(September 2021)
Episode 354 of the “opus project” is BÉLA BARTÓK. A solid and important composer of the early 20th Century, and one of the famous two Hungarian pianists (along with Lizst), but was less avant-garde than I had expected. He sought out and composed folk songs from many traditions in central Europe, foreshadowing the field of ethnomusicology.
Favorite piece: Violin Concerto No. 2
Favorite chamber piece: Sonata for two pianos and percussion
Favorite stage work: The Miraculous Mandarin
Compared to expectations: same
Recommendation: if you are exploring composers of the early 20th century, there are many to get to before him
Opus Project 