CCCXXXIX. BARTÓK, Béla: Mikrokosmos

CCCXXXIX. BARTÓK, Béla (1881-1945)

Mikrokosmos (1926-39)
Chris Breemer, piano
(2:34:28)

Chris has helpfully provided time links to all 153 pieces!

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Volume One

#1-2:

#15-16:

Note how the hand positions are helpfully notated above ...

#32:

Teaching modes:

Volume Two

#51:

Introducing distant key sigs, distinct left- and right-hand parts, and beautiful music:

#59:

Introducing bitonality:

Volume Three

#70:

Learning to coordinate hands, and play a melody against double notes:

#79:

A lovely "homage" to Bach, but with happy dissonance you won't find in the Inventions, for example ...

#96:

Lots of fingering to learn:

Volume Four

#104:

Key changes:

#107:

Beautiful cluster chords -- *

* Chris makes a slight mistake in bar 30 ...

#113:

Gotta learn to play in seven!

#115:

Not to mention five!

Volume Five

#124:

A nice exercise in playing staccato, plus phrases in stretto:

#130:

Not sure what the "joke" is, but this introduces quintuplet rhythm and some cool thumb clusters.

#134:

Valuable study in playing double notes with constantly changing fingering:

#139:

Andrew is definitely "merry." The 3-4 / 2-4 fingering (bars 22-23, et seq.) will definitely help you when you dig into some Mozart ...

Volume Six

#141:

"Subject and Reflection." Playing moving figures while holding down a note; lots of tempo changes; nice dissonances:

#146:

Reaching the top difficulty now.

Parts of this foreshadow the Concerto for Orchestra [see Post CV]

#151:

An unusual time signature: 3+2+3/8. The math comes out to 8/8 or 4/4 or 2/2 time. Why not write it in 4/4?

Because throughout the piece, the rhythm is 3+2+3 -- not 2+2+2+2, as might be expected in a normal 4/4 meter.

Bartók frequently wrote music in these type of meters: