Béla Bartók

Biography

Much of the music that you hear in modern movies has its roots in the sonic landscapes that were pioneered by Béla Bartók. His inventive use of orchestration, harmony, structure and melody still sound fresh and exciting to this day. Born in Hungary in 1881, Bartók was largely considered to be a child prodigy. Bartók frequently remarked that his own melodies were like “imaginary folk tunes”; and as a result most of his compositions exhibit an air of otherworldliness.

Béla had an intense love of folk music, particularly Hungarian and eastern European folk music. He traveled incessantly for a number of years where he wrote very little. He spent those years recording and transcribing folk tunes with a wax-based recording device. Béla Bartók was a complete musician and composer, meaning he had very little interest in other activities outside of music. His concerto for orchestra is one of the most loved (by audiences and orchestras alike) and frequently performed pieces composed in the 20th century. Béla Bartók spent his last years in New York City where he wrote some of his most beloved compositions.