Bela Bartók

Wednesday 12 January 2011

Profession: Pianist, Composer

Country of Origin: Hungary

Country of Asylum: United States of America

Date of birth: 25 March 1881

Died: September 1945



Hungarian composer Bela Bartók is known as one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. He began performing at the age of 11. His first compositions revealed the influence of Liszt, Brahms and Strauss, but most of his inspiration came from exploring national folk music. Using folk elements and traditional techniques, Bartók achieved an original modern style that has had a great impact on 20th-century music. He became known for his compositions for piano (such as "Mikrokosmos", 1926-27), for violin ("Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta", 1936), and for orchestra ("Concerto for Orchestra", 1943).

Bartók firmly opposed the rise of Nazism, the persecution of the Jews and the banning of their work.

He was not a Jew, but said he was ready to become one just to protest against the persecution which was extending itself to Austria and Hungary.

One of his famous sentences was: “My main idea, which dominates me entirely, is the brotherhood of man over and above all conflicts ... This is why I am open to influence by any fresh and healthy outside sources, be they Slovak, Romanian, Arabic or other,”

So, when war took over Europe, he reluctantly decided to run away to the United States in 1940.

He received an honorary PhD from Columbia University, and continued with folk song research as a visiting assistant in Music until 1942.

In September 1945 he died, leaving  the last 17 bars of his "Concerto for Viola" unfinished. His works were performed more often during the years following his death than during his entire lifetime. In 1988, 43 years after his death, his remains were brought back to Hungary for a state funeral.



Diogo Andrade