"Natura naturans, natura naturata" and Bartók's Nature Music Idiom

Author(s): Maria Anna Harley

Source: Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, T. 36, Fasc. 3/4, Proceedings of
the International Bartók Colloquium, Szombathely, July 3-5, 1995, Part I (1995), pp. 329-349
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 Natura naturans, natura naturata
andBartok'sNatureMusicIdiom
MariaAnnaHARLEY
Montreal

I: Naturally,Nature
Naturanaturataandnaturanaturans:whatdo thesemedievalterms
have in commonwith Bela Bartok,a 20th-centurycomposer?This two-
fold conceptof naturedistinguishesbetweenNature,the creatingpower
(Naturanaturans)andnature,the createdworld(naturanaturata)which
reveals and symbolizesNature'saction.lAlthoughthese termsas such
do not appearin Bartok'swritings,amplereferencesto Naturewith a
capital"N"and naturalphenomenarevealhis awarenessof the concept
of Natureas a creativeforce of life. In a letterto Stefi Geyer,Bartok
declared:"Tobe able to work,one musthave a zest for life, i.e. a keen
interestin the living universe.One has to be filled with enthusiasmfor
the Trinity... of Nature,Art, and Science".2This so-called"pantheistic
creed",hasbeenperceivedby somescholarsas the key to Bartok'sartistic
personality.3"Nature"in Bartok'strinitarianexpressiontranscendsthe
realmof "the materialworld or its collective objectsor phenomena".4
l S.v. "naturanaturans"in J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weinter (ed.), The Oxford English Dictionusy
(2nd. ed. Oxford: ClarendonPress, 1989, vol. 10). This pair of terms was often used during the Middle Ages
and the Renaissance. The two "natures"resurfacedin the philosophy of Benedict de Spinoza (1632-1677)
who equated N. naturanswith God and divided n. naturatainto universal and particular(A Spinoza reczder.
The "Ethics"(lnd other works. Ed. and transl. by Edwin Curley.Princeton,N. J.: PrincetonUniversity Press,
1994: 57-58). This sophisticatedtri-partitedivision was simplified by the Romantics to the pair of "nature"
terms.
2 Letter of 6 September 1907 (Bekl Burtok'sLetterv. Edited by Janos Demeny. London: Faber and
Faber, 1971: 82).
3 E.g. by Bence Szabolcsi in "Man and nature in Bartok's world" (B(lrtokStudies, Ed. Todd Crow.
Detroit: InformationCoordinators,Inc. 1976: 63-75).
4 One of the definitions of "nature"in The Ox.fordEnglish Dictionury.

StudiaMusicologica AcademiaeScientiarumHungaricae36/3-4, 1995 pp. 329-347

0039-3266/95/X 5.00 o 95 AkademiaiKiado. Budapest

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330 M. A. Harley: Bartok'sNatureMusic Idiom

The composer'swiderunderstanding of this termcan be inferredfrom

its usage in the composer'sarticleson folkmusic.He often defined
folkmusicas "a phenomenonof Nature"swritingthat
peasant music ... is just as much a naturalphenomenonas, fbr instance, the various
manifdstationsof Nature in fauna and flora. Correspondinglyit has in its individual
partsan absoluteartisticperfection...

A perfection,one might add, that is inseparablylinked with the

folkmusic'snaturalcharacter,rootedin its genesis in the workingof "an
instinctivetransformingpower"or "a naturalforce"in the people.6"Na-
ture"thatmightbe revealedthroughits manifestations in the inhabitants
of the biosphere, including humans and their cultural production,
transcendsthe natuleal
worldperceivablewith the senses.
How could such a conceptof Natureinformthe practiceof musical
composition?An obvious way of doing so is to study the "natural
phenomena" of folkmusicandincorporate the resultsof this studyin art
music;Bartok's"scientific"approachto this marriageof Natureand Art
is so well knownthatit does not warrantmuchcomment.Anotherway
of introducingNaturanaturansinto the musicaldomainis to discover
the laws of organicgrowth,the patternsandsymmetriesfoundin leaves,
sunflowersand seashel}s,in the temporalproportionsof a composition.
ErnoLendvai'sproportional analyses(1971, 1983)reston the assumption
thatthe composerconsciouslyapplied"thelaw of Nature"in his music,
that law being primarilythe principleof the goldenmeanapproximated
by the series of Fibonaccinumbers.Since the discoveryof seriousin-
consistenciesin Lendvai'stheory,the search for Natura naturansin
Bartok'swolekshas abated.However,manyscholarshave commentedon
the obviouspresenceof naturanaturata,the imitationof naturalsounds-
such as birdsong in his music.7The recognitionof the naturemusic
5 This expression is quoted from Bartok's "The Folk Songs of Hungary"(1928), but it also appears
in "The influence of folk music on the artmusic of today"(1920), "Therelationof folk song to the development
of the alt music of our time" (1921) and, in a slightly different version, in "What is folk music?" (1931).
The following quote is drawn from "The relationof folk song..." (p. 321). All these essays are published in
BelblBurtok Es.say.s(Ed. Benjamin Suchoff, London: Faber and Faber, 1976).
()Terms from 1931 (B(lrt0kE.s.stlys,6).
7 Authols who considerthe stylizatiollof naturalsounds as one of Bartok'scharacteristiccompositional
gestures include: 3anos Kovacs ("Heiliger Du)lkge.s(lsls,J
in der Lydi.shenTon(lrtundAdu,}ioreligioso" in Jozsef
Ujfalllssy,Janos Breuereds., Intertl(ltiollulMll.sicologiculConferencein C0mmemorutionof BelczBurtok1971,

StudiaMusicologica AcademiaeScientiarumHungaricae 36/3X, 1995

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 M. A. Harley: Barto'k'sNatureMusic Idiom 331

idiomis usuallybasedon perceptual evidence:somesectionsof the music

seem to represent becauseof the auralsimilarityto theirmodels cer-
tain naturalsoundssuch as variousforrnsof noise, or birdsong.These
sectionsareoftenlabellednightmusic afterthe titleof thefourthmove-
ment from the Out Doors piano suite (1926).8The naturemusic idiom
appearsin: the middle movementof String Quartetno. 4 (1928), the
middlemovementsof PianoConcertono. 2 (1930-31), Musicfor Strings,
Percussion,and Celesta(1936), and Sonatafor Two Pianosand Percus-
sion (1937), as well as the "Elegia"fromConcertofor Orchestra(1943),
and the AdagioReligiosofrom PianoConcertono. 3 (1945).9

