A Context for Bela Bartok on the Eve of World War II: The Violin ...

epercussions Spring-Fall 1996
primarily the highly refined complexity of this synthesis,
not simply its presence, that emerges as the most enduring
conceptual difference between Bart6k and his Hungarian
nationalist predecessors.
• s ..
In 1937, in direct response to the racism inherent in growing
ultranationalism, Bart6k admitted in print that rigid distinctions
between various folk styles are generally the fabrication
of aggressive nationalists. In his essay "Folk Song
Research and Nationalism," he wrote:
It cannot be denied that the impulse to begin folk-song research .. .is
attributable to the awakening of national feeling. The discovery of
the values of folklore and folk music excited the national pride,
and ... the members of each nation were convinced that the possession
of such treasures was their only and particular privilege .... But
soon these nations encountered some disappointments: .. .it was impossible
to avoid coming into contact now and then with some aspect
of the neighboring nation's cultural treasure. And so the trouble
began. The offended national sentiment had to defend itself somehow,
and-offended by the fact that the neighboring nation was also
in possession of the treasure that up to that time had been considered
ancient, original national property-did so by claiming priority .... It
is regrettable that the ideological tensions of our time further the
spread of morbid one-sidedness instead of promoting an unbiased
view .... Even if musical folklore is very indebted to nationalism,
today's ultranationalism does it such harm as many times exceeds its
benefits.59
In 1942, Bart6k phrased virtually the same idea even more
strongly:
There is much talk these days, mostly <strong>for</strong> political reasons, about the
purity and impurity of the human race, the usual implication being
59. <strong>Bela</strong> Bart6k, "Nepdalkutatas es nacionalizmus" (Folk-song research
and nationalism), Tiikor 3, no. 3 (1937): 173-81; reprinted in Bart6k Bila
osszegyiijtott irasai I, ed. Andras Sz6116sy (Budapest: Zenemukiad6
Vallalat, 1966), 597-600. My translation mainly follows that in <strong>Bela</strong> Bart6k
Essays, 25-28.
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