Analysis of selected Scottish-influenced art music works within the framework of Bela Bartok's categorization

Abstract

Scottish folk music, like all folk traditions, has played a crucial role in shaping national identity, serving as both a cultural artefact and an artistic influence. In classical music, folk traditions have often been preserved through arrangements and adaptations, yet the interaction between folk and classical idioms is more complex than mere quotation. This research seeks to investigate how Scottish folk music has influenced classical composition, focusing on the implicit transmission of folk elements rather than direct melodic quotation. The primary framework for this study is Bela Bartok's tripartite classification of folk music's influence on classical composition, as explained in The Influence of Peasant Music on Modern Music. While Bartok's theory has been widely applied in the context of Eastern European music, it has not yet been systematically used to examine Scottish music before. By employing this model, this research has categorised Scottish- influenced classical compositions into three distinct types and, more importantly, established a refined third category that challenges conventional understandings of folk-inspired music. The key contribution of this research was to demonstrate that folk music could permeate classical compositions without direct quotation - a process often overlooked in previous studies. Rather than viewing folk influence as mere borrowing, this study explored how Scottish folk idioms, including rhythmic patterns, modal structures, and textural features, were subtly manifested within classical works and how these elements were embodied in classical compositions. The relationship between folk and classical music has been extensively studied in various contexts. Early research on Scottish folk music's integration into classical works focused on arrangements and adaptations of traditional melodies. Prominent examples include Beethoven's and Haydn's Scottish Song Arrangements and Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony, all of which incorporate direct references to folk tunes. However, these works fall into Bartók's first two categories and do not fully account for more nuanced forms of folk music integration. Existing studies have examined composers influenced by Scottish folk music and identified explicit quotations of folk melodies, yet there has been little systematic analysis of works that embody folk characteristics without quoting specific tunes. This gap in the literature is where this study intervenes. Additionally, Bartók's theoretical framework has been applied primarily to Hungarian, Romanian, and Slovak folk music. This research contributes to the literature on folk- classical music interactions by extending Bartók's model and refining his third category as it applies to compositions that exhibit Scottish qualities without directly borrowing folk material. A significant number of examples were found during the analysis of selected pieces for the third category. By addressing this gap, the study broadens the application of Bartók's framework and offers a deeper understanding of how Scottish folk traditions subtly permeate classical compositions. This approach xvii provides a foundation for future research on implicit folk influences and encourages a reevaluation of how cultural identity is expressed in classical music. This study applies Béla Bartók's threefold classification of folk influence on classical music to Scottish repertoire. It focuses on Category 3 "Subconscious Folk Influence" highlighting works that do not directly quote folk melodies but embody Scottish characteristics through modality, rhythm, ornamentation, and instrumentation. Key examples include Hamish MacCunn's The Land of the Mountain and the Flood and James MacMillan's Tryst, which convey Scottish identity through modal harmonies, rhythmic gestures like the "Scottish snap," and drone-like pedal points reminiscent of bagpipes. The research also explores how features such as open intervals, repetitive phrasing, and folk dance forms subtly evoke oral folk traditions. By analyzing melodic, harmonic, and formal traits, this study proposes a new lens for identifying implicit folk elements in classical works, expanding our understanding of how folk idioms shape musical expression beyond direct quotation. This research establishes a foundational model for future studies on how folk traditions are assimilated into classical compositions beyond direct quotation. By demonstrating how folk music can influence classical language on a subconscious level, it bridges ethnomusicology and music analysis together. Ultimately, this study contributes to a broader understanding of Scottish musical identity and encourages a more nuanced approach to examining cross-genre musical interactions.