II:EinekleineNacht-Musibk

In the nocturnalsilence one is able to hearquiet,tiny sounds,and

the delicatetexturesof Bartok's"NightMusic"(no. 4 in the 0,ut IDoors
piano suite, 1926) seem to create,as Stevens puts it, an4'atmosphere
incapableof misinterpretation" (Stevens1964: 135). The first sectionof
the composition,mm. 1-16, containsseveraldistinctmotives (see Ex.
la), stablein theircontour,pitch and register,which are set againstthe
backgroundof "stylized noise" suggested by a sustained semitone
cluster.l°The five briefmotivesreappearthroughout the workin various
configurations, but it is very difficult,if not impossible,to specifywhich
musical patternsrepresentparticularelementsof the nocturnalsound-
world. The sonorityof the low, swift groupingof notes in the fourth
motive (in Ex. la) could be interpreted as an imageof the croakingof
a frog. However,the soundproducedby this creaturecould also be as-
sociatedwith motivesnos 3a and 3b. Accordingto Somfai(1984), the
entirefirst sectionof "NightMusic"(mm. 1-16) containsthe portrayal
of an evening concertof frogs. For Zielinski,though,the same music
Budapest: Editio Musica, 1972), Laszlo Somfai ("Analyticalnotes on Bartok's piano year of 1926." Studi
Musibolofi,}ibc26, 1984), Halsey Stevens (The life (md nlu.sibof Belu Burtok. New York:Oxford University
Press, 1964) and Tadeusz Zielinski (Burtok.Krakow:PWM,1969).
x Stevens uses "night music" as the general name of the idiom. I prefer to use the English translation
of Kovacs's term "Naturmusik"(n(lturemusic).
9 Cf. my "Birds in concert: North-Americanbirdsong in Bartok's Piano Concerto No. 3" in Telnpo.A
Quartel^lyReview of Modern Music, no. 189 (June 1994): 8-16.
I()In "The problemof the new music" (1920; B(lrtok'sEss(lys, 1976: 456), Bartok describes the "effect
of a 'stylized' noise" created by "a close position of three or more adjacenttones".

Stlxclicl
Mlfxicwloggic(
AcuclentiueSCientill11 Hlf11ts,(11icut
Sf/.sX 15)9.S

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332 M. A. Harley: Bartdk'sNatureMusic Idiom

2-1
a 1- --- 1
3b D
.A.. _ t 3a

pcoif _ pcf =JC(Jsf

4 1 s 3a
3(=66)

10

b3b
3a ~
4 2 cluster .
~. J,1 J|i i^-np. .....^^ 1
2

Ex. la: Five "naturenoises" from mm. 1-16 of "NightMusic"for piano (1926)
1b:Pitch-complementarityof the "naturenoises" in "NightMusic"

a
vu ......................................................................................................................................................
v. 70 * _T * __. -
Is _ _ ___ /!
f* -- < _

rallentand ---.............................- dim ......................

b
1.17 m437 J:b

i
,tl C.r r "&s¢ Tf?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
sY --
,/,r f^u,
,

Ex. 2a: Bart6k'sfolk-nightingalemelody in "NightMusic" (mm. 70-71)

2b: The openingmotives of the choraleand thefolk-nightingalemelody

5 ---------------------------
I

- 1' -- - - - -- ^ ^
ft
"S^SHSt

ln ^--
6L"___-;^ ,<~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.~s

Ex. 3: The nightingale(first violin; mm. 35-38) in StringQuartetno. 4, III

ScientiarumHungaricae36/3-4, 1995
StudiaMusioiogica Acadenmiae

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 M. A. Harley: Bartok'sNatureMusic Idiom 333

representsbirdsongandhe sees it as one of Bart6k'sexceptionalsonoris-

tic achievements,comparableonly with Messiaen'sbirdsongimagery
(Zielinski1969:307-8). Finally,Macherecognizesin "NightMusic"the
portrayalsof the eagle owl, marshowl, Tengmalmbarnowl, greenfrog,
southerngreentree frog, and the cricket.ll
The ambiguityof Bartok'snatureimagesresultsfromthe highdegree
of stylizationof naturalsoundstransformed into music.As Somfaicom-
ments, "this stylizationof the sounds of naturein Bartok'sworks ...
simplifiestheminto musicalmotivesthatassumetheirappointedplaces
in a structurethatis highlyconsciouslydesigned"(Somfai1984:6). Fea-
turesof this elaboratedesign includea two-layeredrhythmicstructure,
the absence of harmonicmovement,pitch stasis (individualmotives
frozenin theirregisters),andthe complementarity of all pitch-classesto
a totalof twelve.Thepitch-classesof all the motivesfromthe firstsection
of the piece (mm. 1-16) andthe background clustertakentogetherform
a completetwelve-tonecollection(Ex. lb). I interpretthis pitch-class
totalityas a representationof the totalityof the "wholenature"in music.
There is an acousticreasonfor my view. In 1993, a sound ecologist,
BernardL. Krause,put forwardthe niche hypothesisstatingthat the
soundsof variouslife formsin naturalhabitatsareacousticallyorganized
in such a way that "eachcreatureappearsto have its own sonic niche
(channelor space) in the frequencyspectrumand/ortime slot occupied
by no otherat thatparticular moment''.l2 The total"audiobio-spectrum,"
characterstics
thatis, the pitch/intensity of a given geographicarea,con-
sists of thesecomplementary voices whichcooperatein filling in the full
rangeof pitchregions.Krause'sconcludes(p. 8):
We are learningthat the isolated voice of a song bird cannot give us very much useful
information.It is the acoustical fabric into which that song is woven that offbrs up an
elixir of fbrmidableintelligence that enlightens us about ourselves, our past, and the
very creatureswe have longed so earnestlyto know.

11Endnoteno. 4 in Fran,cois-Bernard Mache:Musie, mythcondncatureor the dolphinsof Arion. (Transl.

by Susan Delaney. Chur, Switzerland:Harwood Academic Publishers. 1992: 199; orig. publ. 1983). Unfor-
tunately, Mache does not describe the naturalsounds nor details of their musical portrayals.
12 Bernard L. Krause: "The Niche Hypothesis: a virtual symphony of animal sounds, the origins of
musical expression and the health of habitats."The SoundscclpeNewsletter No. 6 (June 1993): 5M-8.

Actxtlemitwe
Stl/cli(/Mlaxict)/{)>,sictv Scientitxr//m. ictle 36/X4. 1'995
H//nff.fxl

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334 M.A. Harley: Barto'k'sNature Music Idiom

Does Bartok'smusicsuggestintimationsof thisecologicalenlighten-

ment?I will returnto this issue later.For now, it shouldsuffice to say
that in "NightMusic",Bartokportraysthe rich fabric of a nocturnal
soundscape,filled with voices of frogs, crickets... and the nightingale.
Thisbirdof poets,loversandmusicians,the paradigmof sonorousbeauty
of the night,has not failed to makean appearancein Bartok'swork.

