Béla Bartók, the composer, died in New York in 1945, isolated and impoverished, five years after fleeing Europe.
Composition History
Bartók dedicated his Violin Concerto No.2 to the great violinist Zoltán Székely, who was the leader of the Hungarian Quartet and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.
Composition History
Bartók's Violin Concerto No.1 was inspired by his unrequited love for the young violinist Stefi Geyer, whom he met at the Budapest Academy.
Notable Performances
The Violin Concerto No.1 remained unpublished during Bartók's lifetime and was only premiered in Basel in 1958 by Hansheinz Schneeberger, after its discovery by conductor Paul Sacher.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bartók's personal style balanced diatonicism and chromaticism, sophisticated art music and folk music, and rigorous yet free contrapuntal technique.
Critical Reception
Bartók's music, known for its dense sound and unique rhythm and harmony, was only truly recognized and celebrated after his death.
Composition History
The Violin Concerto No.1 was conceived by Bartók as an idealized portrait of Stefi Geyer, symbolized by a four-note leitmotif.
You might also enjoy...
Bartók: Violin Concerto No.2, Sz 112 / Moret: En rêve
John Adams: Violin Concerto
Chin: Violin Concerto No. 1
Barber: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 14
Guy Braunstein: Abbey Road Concerto (EP)
Rochberg: Violin Concerto
Khachaturian: Violin Concerto & Concerto Rhapsody
Ades: Violin Concerto
American Classics: William Schuman
John Williams: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
Shapira: Concierto Latino
Khachaturian, A.I.: Violin Concerto / Concerto-Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra
