Béla Bartók

Béla Bartók (1881-1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, ethnomusicologist, and teacher whose impact on modern music was immense. Developing a personal style from the influences of Richard Strauss and Claude Debussy, the young Bartók wrote music of a strongly chromatic, richly harmonic, and intensely lyrical nature. In time, through collecting the indigenous music of Hungary and surrounding countries, Bartók expanded his musical vocabulary to include folk rhythms, melodies, and modes, and composed works imbued with a pronounced Eastern European flavor. He is best known for his six string quartets, the Concerto for orchestra, and Music for strings, percussion, and celesta. ~ Blair Sanderson, Rovi