III:Thenightingaleandtheisotopyof Nature

The song of the nightingalel3belongs to birds' most complex

vocalizations,praisedfor "thelarge numberof complexphrases(up to
24), and theirneatnessanddynamicpower''.l4This motivicvarietynot-
withstanding,one phraseis often singled out as its most characteristic
element-a series of acceleratingrepetitionsof one pitch locatedin the
area D4-F4.15Musical renditionsof the nightingale'ssong are usually
basedon this emblematicphrase:seriesof repeatednotes,performedby
the flute or the piccolowith trillsandgrace-notes,often in the pitcharea
two octaveslowerthanthatof the realbird.Canwe find similarpatterns
in "NightMusic"?A"flute-melodyin the Aeolianmode''l6(cf. Ex. 2)
displays featuresof the nightingale'smost typical phrase, including
repeatedsixteenth-notesin fast tempo, staccatoarticulationand high
register.17However,this melody also has pronouncedfolk-musictraits:
fourphrases,variablemeter,characteristic modalandrhythmicformulae.
In furtherappearances, the melodyis performedin higherregistersand
increasinglysoundslike a birdsongstylization,particularly in the staccato
repetitionof one pitch at the end (mm. 70-71). Is it Bartok's musical
13The species of the nightingale(Lusciniclmegcllynthos)inhabitsan area from NorthAfrica to southern
England and Greece including the territoryof Hungary.I discuss various musical portrayalsof its song
by Kircher, Couperin, Beethoven, Mahler, Stravinsky,Messiaen and Bartok (Concew-to for Orchestrcl) in
in
"The nightingale and the mysteries of the night: on realism and symbolism of the song of the nightingale
IllUSiC" (in Polish, Muz.ykcno. 3, 1992: 13-36).
14 Charles Hartshorne:Boln to sing. An interpretcationclnd world survey of bird song. (Bloomington
and London: Indiana University Press,1973: 88).
15Cf. Hans-HeinerBergmanand Hans-WolfgangHelb: Stimmender V(igelEuropcls.(Munich, Vienna,
Zurich: BLV Verlagsgesellschaft,1982: 322-323).
I()Expression from Stevens, op. cit., 135 (mm. 37-47, 7(} 71 in the score).
17 In mm. 37-47, the melody in G-sharp minor is accompanied
by parallel triads in A minor, which
of the
complements its pitch-collection to the total 12 chromaticpitch-classes. This, again, may be symbolic
totality or "wholeness" of Nature.

H/nl,Xll 2G(Je36J!34. 1'G'95

AL{lDelnEUeSCXenTjUrlll1t
StUJ;U MlJ.V;CK}/OI,S2GA

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 "alienation (Nature) -s oneness"

M. A. Harley: Bartok'sNatureMusic Idionl 335

argumentfor "folkmusicas a phenomenonof Nature"?Quitepossibly.

In "NightMusic",the composerunites the humanand the naturalby
mergingfeaturesof two categoriesof sound material,folkmusicand
birdsong,into concurrentcharacteristics of thefolk-nightingaletheme.
One of the appearances of this hybridmelodyis coincidentwith a
sombrechoralethatprecedesits presentationin the piece (mm. 58-66).
Interestingly,the two tunes are closely relatedin formal outline and
motivicstructure(Ex. 2). Both melodieshave a limitedrange(a perfect
fourthin the choralemelody,an octavein the second)exploredin step-
wise motion(the choraleis somewhatchromatic,the othertune strictly
modal).Both consist of four phrases;in the first melodythese phrases
arerepetitive(a-a-b-bl), whilethe secondtunedisplaysa greatervariety
of basic units (a-b<-d) whichevolve duringthe courseof the work.18
Even individualmotivesfromboththemesrevealcommonfeaturessuch
as whole-tonemotionanddurationalpatternsof 2-1-1-2. Again,Bart6k
unites the human (chorale theme) with the natural(folk-nightingale
theme),but this unionimpliesa transformation of the one into the other;
the metamorphosis bringsa changeof expression,fromsombreto serene.
In a widely-accepted of "NightMusic",Laszl6Somfai
interpretation
(1984) contrasts the image of an alienatedsubject,a lonely Ego, repre-
sentedby the chorale melody,with the affirmativeforce of folk com-
munity,symbolizedby the flute (i.e. folk-nightingale)melody.l9If the
"flutetune"has featuresof the nightingale'ssong, as I believe it does,
the dichotomyis less of the lonelyindividualversusthe comnounity (this
contrastfits well with the Marxistmaterialismof, say, Lissaor Adorno),
but of the alieMationfrom NatureversusreconciliationwithNature(this
oppositionis of an ecologicalkind).The schemaof

couldbe consideredthebasicnarrative patternof Bart6k's"NightMusic",

The aliena-
thatis its isotopy(I call it the isotopyof Naturanaturans).20
lx Successive appearancesof the melody include phrases: a9-b9-cl-dlin mm. 48-56, a2-c2-d2in mm.
61-661 a-3in mm. 7() 71.
1t)A11earlier interpretationby Erno Lendvai ("Bartok:Az ejszaka zenejeX'in Zenei Szemle, IX1947)
focuses on the notion of the "Night"in relation to the cyclical and transitorynature of life. I thank Sandor
Kiss for informationabout Lendvai's article (private correspondence,1990).
2() I borrow the term isotopy from Algirdas Julien GreimasXStructurcllsemuntics, un clttempt(lt
method (Lincoln: University of NebraskaPress, 1983; English transl. by D. McDowellXR. Schleifer and A.
Velie; orig. publ. in 1966). ln Greimasianstructuralsemantics, isotopies are basic narrativepatternswhich

(l Ac(ltleolni(le
St,zXi,Mlt.sicts/t2Ssic tIto36/34. l YY5
ScitontioltllnHl/ll,8sclric

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336 M. A. Harley: Barto'k'sNatureMusic Idiom

tion of a solely-humanworldis represented by the chorale,and the en-

richedexistenceof humanbeings rootedin theirnaturalmilieu by the
folk-nightingalemelody.Is it a nightingalethatsings in a "humanized"
language,thusmakingitself understood? Is it a shepherd'spipe thatplays
a "birdsong"tune,thusbearingtestimonyto an ecologicalunityof people
and nature?2lTherecannotbe a decisiveanswer,beyonda simplestate-
mentthatBart6kdoes structurally unitethe humanandthe naturalsound
elementsand thathe does, in the work'stitle, suggestthe outdoor,noc-
turnalsetting,wherethe healingvitalityof the environmentmay be ex-
perienced.This theme of the liberatinghuman-natural liaison is often
encounteredin the emergentfield of ecophilosophy.

