A study in the similarities and differences between Kodaly’s Dances from Galanta and J.

S
Bach’s 2nd Brandenburg Concerto.

Stylistic feature Similarities (musical links) Differences

Structure  Use of a rondo form (Dances of  Very different overall structure – Bach has a standard 3-
Galanta) and ritornello form movement form of the Baroque Concerto. Kodaly uses a 1-
(Brandenburg Mvt 1). Both set movement form uninterrupted – through composed structure.
works exhibit common features to This is very much inspired from the Hungarian Rhapsody – a
these forms one movement form based on folk and dance music.
Intro – Rondo –series of dances-coda
Kodaly:
Rondo theme Bar 50  Bach’s ritornello – pretty much generates the entire musical
Episode 1 Bar 95 material of the entire 1st movement. Galanta has much
Rondo theme Bar 151 contrasting material appearing throughout – at least 7
Episode 2 Bar 173 contrasting themes – intro, rondo theme and 5 dances
Rondo theme Bar 229
 Bach’s 2nd movement – based on one single theme and
In the final coda after the 5 dance section counter themes stated at outset.
there is also a brief return to the main Rondo
theme  Bach’s 3rd movement – is a fugue. No fugal structure in the
Galanta. Fugue subject/countersubjects generate the entire
 Both pieces use an opening theme music of the movement
that recur several times – with clear
episodes in between  Structure based on sections of Hungarian folk music – i.e.
five dances at the end.
 Both movements utilise sections
based on the contrast tutti and solo  Unlike Bach’s ritornello form there is only a very brief
reference to the main rondo theme at the end of Galanta
Tonality  Both J S Bach and Kodaly are tonal.  Kodaly uses a very stretched tonality through use of
J S Bach, utterly so. Kodaly tonality dissonance, chromaticism, modulating to and through remote
used but more stretched. keys.

 Kodaly Begins A minor – finishes A

minor - considerable tonal journey
in between

 J S Bach F Major – with a change on

tonality for the 2nd movement, but
related D minor (Rel. minor)

Harmony Both the Bach and Kodaly and J S Bach J S Bach - three movement form in F major, with 2nd movement in a
based on diatonicism – BUT treated very related key (D minor). Expected modulations to related keys – very
very differently diatonic throughout.

Note both composers using the cycle of 5ths Harmony used by Bach is functional and diatonic – used to modulate
– Bach significantly more so. to expected keys and back again to the tonic (diatonic). Good
example of this is the key structure of Mvt 1
J S Bach Mvt 1
Bar 32 D minor Kodaly in A minor tonality – A minor. Lots of modulatory surprises
Bar 33 G minor – non diatonic modulations – A minor to G major – Ab minor, to Bb
Bar 33 C major major. Stretching the harmonic language. Abrupt and non-diatonic
Bar 34 F major modulations. Sometimes no modulations at all – moves straight to a
Bar 34 Bb major new key
Bar 35 E minor/dim
Bar 35 A Major Some functional harmony – but more often used for its pure colour
Bar 36 D minor and sound quality – chromatic and complex.

Kodaly Note also Kodaly harmonic language stretched by:

Bar 58 D major i) Bi tonality – bars 425 – 432 – static harmony of F major
Bar 59 G9 in lower strings, with A minor (425) and Eb minor (429)
melodic writing above. Indeed the static F major chord
Bar 60 C (sharp 5)
provides a good link to the opening ritornello of Bach Mvt.
Bar 61 F major 7
1)
 ii) Quartal/Quintal harmony – chords based on 4ths and 5ths
Similar chords are used by both composers – – bars 502 – 509
however Kodaly’s more extended by added iii) Basic harmony with modal/chromatic writing above (bar
notes – 7ths, 9ths, #6ths, b5ths 425 -442)
iv) Complex harmony with simple folk melody above (19 –
49)

Note the almost Debussy-like Bb 7/9 #5 chord bar 169 -172 – used
purely for its colour and sound.

As a result of all of these Kodaly tonal and harmonic world is very

20th century focused and highly contrasted to Bach

Very clear cadences throughout the JS Bach. Very common in the

Bach is the IC V I perfect cadence (at end of all episodes and ritornelli
in Mvt. 1). In Kodaly cadences are present but are much more
disguised through chromatic language and often deliberately avoided.
Melody  Periodic phrasing provides a nice
musical link – in particular the use of
8-bar phrasing. The opening
ritornello in Mvt 1 is an 8 bar phrase.
The main rondo theme of the Kodaly
is also an 8-bar phrase. In addition,
dance themes of Galanta are
periodically phrased – one needs to
dance to them. 2nd Mvt Bach is also
based around a clear 2-bar phrased
melody
In J S Bach many melodies are based around arpeggios – see
opening ritornello. In Kodaly melodies are more scalic – using
minor, chromatic and modal scales (bar 1 opening melody – Dorian
mode) Therefore JS Bach more disjunct – Kodaly more conjunct
Much more free/improvised use of melody in the Kodaly – very
clear in the solo cadenza sections of the movement.
Melody in Kodaly is derived from external folk sources, and are not
completely original. Bach’s melodies not folk-related/dance-like but
are composed by him.

