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Name: Alvin Lin
E-mail: alin@lan.tjhsst.edu
Date: Friday, October 8, 1999 at 15:03:04
Text: The third quartet by Béla Bartók is one of the most appreciated modern masterpieces in chamber music. With the third and fourth quartets, Bartók expressed his characteristic abstract style. Bartók's string quartets have often been equated in importance to those of Ludwig van Beethoven's famous quartets. Bartók's quartets were written as he was exploring new and exciting tonal languages. In these pieces, Bartók is able to convey normally harsh-sounding intervals such as major 2nds or major 7ths as consonant. Like his close friend Zoltán Kodály, Bartók derived many of his themes from folk melodies collected from Eastern Europe and Northern Africa. Many of these folk music techniques can be seen in this quartet with its wide range of textures such as bowing on the bridge and percussion effects with the bow. Specifically, the third quartet is a very individualistic piece, with all four musicians often playing varying and diverse parts simultaneously. The individualism of this piece emphasizes the few points at which all musicians play the same notes and rhythm. This piece would be a fitting addition to any talented string quartet's repertoire due to its rewarding challenges.

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