IV:Naturanaturansandecophilosophy
Westernphilosophicaltraditionoften emphasizesthe uniquenessof
people as the Earth'sprivilegedcreatures,separatedfrom the sphereof
natureand definedthroughtheircapacityfor inwardnessand self-reflec-
tion best summarizedin Rene Descartes'sfamousphrase,cogito ergo
sum.22In contrast,ecophilosophers,such as ArneNaess, treatthe human
species as yet anotherlife-form,embeddedin its environment.23 The
perspectiveof ecophilosophyor deep ecology24 emphasizesthe vitality
of connectionsbetweenpeopleandtheirsurroundings in orderto "learn
have features of sp(lti(llity,
temporillityand clstoricllity.
Bartok's ';Night Music" suggests the spatialityof "an
outdoor setting amidst environmental,animaliansounds" and the temporialityof "a spring/sumunernight."
21 Recent studies from the domains of culturalanthropologyindicatea dependenceof musical creativity
on the auditoryenvironmentspre-existingin the sites of particularcultures.This relationshipis easily notice-
able in cultures of low-level technological development, where people spend much time outdoors, listening
and singing underan open sky. For instance, birdsongplays a special role in the mythology, music and ritual
of the Kaluli people (cf. Steven Feld, "From ethnomusicology to echo-muse-ecology: Reading R. Murray
Schafer in the Papua New Guinea Rainforest",TheSoundscclpe Newsletterno. 8, June 1994: S6).
22 Rene Descartes: Discoursde kl methode,in aNuvres de Desc(lrtes(ed. Charles Adam and Paul
Tannery,Paris: Vrin, 1973, vol. 6).
23 Arne Naess, Ecology,co)nmunity (mdlifestyle.Outlineof (mecosophy(Transl.and revised by David
Rothenberg. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press, 1989 [from the fifth Norvegian ed. 1976, Okolgi,
sclmfu)ln,og livsstil,1st ed. 1973]). Naess's ecophilosophy is inspired by Spinoza, Ghandi, phenomenology
and Cest(lltpsychology, among other sources.
24The term deep ecologywas first introducedby Arne Naess in 1973. While ecology means "the
interdisciplinaryscientific study of the living conditions of organismsin interactionwith each other and with
the surroundings,organic as well as inorganic"(Naess 1989: 36), ecophilosophy is a field of study bringing
ecology and philosophy together.Finally, ecosophy a term that appearsin the title of Naess's book means
a personal applicationof this field used "to approachpracticalsituations involving ourselves". Deep ecology
means simply that the human is deeply embedded in nature and not set apart from it.

StlJdiU MI{X;(O/ON;c(J
AcudemiaeScientinJrmHungulicue S6/SX 1995

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 M.A.Harley:
Bartok's
NatureMusicIdiom 337

anew that it is we who belong to the earthand not the earthto us".25
Accordingto Naess, the glorificationof humanbeings at the expenseof
natureblinds us to non-humanrealmswhich humansshould indentify
with in order to enrich their own self-realization(Naess 1989: 191).
George Sessions succintly explains Naess's notion of the expanded,
ecologicalself (Sessions 1993:211):
Human individuals attain personal selt:realization and psychological-emotional
maturity when they progress from an identification with narrow ego, through
identification with other humans, to a more all-encompassingidentification of their
'Self' with nonhumanindividuals,species, ecosystems, and with the ecosphere itself.

The ecophilosophical perspectivereplacesthe polaroppositionof an

individualversusthe worldwithan exte;nded senseof the ecologicalself,
in empathywith the living universe.It also rendersobsoletethe ancient
dualismof natureand culture,and underminesthe positivistic-scientific
worldviewwhich transformsNature into a "slave and raw material"
(Naess 1989: 191). Insteadof such reificationleadingto abuse, Naess
advocatesan affirmation of Naturethathumansarea partof. The coexis-
tence of variousorganismswithinthe complexsystemof the ecosphere
is guided by the threeecologicalprinciplesof diversity(affirmingthe
valueof the thrivingexistenceof differentspecies),complexity(of higher-
orderecological systems createdby the interactionof variousspecies,
non-reducibleto theircomponentparts),and symbiosis(i.e. cooperation
of differentspeciesfor the commongood).Deep ecology impliesa holis-
tic approachto the environmentfrom which humanbeings cannotbe
isolatedand separated:"Life is viewed as a kind of vast whole ... the
varietyof forms of life, with their differentcapacities,realise,that is,
bringinto actuality,somethingwhichaddsto thatwhole"(Naess,p. 200).
"Nature"accordingto the philosophyof ecologicalmovementis a living
entitythatencompassesand supportshumans;it is not a resourceto be
plundered(not merelynaturanaturata)but a sustainingforcepermeating
all formsof being (Naturanaturans).
Here, I proposea thesis that Bartok'snaturemusic idiom reflects
thecomposer'sawarenessof theseecologicalissues,and,as such,is much
25 An expressionof G. TylerMiller,quotedfromGeorgeSessions,"Deepecologyas worldview" (in
M. A. TuckerandJ. A. Grim,eds., Worldviews(lizdecology. Blleknell Review 37 no. 2, 1993: 221).

St/li(l Mtexicolos,wic(l
Ae:aflemi(le
Se:iel1ti(lrluin
Afun^,(lric(le
36/S. 1995

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338 M. A. Harley: Barto'k'sNature Music Idiom

morethana portrayalof environmental sounds.The musicalrepresenta-

tions of naturanaturata,are vital elementsof the narrative(isotopy)of
Natura naturans.In "Night Music", Nature'screative power speaks
throughthe voice of the nightingale.It is not the only time that this
particularbirdsongappearsin Bartok'sworks:he composedat least two
moremusicalnightingales in StringQuartetno. 4 (1928) and in Con-
certofor Orchestra( 1943).

V: TheQuartetof birdsandarches
The centralmovementof StringQuartetno. 4 (1928) containsan
easily recognizablemusicalrepresentation of birdsong(mm. 3440 and
65-71 of the first violin part,and mm. 4749 of the viola part;cf. Ex.
3). This instanceof Bartok'snaturemusic idiom includesmore than
vaguely"birdlike" features;here,an imageof the nightingale'ssong con-
stitutesa key elementin an intricatecompositionaldesign.The opening
pitch of the violin part(E2),correspondspreciselyto the basic pitch in
the nightingale'semblematicphrase,which is transposedtwo octaves
down,but retainsits characteristic dynamiccontourof a crescendo.The
variationalrepetitionof a limitedset of pitchesendingin a trill(mm.40,
70-71) is also typical of many musicalportrayalsof the voice of the
nocturnalsinger (e.g. Beethoven'sSymphonyno. 6). In mm. 37-38,
Bartokreplacesthe basic intervalof the majorsecond with a series of
minorsevenths,majorseconds,andoctavesin alternating direction.Here,
the nightingaleresemblesMahler's(fromthe Finaleof Symphonyno. 2)
in its melodicflexibilityand the suddenwideningof the pitchcompass,
fi omone repeatednote to elaboratefigurations.A questionarisesabout
the role of birdsongimageryandnaturesymbolismin the whole Quartet.
Accordingto the composer'sdescriptionof the structureof the piece in
its final form, "theslow movementis the kernelof the work;the other
movementsare, as it were, arrangedin layersaroundit. MovementIV
is a free variationof II, and I, and V have the same thematic
material...^^26 In Bartok'saccount,the differencebetweenthe secondand
the fourthmovementsis found in the shift from chromaticto diatonic
versionsof the themeswiththe resultingchangeof ambitus,froma fifth
26 "Structureof the Fourth String Quartet"(1930?) in Burt(JkEs.vays:412

Sttldiu Mllxicologtic(l Acudemi(le St'iel1tiU1'11121 BlinguIicue S6/sX. IYYS

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a§ _ .. $,> $ ,t,a #>,,
.: 1-13 o # to
13-20 O o #}
21 0 22-31
., W0 W0
32 #ffi
33 #\
34-40 #,