 Both works use ornamentation in Folk melodic feel in Kodaly – dotted, double dotted, lombardic
their melodic lines – particularly rhythms, minor scale combinations and modes (Dorian mode bar 1)
trills, but also acciaccatura. In Bach
often used at key melodic and Melody of Kodaly – much more chromatic throughout.
cadential moments – in Kodaly to
add a folk-like quality and create the
improvised nature of Hungarian folk
music.

 Much use of melodic repetition

through:
i) Repetition
ii) Syncopated melodic writing
iii) Melodic ostinato
iv) Sequence
v) Melodic cell – particularly
recurring idea of rising/falling 3rd
in a similar way to the falling 4th
and rising 3rd Bach ritornello idea
Rhythm, tempo & Both pieces are in different metres:
metre Biggest link rhythmically is in the use of
syncopation – as a significant compositional J S Bach: three movements of separate time signatures 2/2 3/4 2/4
technique used by both composers. Kodaly: generally 2/4 throughout for the dance sections and 4/4 for
the rondo theme moments.
Here are two/three excellent examples of
this: J S Bach – the tempo remains consistent throughout each movement
J S Bach and there are no written changes, rits or accels. Very obvious in mvt.
1 and 3 where each movement drives relentlessly to the end –
Mvt 1 Br 7, 9, 38, Viola part constant 16th note movement.
Mvt 1 Bars 50 – 55 1st Violin
Mvt 3 Bars 33-40 Concertino - Kodaly – very frequent changes of tempo:
episode
Kodaly i) Precisely written in the score
ii) Much rubato feel
Bar 232-33 Syncopated iii) Use of accelerandi
throughout iv) Subito tempo changes between dances
Bar 258 259 Syncopation v) Free rhythmic feel of clarinet cadenza sections
imitated by non-
syncopation - flute
and clarinet Kodaly much more consistently and at times aggressively
Bar 518 Wind & upper syncopated. Some form of syncopation can be found on almost
strings syncopated every page of the Kodaly
against lower
strings/bassoon

Other links as per melody:

Ostinato
Repetition
Texture Both JS Bach and Kodaly use contrapuntal J S Bach is exclusively contrapuntal throughout:
textures – but very differently. i) Imitation is a Baroque device
ii) Invertible counterpoint –Mvt. 3 Fugue and Mvt 1 ritornello
Some links: ideas
iii) Fugal writing – invertible counterpoint through the use of
Use of pedal notes subject and two regular counter subjects
Bach Kodaly iv) Use of canonic techniques
Mvt 1 Bars 3-4 Bar 15-18
Dominant pedal in French Horn octave Kodaly:
ritornello As i) Great variety of instrumental textures
Mvt 1 Bars 70-71 Bars 50 – 55 ii) Canonic-like opening/thematic imitation – bar 6 strings
G pedal in lower 4 French Horn octave iii) Monophonic opening
ripieno strings Bs iv) Imitation – bar 421
Mvt 3 Bars119 – Bars 93-99 v) Unison textures – particularly of dance themes
125. Trumpet. Pizz Bass Eb vi) Variety of homophonic moments homophony and melody
Mvt 3 Last 4 bars Bars 151 – 156 dominated homophony
Ripieno Violone & Trilling timpani A
Violoncello Bars 283 -298 Texture Bar number Instrument
Timpani F Monophonic 1-5 Violoncello
10-14 French horn
Imitation Unison 233-235 Clarinet, bassoon,
Bach Kodaly violas and cellos
Mvt Bar 32 -35 Bar 6-8 Homophonic 134-137 Most instruments
Imitation through a Canonic imitation
canon at the 5th in upper strings Melody dominated Bar 50 - 65 Solo clarinet with
below homophony accompanying
Mvt 2 Bars 1 – 6 Bar 241 – violin II strings
Imitative entries at & viola Antiphonal 299-315 Between brass
the unison and 8ve woodwind &
Mvt 3 Bar 393-402 strings
Entirely based on Flute and bassoon Imitative 390 -424 Cross the entire
imitation and fugal imitation orchestra – over
entries lots of pedal notes
Contrapuntal 283 -298 3-part counterpoint
Instrumentation Both pieces are written for a full string Significant contrasts here in use of instrumentation.
section. However, Kodaly uses a traditional
double bass and Bach a Violone. J S Bach
i) Baroque Concerto Grosso
ii) Use of concertino and ripieno instruments
iii) Unusual group of concertino
iv) Use of basso continuo both functionally and sound

Kodaly

i) Rich orchestral colour

ii) Non-standard orchestral instruments
iii) Addition of percussion for additional colour
iv) Much more soloistic and virtuosic writing for solo
instruments and orchestral sections
v) Greater variety of orchestral textures

Dynamics A very different approach to the use of J S Bach:

dynamics can be found – therefore there are
no real direct links here. i) No real dynamic markings given by J S Bach
ii) Terraced dynamic are produce by contrasting ripieno and
concertino sections

Kodaly:

i) Very detailed and specific instructions given to dynamics

ii) Often detailed to the level of every single instrument
iii) Use of extreme dynamic contrast - subito
iv) Dramatic crescendos and decrescendos
v) Much use of accents and specific bowing instructions
A study in the similarities and differences between Kodaly’s Dances from Galanta and J. S
Bach’s 2nd Brandenburg Concerto.