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The Miraculous Mandarin
Suite.
Béla Bart6k, Op. 19
Meno mosso d= 100
meses
ef tee f
Example 1
Allegra «
Bartok - Miraculous Mandarin Example 2
13] Moderato d=116
Rubato
inA =
—— aan =
Pp collapane
; poco rit
F = a tempo Sn
— #2
10 a tempo poco rit
a == == SO
1S.
agitato (come sopra) poco rit. (73) atempo
SS ee mpe Pe
sempre pit agitato
19
7 pe eee
?- —* ° a *
6 ope tee - ¥ et
Oe SoS : =
Ss SoS 23. 2
‘The music to the ballet The Miraculous Mandarin is starts out depicting a busy street—lots of biting energy
quite complicated. It seems as though the tempo changes with repeated, staccato eighth notes, etc. After a few
almost every other measure. To make things even worse, measures we get to EXAMPLE 1. In measure 15 use “long”
the metronome indications aren't in the parts. The piece F-sharp [LH 142, RH 14243, pinky E-flat] and finger the
8
:
Bart6k - Miraculous Mandarin 4 3
G [LH 142, RH 142, pinky B-flat). In the next measure
finger the G [LH 2+3, RH 1+2, pinky E-flat) and then the
A-flat (LH 243, RH 2, pinky E-flat). At rehearsal number
5 (measure 22) finger the G [LH 2, RH bottom side key],
Probably the best fingerings for the first two notes in
measure 25 are G-sharp [LH 2+3, RH 143, pinky C-
sharp] and F-sharp [LH 2]. @
EXAMPLE 2 is the first of three extended passages
that involve one, two, or three clarinets. This. passage,
accompanied by a soft, sustained note in the bass clarinet,
is mostly for the first clarinet alone. Finger the C's nor-
‘mally except with the addition of the left-hand pinky E.
The G's can also be resonated by adding [RH 1+2], but
this might result in a lack of smoothness in the slur. Each
accent should be with the breath, rather than the tongue,
and each should be slightly more excited and urgent than
the preceding one. For the phrase in measures 4 and 5 it's
best to make the B the most important note so that the
same can be done with the next phrase (measures 6 and 7).
Also, make an even quintuplet in measure 6 (not 2+3 or
342). At rehearsal number 14 play what the part says but
Example 3
Vivace 4.
32-120
[ai
inBb
8
bbe sure the last G can still be heard. There should be an
accelerando and a crescendo all the way to measure 12
with the Ioudest note being the A-flat. This is best fin-
gered (LH A-flat key+3, RH 1] Also, keep in mind that all
the a tempos are quarter note = 116. I rebeamed the trip-
Jets in measures 13 through 15 so that you can keep the
Se Pe a a
38
6
‘The beginning of EXAMPLE 3 leads into the second
exposed passage. It stats out with the first player alone.
As you can see, the tempo is slightly slower than the first
passage (Example 2). Do the same kind of accents as in
Example 2. You can resonate the A in measure 15 (LH A
Key+2+34pinky E key] if it doesn’t spol the slur. Try not
to accent the first note of measure 16, and wait to cres-
cendo until you are going down to the D half note. The
part doesn't indicate it, but I think you should drop back a
litle in measure 17 so that you can make a better eres-
ccendo. Make sure to play the G-sharp in measure 18 quite
loud. The next thing is the “hairpins” in measure 20; treat
them more like accents. Be sure to play the sf in measure
21 but also be sure to drop back to piano for the rest of
the note, The same is true of the next measure and you can
take a litle time to play the 32nds if you like. The second
player plays triplets during the third and fourth beats of
measure 23 50 just hook your note onto whatever he or
she does.
At rehearsal number 23 we have Pitt mosso. Try to
‘observe all the metronome marks in the next few meas-
Sostenuto J=80
P
lures. As you can see, there are ten in the space of eleven
measures! Everything is there; you only have to do what
the music tells you. At rehearsal number 24 finger the D-
flat (LH 1 (no thumb), RH 1 on bottom side key] for the
‘tremolo, then use the normal fingering for the dotted six-
teenth note. As you can see, the last beat of measure 31
goes about half as fast as the first two beats so it sounds
like a 2/4 measure in the tempo of measure 32. The sec-
‘ond player has six notes on the first beat of measure 35.
tis traditional (fortunately) to slow down for meas-
ures 37 and 38. The bass clarinet has two eighth notes
during each of the quarter rests, which helps a little to set
up the runs. To make things even more difficult, both the
first and second parts are in unison (or are supposed to
bbe). The way we did this passage in the Boston Symphony
Orchestra was to rub the left-hand first finger on the side
Of the nose ahead of time to get some skin oil on the finger
and make it slippery. Finger the D-sharps the same as high
C plus open the throat A Key. Then slide the left-hand first
finger (hence the oi) down to its normal position for the
B's and back up for the D-sharps. Try to make the dis-
Barték ~ Miraculous Mandarin
oo 6
tinction between the sextuplets and the straight 32nds. itself. Actually, it’s probably not supposed to be together,
Finally, it always helped me to concentrate on the first but it’s fun to try.