M.A. Harley: Barto'k'sNature Music Idiom 339

a b c

2 2 1 1 1 2 2 7 2 5 2 7 6
Lydiallmodewithforeignnok Lydianmode

Ex. 4: The pitch and pitch-classcontentin segments from the 3rd movement of String
Quartetno. 4: (a) in mm. 1-6; (b) in m. 70, (c) pitch frameworkin mm. 1-34

to an octave. Does the transitionfrom chromaticto diatonic,and from

narrowto wide pitchcompassaffectthe third,centralmovement?Let us
compareits beginningwiththe conclusion(cf. Ex. 4a-b). The movement
begins with a static chordpresentedby the threeupperinstrumentsin
mm. 1-5 andcompletedby the two notesof the cello's rhapsodicmelody
in m. 6. The totalpitch-contentof thesesix measuresconstitutesa Lydian
modewiththe tonicD situatedin the middleof the rangeandalternating
with an added,foreignnote, D#(Ex. 4a). The chordhas an ambitusof a
majorseventh,filled chromaticallyby dissonantintervalsof majorand
minorseconds,with the Lydianfourth,G#2, in the highestvoice.
At the conclusionof the movement(m. 70) the chordis built only
fromthe elementsof the Lydianmode withoutthe foreignnote, D#(see
Ex. 4b). Moreover,thepitchesarenow widelyspaced,coveringthe range
of two and a half octaves, with most dissonancesreplacedby perfect
fifthsandfourths.Thetonic(D3),nottheLydianfourth,is nowthehighest
pitch.The apparentmusicalchangeis thatfromdissonance,chromaticism
and a limitedrangeto harmony,diatonicism,and a wide range.Whatis
the birdsong'srole in this process?A look at the pitchcontentshowsthat
it may have influencedthe purificationof the dissonantelementsfrom
the music: the song of the nightingalebegins with the foreign note
(spelledas E2) exposedprominentlyin mm. 3440, and ends with the
tonic (mm.70-71). The changeof the spacingalso beginsin mm. 34-39,
with a suddenwideningof the pitchrangeto threeoctaves.
In mm. 33-34, the highestpitchof the sustainedchord,C#2,andthe
first pitch of the melody,E2,point to the absenceof the tonic D in the
high register(it is hiddenin one of the lower voices). This momentis
{sIf,tic*tAc(t(lel1wi(te
Srzdit M,8.sic it(le .if/8w. I Y9.S
5cizlltiutltmHlln,8t(tl

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340 M. A. Harley: Barto'k'sNatureMusic Idiom

preparedby a long sequence of graduallyexpandingchords, lasting

throughoutPart One (Bartok'sterm).The harmonicmovementof the
opening section of the Non troppolento clearlyleads towardthe first
appearanceof the nightingalemelody (the diatonicdescentof the bass
line and the chromaticascentin the trebleare displayedin Ex. 4c). The
folloving section, PartTwo in Bartok'sown analysis(mm. 34-54), is
the most turbulent,chromaticand structurally diversifiedportionof the
movement-as if the appearanceof the naturalelement had caused a
violent reaction.The pitch contentof the simultaneouscomplementary
chordsand melodiesincreases,at first to 11 chromaticpitches(without
C in mm. 42X6, withoutG in mm. 47X9), then to the total 12-note
collectionin the climax of the movement(mm. 50-51). The collection
is dividedagain,as in the folk-nightingalethemefrom "NightMusic",
into black-and-white diatonicsegments:the G pentatonicismof the sus-
tainedchordand a C-majordescendingscale. This culminationof chro-
maticismis followedby a reductionto only twopitches,C1andE1,placed
symmetrically aroundthe expectedtonic,D1,at the end of PartTwo.The
tonic is not emphaticallystateduntil its appearancein the nightingale
themeof the first violin in the closing sectionof the movement.
In StringQuartetno. 4, the nightingalestylizationis incorporated
into the fabricof the work.The birdsong'smusicalmaterialoriginates
from the buildingblocks of an earlier,slow and melancholictarogato-
type27themeperformedby the cello (cf. mm. 11, 25, 28 of the cello part
andmm.34-39 of the violinpart).Thistheme,withan overalldescending
contour,is builtfroma limitednumberof intervals,mostlyfrominterval
class 2 (majorsecond, minorseventh).The nightingaletune preserves
this intervalliclimitationand changesthe downwarddirectioninto an
ascentin leaps and flourishes,filling the music with a new vitality(cf.
especiallym. 28 of the cello partandm. 37 of the violin part).Thus,the
relationshipbetweenthe "human" cello/tarogatothemeandthe "natural"
violin/nightingaletheme resembles the "transformativeunion" en-
counteredin "NightMusic":a similarityof materialandexpressivemeta-
morphosis.Transformation, transition,metamorphosis: theseconceptsare
well-knownto seasonedBartokiarls, especiallyin Hungary,his homeland
27 Designation borrowedfrom Stevens (op. cit., 189-190).

Stilz/iu Mlixicolos,>ic (1 Ac*(lz/el11iue Scbiel1ti(ll lulul Aflsl1tt,l ice 36/.S. I YY.5

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 M. A. Harley: Barto'k'sNature Music Idiom 341

andthe site of the culturalcontextof his music.28Bartok'sown explana-

tion of the Quartet'sform as simultaneously"symmetricaland asym-
metric"aroundthe centralpointof the workgives groundfor a symbolic
interpretationof its structure.The kernelof the piece is surroundedby
the "innerandouterlayers"(Bartok'sexpression)of theothermovements,
affirmingthe centralityof the overalldesign.At the kernelof the kernel
the composerlocatesa referenceto Nature,i.e. the representation of the
nightingalesong.
Birdsongimagerysuggestsseveraldimensionsof the ecologicalplot.
The nightingalesignifiesthe "when"of the spring the time of renewal,
rebirth,new life, love and the "when"of the night the time of hidden
and mysteriousdevelopmentsin the naturalcycle of life, the symbolic
time of mysticdarkness,of spritualhealing.29The presenceof birdsong
also indicatesthe "where"of the outdoors,the soundscapeof the forest,
meadow,or garden,the lost paradiseof open spacesfilled with wildlife,
with the fragilepermanenceof Being. Primarily,though,the song of the
nightingalein Bartok'sQuartet,representsNatureas pars-pro-toto:a liv-
ing elementof the naturalworld (naturanaturata)denotingthe whole,
mysteriouscreativepowerof Naturanaturans.Its appearance in the third
movementof the piece is preparedby the chromaticdescent/ascentand
a structuralsilence;it is locatedin the apex of the form,bringingin the
changeof melodicdirection,the wideningof pitchcompass,the removal
of dissonanceand chromaticism.The musical"purification" (from the
chromaticto the diatonic)and "expansion"(wideningof pitch range)
accompaniedby the charactermetamorphosis of the two themesimply
the existenceof an underlyingnarrativeschema,i.e. the isotopyof Natura
naturans.The StringQuartetno. 4 as a whole may be said to portraya
transitionfrom alienationto liberation,lackingto fulfillment,limitation
to wholeness.30 Thistransition,triggeredby anencounterwiththemystery
of Nature,is represented in the musicalstructure.Birdsongportrayaloc-
28 Cf. Tibor Tallian, 6'DieC(lnt(lt(lprofusl(l ein EMythosdes Ubergangs."'(StudiuMusicolo<,Jiccz 23,
1981: 135-200).
2t)The theme of 66night/darkness" as a symbolic time of purificationand spiritual healing has been
particularlyprominentin the Christianmystic traditioll(cf. St. John of the Cross D(lrk Night of the Soul; ca.
1585, transl. E. Allison Peers, Wellwood: Burns and Oates, 1985).
3()Lendvai interpretsthe b1idge form of the Quartetas the image of the transformationfrom emotional
darkness to spiritual enlightenment.Erno Lendvai, '8FourthQuartet"(The worksho/^of Bcl1tokczndKodczly.
Budapest:Editio Musica, 1983, pp. 600-617).

