Juan María Braceras, a versatile violinist, began studying at age 11 in Brazil and was appointed first violin of the Orquestra Sinfônica da Bahia at 18.
Performer Biography
Nathan Kirzon, born into a family of musicians, started violin at age four and made his debut performance with his brother and the Hamburger Solisten chamber orchestra at age 12.
Composer Biography
At 35, Béla Bartók embarked on a journey through Eastern Europe to collect and record rural village melodies, driven by a passion to preserve disappearing cultural traditions.
Interpretation
The performers, Juan María Braceras and Nathan Kirzon, aim to evoke the spirit of the folk traditions in Bartók's duets, prioritizing expression and connection over technical precision.
Compositional Technique
Bartók's 44 Duos for Two Violins are not simple transcriptions of the folk tunes he collected, but rather a reimagining of those traditions filtered through his unique musical language.
Instruments
Juan María Braceras plays a 1718 Jacques Bocquay, Vieux Paris violin, which is on loan from Stiftung Pirolo.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Béla Bartók viewed folk music not just as inspiration, but as the living, breathing foundation of music itself, going to the heart of traditions to gather melodies like seeds for his compositions.
You might also enjoy...
Ysayë: 6 Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op.27
Bartók: 44 Duos for 2 Violins, Sz. 98 - Vivaldi: Sonata in F Major, RV 70
