Bela Bartok – Some Interesting Facts About His Life
March 3, 2011Several of the world’s great composers showed great potential at an early age. Bela Bartok, the Hungarian composer, was no exception. He gave a piano recital for friends of his family when he was four years old, playing music he had composed himself.
The early years of Bartok’s musical profession were spent as a concert pianist. As a composer and pianist he was outstanding but decided to forsake the public life to become the head of piano teaching at the Budapest Institute of Music. This was a position that he filled for 25 years. As part of his teaching he wrote many educational studies which were variations on the works of other famous composers.
Although well regarded for his orchestral and solo violin and piano works, Bartok had a predilection for the folk music of different countries, but particularly that of Hungary. Much of his knowledge of this type of music is reputed to have been derived from listening to a Hungarian folk singer.
Unfortunately the political struggles in Europe prior to the outbreak of World War II meant that it was impossible for Bartok to remain in Hungary. Along with a large number of his compatriots he emigrated to America in 1940. This gave him the opportunity to study the work of other composers whom he might not have had contact with.
The composer wrote a few dramatic works which were not quite as popular as his orchestral, piano and chamber music compositions. The music elite in his country at the time were fairly conventional and didn’t take too kindly to some of his ballets. One in fact was banned after its first performance as its subject matter was considered to be in poor taste.
He had quite strong political views, disapproving of the Nazi parties which were gaining a stronghold in Germany and Italy. His feelings on this matter extended to the point of him refusing to allow the performances of any of his works in those countries. He was also suspended from his post at the Institute because of his outspokenness about the political situation in Hungary.
Although he lived in America for the last years of his life, the contribution Bela Bartok made to music was recognized in Budapest by the creation of a museum dedicated to him and his work. It is housed in a former residence of his in Budapest. As a pianist and composer he is now thought of as one of the finest that Hungary has produced.
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