At(ldel7wi(1e
St,di M,.si6ssl,ltwic(l Bltngtsic(le 36/XW. 1995
Sf ielztisu22w

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342 M. A. Harley: Bartok'sNatureMusic Idiom

cupiesa privilegedlocationin this structure

becauseit providesa decisive
turningpoint in the underlyingnarrative.Thus, Bartok'swork suggests
that in orderto arriveat a state of spiritual,personalwholenessand
freedom,one has to go throughthe narrowgate,the "Eyeof the Needle"
markedby a close encounterwithNature,by an ecologicalepiphany.The
soundof the nightingaledenotesthis transformative momentof illumina-
tion and healing.
Why is this profound human metamorphosisassociated with
birdsong?Letme quotean opinionascribedto Bartokby AgathaFassett.3l
DuringBartok'sstay at Asheville,a treefilled with nestingbirds(Bartok
called it "the Tree of Life") right outsidehis window enabledhim to
observethe birds'sonorousanddiverseactivityday andnight.The com-
poser noticedthat,
in tlle early dawn tllere came from every single branch a faint piping sound of
awakening birds, slowly swelling into such ffullvolume as every green leaf became
partof a chorus more invigoratingand lively than I could ever have imagined before.
And this fluid sound did not penetratethe ears alone, but seeped into the body with the
strengthof a powerfulhealing potion.

Birdsongas "healingpotion" this strikingimagedoes not surprise

readers well-versed in ecological issues (compare with BernardL.
Krause'squote about "elixirof formidableintelligence"cited above).
Modern-daydeep ecologists share Bart6k'sawarenessof the human
belongingto the ecosphereas much as they sharehis fascinationwith
the simple and creativelife-style in communionwith Nature.32When
placed in this context,Bartokseems to be more of an ecophilosopher
t zan a natlonalStor lnternatlona
lSt...
. * . . .

VI:Thelugubriousdeath-song?
Whatcan an individualhumanbeing,an elementof natura naturata,
meaningfullysay aboutthe creativeforce of Life that sustainshis/her
Sl Agatha Fassett, Bel(l B(lltok T/leA1nelie(l11 ye(l1v (formerlyThe sI(lkezlf(lce of geslius, 1958; New
York: Dover Publications,Inc. 2nd edition, 1970: 327).
39 However, the object of their admirationdiffers: Bartok's attentioncenters on small communities of
pe;lsantswllile the envirolllnentalistscherish the traditionsof the native peoples, the inhabitantsof the rain
forest, or tlle northerntundra (cf. Steven Feld, Solltld olld selltilwleslt.Bi1ds, wee/7illg,/70erics uBlds0ng ill
Kululi ex/7re.ssiol1Plliladelphia:University of PenllsylvalliaPress,1982 or Mary Evelyn Tucker and John A.
Griln, eds, 1993. Wo11dviews cztldecolesg. Bucknell Review 37 no. 2).

Stitdt(l Mltxi.t){tssric(l Actel/e22sitteSciertti(l2Itwy7

StHw1tsPttJic(le
S6/s4. 19"5

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sit Y : f f? | 8 : f r t

M. A. Harley: Bartok'sNatureMusic Idiom 343

existence(Naturanaturans)?The awarenessof belongingto the naturata

world highlightshumaninsignificancein the enormous,ever-renewing
worldof the ecosphere.Peopleareuniqueandtransient;theirindividual
mortalitycontrastswith the apparentpermanenceof other species such
as the nightingale.JohnKeatscommentedon this when he emphatically
addressedthe nocturnalsingerin his Ode to the Nightingale33
Thou wast not bornfor death,immortalBird!
No hungrygenerationstreadthee down;
The voice I hearthis passing night was heard
In ancientdays by emperorand clown...

The "immortal" nightingaleremainsa symbolof the mysteryof love

and life, the profounddurabilityof the naturalworldcontinuingto enjoy
its existenceafterthe passingof many humangenerations.This aspect
of the nightingale'smeaningcomesto the fore in the "Elegia"fromBar-
tok's Concertofor Orchestra a movementcalled by the composer"the
lugubriousdeath-song".34 Here,the nightingale'svoice is representedby
the piccolo performingrepetitionsof one pitch separatedby pauses a
characteristic featurein the bird'smain distinguishingphrase(Ex. 5a).
The stabilityof registerand limitedpitchrangeresemblefeaturesof the
nightingale'ssong from "NightMusic".The tremolosand the two-note
motivic cells (mm. 60, 111) evoke phrasesfrom StringQuartetno. 4.
a

l i

b
mBor r r 1: W: 1#: : e 1t #: l: )f |

P , I

Ex. Sa: The nightingale(piccolo, mm. 29-32) in Concerto

for Orchestra,III
Sb: The oboe melody in mm. 10-l S of the "Elegia"(Concertofor Orchestra,III)

33 The seventh strophe of Keats's Ode tl) the Ni,Xhtingule(from Robert Sickert ed. The bird in song:
A collection of poems. London: E. Grant Richards, 19()6:76-79).
34 "Explanationto Concertofi)r Orchestru"in BurtokE.s.szxys: 431. This nightingale was identified by
J6zsef Ujfalussy (Belu Burtok.Transl. by R. Pataki. Boston: Crescendo Publishing Co. 1971: 383).

