A sonata in two movements

摘要

Along with Franz Liszt, Bela Bartok, who died in 1945, is regarded as one of Hungary's greatest composers. Many consider his six string quartets, completed between 1908 and 1939, to be second only to Beethoven's. Though not as atonal as the work of many of his contemporaries, such as Arnold Schoenberg and Alban Berg, Bar-tok's compositions can be heavy-going, combining influences from Hungarian folk, jazz and Arabic music. In this weighty tome, David Cooper of Leeds University digs into Bartok's life, interlacing his discussion of the compositions with wider discussions of politics and culture.