triplet of the sextuplet and let the second one take care of
Example 4
Vivace d. = 132-120
in Bb
Sostenuto =116
P
= molto >
17, Pid mosso J=116
Pid mosso d=116
ned a a
EN
7g (32) Asia d=108 accel - = = = = altar. al
yy SS ==> »p
Molto agitato J=120 X 4 7
[33] @ tempo J=132
z
P v f
Bart6k — Miraculous Mandarin Maestoso d=76-66
aM
ef
a>
sr poco alae. [36]
—f>P
allarg. at
cia =r =ff>P
— fff =F —= ff —f — rr =F
Bart6k — Miraculous Mandarin EXAMPLE 4 jis the third passage. For this one the
second player has switched to E-flat clarinet and the third
is playing clarinet. This is the “set-up” in this piece: sec-
ond clarinet doubles on E-flat and D, and third clarinet
doubles on bass. Once again we have all the metronome
‘marks, The sextuplet in measure 16 should be felt as
2+2+2. Note the molto inside the “hairpins.” All of the
“sinuous” sixteenth-note passages in measures 19, 22, and
23 are joined together between both players (first and
third here) so try to get as smooth a “splice” as possible.
Example 5
inA =
a
molto _rit,
a tempo J=69 (pi lent) Q
J=88 ritard. - molto
=
i>
Measures 24 and 25 should be played forte. D-7°t di-
minuendo until it says to do so. This passage als> nas an
important piano part that intertwines with the clarinet
parts. If possible, itis a good idea to go over it with the
Pianist before the first rehearsal. I can’t see anytiing that
requires any explanation for the rest of the exarz!s. It's
‘not that it's easy; it's just that everything is already written
down in the part. Just be careful about the meonome
marks. Actually, from here on the part is not especially
tricky. It's very difficult, bt quite straightforward.
dim. > 3
pocoaccel al ~~
(46)
tf
Pid vivo d=92
10
?——_ ff ——
EXAMPLE 5 is a little, exposed passage that comes
later in the piece. Play the sustained F-sharp quietly, then
‘come out again for the quintuplet in measure 4. From
Example 6
Allegretto J=96
50)
inA =
nf
Bartsk ~ Miraculous Mandarin
rall. molto ~
a tempo 4=69
PP
there on, everything up to rehearsal number 46 is marcato.
Don’t miss the little “stop” in measure 6, The end of the
scale in measure 12 is a solo so take your time with it.
= > a poco allargando
—f nf —=f f§—=yf f—f
EXAMPLE 6 is all very marcato up to measure 7 even tures. The tempo of all these is quarter note = 64. One
though it’s slurred. After the 5/8, which probably will be place to watch out for is measure 25. Somebody always
grouped as 2+3, all the quarters of the 3/4 measures are seems to play the last beat too soon. Count!
equal to the dotted quarters ofthe 3/8, 6/8, and 9/8 meas-
Example 7
"Et we GD.
Pia Allegro (ort) d=t08, pid yieodenta
fia es x re fin ¢ter- fiee Phe
9 oe oo Oe CO
fin step fim step fino titer
grey = y Sects SS]
LO aoe See
ne ——_~ aa ————_ ——~.
6i
—.
pt)
Bart6k — Miraculous Mandarin 10
accelerando : a : -
- - at d=i32
20>
EXAMPLE 7 is difficult because of the high B's. One ‘The hard partis getting the F-sharp to pop up to the A. If
‘way to finger them is to finger the F-sharp (LH 2] then the you can do that, the B is easy. Once you get to the Pil
A (LH 2+3] then the B [LH throat A key 2+3, RH 142]. allegro the rest ofthe example is just fast notes.
Example 8
[56] Sempre vivace J=132 —
in Bb, =
Bart6k - Miraculous Mandarin u
Sempre vivace d=132-138
41 reve)
sempre simile
crésc. 3
Bartok - Miraculous Mandarin TT
poco allargando a tempo
atone
B
i
i:
iff pce)
EXAMPLE 8 always reminds me of Sherman Walt,
the legendary first bassoon player of the Boston Sym.
Phony Orchestra for many years. When we got to this
Place in rehearsals he would always let off some war
‘whoops! In fact, he'd often do it at concerts t00, but not
quite as loud! Anyway, that’s the kind of music itis: fast,
loud, and wild. A student of mine, who now plays princi
pal clarinet in a professional orchestra, got his job partly
because he could play this example—so it's a good idea to
ear it. Other than the notes, there's nothing very hard
about it until you get to rehearsal number 71. At that point
the triplet figures are sometimes on the beat and some-
‘Bart6k ~ Miraculous Mandarin
times off the beat. Sometimes they're separated by two or
three beats of rest, and sometimes not. The 5/4 measure
before rehearsal number 72 is usually 243, but not always.
In the measure before rehearsal number 73, finger the F-
sharp [LH 1+2, RH bottom side key) (“squeak B-flat”
fingering) and the G-sharp [LH thumb, RH bottom side
key]. Fortunately, the poco allargando in the measure
before rehearsal number 74 is usually a big one. From
there to the end is lots of fun. The audiences always love
it, Besides, if the conductor hasn't forgotten by now, the
clarinet section usually gets a well-deserved bow!