StlIC/ifX MIPXiC(l/(ls,'iC'fX ACacleRnifXe ScieR1tifXRTtEn Hlins,wfXriTfXe 36/34. 1995

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344 M. A. Harley: Barto'k'sNature MusicIdiom

Thesecorrespondences are not as obvious,though,as the likenessof the

"Elegia"'snightingaleto the one portrayedby Beethovenin his Pastoral
Symphony(withone pitchrepeatedin a hesitantpatternandfollowedby
trills).
In the "Elegia",five phrasesof the nightingaleunfailinglystartwith
the same pitch, B3, recurringmany times (mm. 14-18, 29-33, 57-60,
107-111, 123-128). Since the last piccolophrase(mm. 123-128) closes
the movement,its pitch stabilityacquiresa structuralsignificance,con-
firmingthe role of the pitch-classB as the tonic.Thus,the musicalnight-
ingale has a similarfunctionto that of the birdsongimage in String
Quartetno. 4: it is locatedin the centralsectionof the whole workand
bringsin musicalmaterialof primaryimportance.Thereare othersim-
ilaritiesbetweenthe kernelsof the Quartetand the Concertofor Or-
chestra.In bothpieces,the nightingale-theme is relatedto anothermelody
introducedearlierin the same movement.The "Elegia"'spiccolo takes
over a rudimentary melodypresentedby the oboe in mm. 10-18, increas-
ing its speed and modifyingthe character(Ex. Sb). The affinityof the
resultant"thematictransformation" to the metamorphoses occuringin the
Quartetand in "NightMusic"does not requirefurtherexpanation.
The "Elegia"'snightingaleappearsin the contextof a "mistytexture
of rudimentary motives"(Bartok1944, Essays:431) which providesa
continualbackgroundfor the chain-likepresentationof three sorrowful
themes,"thecore of the movement".These themesexpresshumanan-
guishin the face of death;the voice of the solitarynightingaleresounding
at the end, afterall the othermusic has becomesilent, heraldsthe per-
manenceof the naturalworldsurvivingshort-livedhumanbeings.It also
announcesa new directionin the large-scaleschemaof the work,leading
from the sombrefirst movementand the lamentof the "Elegia"toward
the triumphant conclusionof the Concertowith "anaffirmationof Life"
in an exuberantdanceFinale. The voice of the nightingale,associated
with Natureand with night,the time of deathand the mysteryof tran-
sience,marksthe turningpointin this schema.Again,Bartok'scomposi-
tionfollowsthe large-scaleplanof the isotopyof Naturanaturansleading
from alienationto reconciliation,fromconstraintto freedom.

St,,,1E,JMU.V
FG{11{1G,'
2G(JAc (X(lerni(JeScienti(Xrlsm Huns,(Xric(Je 36/34. 1 'Y'95

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 M. A. Harley: Bartok'sNatureMusic Idiom 345

VII:Bartok'stextsandcontexts

So far,I have identifiedthreeportrayalsof the song of the nightin-

gale, in "NightMusic",StringQuartetno. 4, andConcertofor Orchestra.
These instancesof Bartok'snaturanaturataimageryare summarizedin
Table 1 along with otherrepresentations of Nature.Musicaldepictions
of outdoorsoundscapesappearin PianoConcertono. 2 (1930-31; in the
centralscherzo,which constitutesthe nucleusof the second movement
andof the workas a whole),35Musicfor Strings,Percussion,and Celesta
(1936;repeated-note patternsin thexylophonepartin thethirdmovement,
resemblingthe percussiverhythmsof the woodpecker),Sonatclfor Two
Pianos and Percussion(1937; the birdcallmotive from m. 31 of the
middle movementis identicalwith a motive introducedby Frederick
Delius in Summernight on the river, 1911), and PianoConcertono. 3
(1945; centralsectionof the Adagio religiosowith calls of four North-
AmericanbirdsincludingtheWood-Thrush, HermitThrush,andRufuous-
sided Towhee).In these compositions,birdsongmotivesare usuallyac-
companiedby backgroundsof stylized noise envelopingbirds' voices
similarlyto soundsof wind or forest surroundingbirdsongin outdoor
spaces.Sometimes,pitch-classesof these motivesandtheirbackgrounds
addup to a totalof 12 ("NightMusic",Adagioreligioso).This "totality"
simultaneously reflectsthe acousticrealityof environmental soundscapes
and serves as a symbolof the wholenessof Nature.
Here,Bart6krevealshis talentas a supremenaturalist,able to create
vividly evocative music. At the same time, he incorporatesdetails of
natura naturata images into complex musical structures.Birdsong
melodiesarerelatedto otherthemesof the movementin whichtheyoccur
(choraleandfolk-nightingale themesin "NightMusic",oboe andpiccolo
melodies in Concertofor Orchestra,cello and violin themes in String
Quartetno. 4, chorale and birdsongmotives in PianoConcertono. 3).
This thematictransformation bindsthe "natural" andthe "human"worlds
together.The centralpositionof the naturemusicsectionswithinbridge-
formsandthe simultaneoussymmetry/asymmetry of these formsendows
35The fast tempo of the "naturemusic" section is somewhat unique, and places this work exactly
half-way between the two String Quartetsthat preceded and followed its composition. String Qualtet No. 4
has a slow "naturemusic" kernel, String QuartetNo. 5 is constructedaround the fast central nucleus of its
scherzo. The middle movement of the Piano Concerto No. 2 has features from both.

StEldi(J Acudee1iaeScier1tiuln2Hunguricue36/3w. 1995

Muxic(ll(l^tica

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346 M.A. Harley:Bartok'sNatureMusicIdiom

Table 1: Bartokcompositionsrelatingto the isotopyof Natura naturans

Date Title Themes andFeatures

1911 Bluebeard's Castle Naturein the centreof the seven-partform (Door

4: Flower Garden;Door 5: The Kingdom),
N. naturata

1916-17 The Wooden Prince Naturein the centreof the seven-partform;

oppositionof Natureand Culture;human
transformationin union with Nature;N. naturata
+ naturans

1926 Night Music Naturemusic idiom (Night soundscapewith

stylized noise); unity of humanand natural;
thematictransformation; N. naturata + isotopy of
N. naturans

1928 StringQuartetno.4 Naturemusic idiom in the centreof the five-part

form;Nightingale= Night + Nature;thematic
and structuraltransformations;N. naturata +
isotopyof N. naturans

1930 Cantataprofana Topics of Nature;unity and oppositionof human

and natural;thematicand structural
transformations;N. naturata + N. naturans

1930-31 Piano Concertono. 2 Naturemusic idiom in the centreof the form

1936 Music for Strings, Nature music idiom in the 3rdmovement

Percussion,and Celesta (birdcallmotives, stylized noise); N. naturata

1937 Sonatafor Two Pianos Naturemusic idiom (birdcallmotives, stylized

and Percussion noise); N. naturata

1943 Concertofor Orchestra Naturemusic idiom in the centreof the five-part

work;Nightingaleas the symbol of Night,
Nature;thematictransformation;N. naturata +
isotopyof N. naturans

1945 Piano Concertono.3 Naturemusic idiom in the centreof the work

(fourAmericanbirdsand stylized noise);
thematictransformation;N. naturata+ isotopy of
N. naturans

