DCXCIV. BARTÓK, Béla: The Wooden Prince

DCXCIV. BARTÓK, Béla (1881-1945)

The Wooden Prince (1914-16)
1. Curtain
2. Dance of the princess in the forest
3. The prince starts on his way
4. Dance of the trees -- Stuggle-dance
5. Restored from his lassitude the prince walks / Dance of the waves -- an idea enters his mind
6. Anxious suspense
7. Dance of the princess with the wooden puppet
8. The prince behind in great despair. The fairy steps out of the forest
9. The fairy takes curly golden hair
10. The princess in her endeavour to make him dance
11. The princess tries to persuade the prince to her side to dance with her
12. Quite alarmed, the princess hurries toward him
13. Yet the prince persists and finally embraces her. Long kiss.
Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra
András Kórodi, cond.
(41:43)

"A prince comes across a princess in the midst of a flower garden, by a brook in the forest. The Fairy of Nature had just then driven the princess back into her palace. The prince tries to reach her but is prevented by the forest and the brook. Thereupon he carves a wooden puppet, adorned with his robe and crown and even cuts off his hair and puts it on the puppet's head. The ruse is successful. The decorated lures the princess out from her palace and she only has eyes for him. The love-lorn prince stands before her divested and bereft, in vain. The princess flees to the puppet in horror. At the fairy's command, however, the puppet becomes animated and begins a dance of fearsome demonical character. The princess dances with it and the broken, disillusioned prince remains alone. Nature takes pity on his sorrow. At the fairy's command, the trees and flowers bow before him, and adorn him with a crown of flowers. Meanwhile, the wooden puppet stumbles like a run-down toy and the princess grows weary of it. Now she notices the prince and would go to him but it is now she who is prevented by the forces of nature. She will only become worthy of the prince's love if she, too, voluntarily gives up her crown as sign of repentance. Nature raises both of them to herself." -- József Ujfalussy