Zoltan Kodaly (1882 - 1967)
Zoltan Kodaly was born in Hungary in 1882, at the
height of Romantic music period. He grew up surrounded by music,
mostly folk songs. His father was a railroad operator and played
the violin. His mother a singer and piano player. The first
eighteen years of his life, he travelled with his father and saw much of
the Hungarian country side. There he heard foilk songs in their original,
unobscured form. He started composing and teaching music at a young
age. His first works survive from 1897. His music spans seven
decades, up until his death in 1967. His music is centered around
Hungarian folksongs.
In 1913,
he and prominent composer friend, Bela Bartok, researched, classified,
and edited over 100,000 folk songs! These folk songs became the basis
of his music teaching method, the Kodaly Method. This is used in
schools all over the world bringing music literacy to many people.
This nationalistic
composer has composed many works including vocal pieces, operas, and ochestral
works. Hary Janos is an opera composed in 1927. It is
known more for the Orchestral Suite than the opra itself. "The Viennese
Musical Clock" is one movement from this suite. This movement, like
most of Kodaly's work , can be used to teach many aspects of music.
Form
The
form of this piece is as follows:
Introduction, ABA, Transition,
ACA, coda
Click Here to Hear "Viennese Musical Clock"
You'll notice that there is a type of rondo form going on. Rondo is defined as ABACA. The A theme is repeated often. This is a chiastic design, or even on both sides with a median point. The Introduction and coda are the same length. The ABA section is the same length as the ACA section. The Transition is the median point in between all.
Rhythm
The
rhythm is based on eighth and sixteenth notes and variations of them all.
Theme A's rhythm can be examined and spoken with a little rhyme:
Melody and Harmony
The
melody and harmony go hand in hand in this piece. The melody is based
on the harmony. The melody outlines the harmony.
The Melody
in each section states a theme for four measures and then restates the
theme with a small difference at the end of the phrase. This is an
example of antecendent and consequent. Click
here to hear Theme A's Melody and Harmony.
The Harmony
is very basic. It stays mostly within the tonic, dominant, and subdominant
harmonies of E flat Major only travelling to a distant key for the theme
B. In this section, the melody and harmonies are repeated, but in
a minor key.
Expressive Elements
The tempo and dynamics are what make this piece. The tempo is fast and bouncy. The dynamics vary from section to section keeping your ears perked up and interested.
Click Here
to hear the piece again. Listen for tempo and dynamics.
Click Here
to Take a quiz
Teachers, Click Here for small lesson plan for teaching.