Stlsflia Mll.sicolo^,sics Acanlel1ziae Scientiarum Hunbaricse 36/3w. 1995

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 NatureMusic Idionz
M. A. Harley: Barto'kXs 347

these sections with a special narrativerole in the total compositional

design.The momentsof encounterswith the naturalworldmarkpoints
of transitionfromone stateof beingto another.Thehumanself-awareness
changesfroma sorrowfullonelinessof life in alienationfromthe natural
worldXto a liberatingsense of belongingin the living sphereof Natura
naturans.
Bartoksisotopy of Naturanaturansunderliesmanyof the instrumen-
tal works, but also appearsin his texted compositions.TiborTallian's
exquisitestudy of Cantata profana (1930) revealsthe salience of the
"mythof transition," associatedwith the darknessof WinterSolsticeand
initiationrites, for the text of the Cantata. Tallian emphasizesthe
daemonicaspectsof the works narrativre which he traces back to its
textualsources,the Romaniankolindae,connectedto ancientmythology
and the ritualsof a pagan culture.That culture,once omnipresentin
Europeand Asia, developedin the same closeness to the rhythmsof
Naturethat Bart6kadmiredin the life of Eastern-European peasants,
whosemusiche calleda "natural phenomenon" as perfectas "thevarious
manifestations of Naturein faunaandflora".36 Althoughbirdsongis ab-
sent in this work,otheraspectsof theNatura natururlsnarrativearequite
prominent.The themeof the unityof the humanwiththe animalianworld
underliesthe transformation of men into stagsandtheirultimatefreedom
fromthe constraintsof the humansociety.The dynamicsof this plot,that
is, the developingrelationshipbetweenpurelyhumanandhuman/natural
worlds,leads froman open animosityto a reconciliation.37
Elementsof the isotopy of Nature emergein Bart6k'stexted and
dramaticworksmuchearlierthanthe 1930s.The contrastbetweennature
and cultureand the themeof liberation-throughunion with Natureare
among the main themes of The WoodenPrince (1914- 1916). In the
ballet'sfourth,centralscene,Naturepaysa night-timetributeto the lonely
hero.Whendarknessdescendsuponthe (lespondentPrince,who was in
vain-trying to win the affectionof his belovedPrincess,Nature-magic
relationof folk song to the developmentof the art musicof our time"(1921), in Burtok
365"The
Esscly.v:321.
37 The eldestof the nineboys/stagsuttersdeaththreatsin responseto the dangerof beingkilledby
theirfather.Naturerespondswithviolenceto violence.In contrastX lovinginvitation
the father'ssubsequent
to returnto the safety of homeelicits a morepeaceful,thoughnegativeresponse.The transformed stags
choosethe freedomandpurityof "coolInountain springs"overall the refinements of humansociety

StltdiaMlt.vicolostitlAcadelstiato
SKiesnti(>slsl11 36/34. 1995
Hus180<lsicae

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348 M. A. Harley: Barto'kXs
Nature Music Idiom

transformsboth the naturanaturataof the outdoorlandscapeand the

alienatedmanwho abandonshis unreasonable quest,rejoicinginsteadin
the beautyof all existence.Tracesof the Nature-narrative appeareven in
the deeplypsychologicalandsymbolicplot of Bluebeard'sCastle(1911).
Behindthe fourth,centraldoorof the castle,Bluebeardconcealshis gar-
den of flowers stainedwith blood;the music of a static harmonywith
scatteredhornand clarinetcalls prefiguresthe naturemusicidiom.The
fifth door leads to the vast realmof his kingdomand the momentof its
openingis the true apex of the drama:"Velvetforests,silky meadows,
silversoundsof riversrunning,far awaymajesticmountains" aregreeted
with a triumphant themein C-major.Yet, in Bluebeard'sCastle,Nature
is imprisoned,limitedandpossessed.It does nothavethe liberatingpower
of Naturanaturanswhichtransforrns and enricheshumanlives.38
In Bartok'slaterinstrumental works,Natureis often symbolizedby
one of its sonorousmanifestations, thatis, by birdsong not infrequently
surroundedby stylized noise, evocativeof sonoritiesheardin open-air
soundscapes(wind, noise of leaves, forest).Throughdepictingenviron-
mental sounds in centralmovementsof his compositionsand through
structuringthe forms symmetricallyaroundmomentsof this Natural
Epiphany,Bartokconstructsan ecological narrativeof deeply human
dimensions.The song of the nightingale,when portrayedin the nature
music sections,representsNatureand Night simultaneously. The sym-
metricpairs of movementsbeforelafterthe encounterwith Nature(i.e.
movements2 and 4 in a S-partdesign) articulateoppositionsof nar-
rowlwide,chromaticldiatonic, constrainedlfree,sombrelserene.Thus,the
musiccarriesthe plot of humantransformation triggeredby the creative
force of Naturanaturans.The contextof Bartok'snaturemusic idiom
includesan understanding of Natureas an all-encompassing, mysterious
life-folscepermeatingboth the non-humanworldof faunaand flora,and
38 Perhaps, despite the early formulationof Bartok's creed of "Nature,Art and Science" he did not
yet have a full understandingof the seminal role of Nature for human existential well-being. At that time,
Baltok described himself as "a follower of Nietzsche" (Denis Dille, "Bartok,lecteur de Nietzsche et de la
Rochefoucauld,"StlldiczMllsicol(*giccz,10, 1968, 209-228). Nietzsche's writings usheredan "anti-transcenden-
tal" interest in human corporealityand Nature, inspiring, for instance, such musical affirmationsof Life as
Delius's A Mlss (*fLite or Mahler's Symphony No. 3 However, the role of Nietzschean philosophy for the
developlnent of Bartok's isotole of Naltul^(l zIczturczlls
should be examined on another occasion. I devote a
sel)aratestudy to the issue of tlle failed Delius-Bartok friendship(in progress). For a review of Nietzschean
aspects of Mahler's Symphony no. 3 see (Franklin1991).

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 NatureMusic Idiom
M. A. Harley: Bartook's 349

the domain of human culture. Here, as in Naess's ecophilosophy, Nature

is not opposed to Culture. The creative power of life, experienced in
proximity to the natural environment, exerts a healing influence on
alienated human beings, constrainedby the requirementsof their narrow
world. Many 20th-century composers have sought to articulate and
portray ecological issues, to mention only Olivier Messiaen, Frangois-
BernardMache, Pauline Oliveros and R. MurraySchafer.39However, no
other composer has made such an insistent use of the grand metaphorof
Natural Epiphany and human self-realization through contact with the
environmentthat is so dear to today's ecophilosophersand environmen-
talists. With Bartok,to paraphraseT. S. Eliot, "when the last of earth left
to discover is that which was the beginning ... we arrivewhere we started
and know the place for the first time".40

3'3Cf. Claude Samuel Converscztions with Olivies Messiaen, transl.Felix Abrahamian,London: Stainer
and Bell, 1976 (lst ed. Paris: Pierre Belfond, 1967); Fran,cois-Bernard Mache, Music, myth czndncztuze,op.
cit.; R. MurraySchafer, The Tunizlgof the Wozld,New York:Knopf, 1977.
4() Paraphrasedfrom T. S. Eliot's "Little Gidding"from The Four Quczz1ets (in T. S. Eliot's Collected
Poems lsos-l962. London: Faber and Faber, 1963 222).

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