Between fragments and completion

This work examines Béla Bartók's unfinished Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (1945), commissioned by William Primrose. The starting point is the complex source situation with thirteen sketch sheets documenting both Bartók's handwriting and the necessity of editorial interventions. The focus is on the historical context of the work, the critical analysis of the sources and a musical analysis of the form, thematic, harmonic and orchestration. The work reveals Bartók's characteristic language, but also points out breaks and uncertainties. Due to its importance in the viola repertoire, the concerto has particular relevance for performance practice. It appears as a hybrid work that constantly unfolds anew in the field of tension between fragment and completion, authenticity and intervention.