

Bernhard Heinrich Romberg , 1767~1841 CG 1 D
2 A 49
C A
A C

Christopher Bunting , 1924-2005

Essay on the craft of Cello-Playing

1
150

49
Robin Stowell, The Cambridge Companion to the Cello. (Cambridge University Press,
1999.), 227.
50
Christopher Bunting, Essay on the craft of Cello-Playing. (Cambridge University Press,
1988), 31.
50

2.

49
49 582-587

3.

7-17

50

50 30-37

51


51
51 71-73

Ricochet

51

52

52ab
52c

52d

52a.b.c.
d.

51
52

156-159
______157
52

 5-6
7-8

5-9

53
53 5-9

54a
54b

54c

detach

53

 54a

54b

54c

54

55

Breuer, Jnos. A Guide to Kodly. Trans. by Maria Steiner.

Books, 1990.

Budapest: Corvina

Boyden, David. The History of Violin Playing from Its Origins to 1761.
oxford University Press, 1965.
Bunting Christopher.
Press, 1988.

Essay on the craft of Cello-Playing.

London:

Cambridge University

Costantakos, Chris. Demetrios Costantine Dounis-His Method in Teaching the Violin.

New York: Peter Lang, 1988.
Galamian, Ivan.
Hall, 1962.

Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching. New Jersey: Prentice

Kodaly, Zoltan. Folk Music of Hungary. Trans. by Ronald Tempest & Cynthia Jolly.
New York, Praeger, 1971.
Starker Janos.
2004.

The World of Music According to Starker.

Indiana University Press,

Stowell, Robin. The Cambridge to the Cello. Cambridge:

Press, 1999.

Cambridge University

2003

2001
Integrated Technique of Violin Playing
2005

2000

(David Blum) ( Casals and The Art of

Interpretation )2003
56

 ( Zoltn Kodly) ( A Magyar npzene )

2002

Cook, Nathan. Scordatura Literature for Unaccompanied Violoncello in the 20th

Century : Historical Background, Analysis of Works, and Practical
Considerations for Composers and Performers PhD diss., University of Rice,
2005.
Lin, Min Yuan. The Treatment of The Cello in Kodalys Sonata for
Unaccompanied Violoncello, Opus 8. DMA diss., University of Boston, 1996.
Lundberg, Camilla. The Solitary Cello: Cello Music from the Twentieth Century
BIS-CD-25; Hamburg: Offizin Paul Hartung, 1992.
Ong, Corinne Kay. A Historical Overview and Analysis of the Use of Hungarian
Folk Music in Zolta Kodlys Hry Jnos Suite, Dances of Morosszk, and
Dances of Galnta. University of Kansas, 2011.
Power, Celeste. Zoltn Kodlys Sonata for Unaccompanied Cello, Op.8: One
Cellists path to Performance. DMA diss. University of Louisiana State, 2013.

Bach, Johann Sebastin. Six Suites for Violincello Solo.

Bach . CreateSpace Independent, 2013.
Dvok, Antonin. Cello Concerto op.104.
International Music Company, 1952.

Ed. Leonard Rose.

Kodaly, Zoltan. Cello Sonata op.8. Violoncello solo.

Edition ( London), 1952.
Shapay, Ralph.

Ed. Anna Magdalena

New York:

Property of Universal

Krosnick Soli. for Cello Solo. Theodore Presser, 1993.

Bnis, Ferenc. Zoltn Kodly, a Hungarian Master of Neoclassicism. Studia

Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, T.25, Fasc 1/4 (1983) ,
http://www.jstor.org accessed Dec 8, 2013.
Bellman, Jonathan.
verbunkos.
accessed Dec 8, 2013.

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com

Esze, Lazl.
Zoltn Kodly.
accessed Dec 8, 2013.

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.

Chambers, Mark. Grove Music Online, S.v. scordatura.

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com. (accessed Dec 8, 2013).

http://terms.naer.edu.tw/(accessed Dec 8, 2013).
57