Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta / Divertimento and Other Works

Featuring

Jean-Jacques Kantorow
Hanna Juutilainen
Tapiola Sinfonietta
Béla Bartók
Paul Arma

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Historical Context

Bartók's anti-chauvinist attitude is evident in his collection of folk music from Hungary, Romania, and other Balkan countries, despite facing criticism in Budapest for using Romanian melodies.

Compositional Technique

Bartók's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta features a unique symmetry, not only in musical structure but also in the specified seating plan of the ensemble.

Performer Biography

Jean-Jacques Kantorow, the conductor, is a highly awarded violinist, having won about ten international prizes between 1962 and 1968, including the Carl Flesch and Sibelius competitions.

Composer Biography

Béla Bartók was not only a great composer but also a pioneer in ethnomusicology, tirelessly collecting folk music before modern media influenced ancient musical traditions.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Bartók's mature style combines three ways of using folk material: arrangements beyond mere harmonization, longer works developing ethnic sources, and music displaying folk characteristics without specific melodies.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Bartók's research led to the 'discovery' of authentic Hungarian folk music, correcting the long-held misconception that it was identical to gypsy band music.

Compositional Technique

The Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta employs a refined orchestration with unusual sonic effects, such as timpani glissandi and glissandi from the harp, piano, and celesta.