*Composer Spotlight*
He is most known for studying folk music from various cultures and making it known to all of us. The name for this kind of study is
Ethnomusicology. He then wrote these folk songs from Hungary, Bulgaria and other countries into his music. He discovered that a lot of the folk songs he listened to were based on the pentatonic scale, much like Eastern music, and wrote songs in that style for the piano, orchestra, opera and more. One of his closest colleagues was Zoltan Kodaly who was also keenly interested in folk music. Together they created a body of music that is often used in childhood music education today.
Bartok also wrote educational music. Mikrokosmos is a set of six books containing over one hundred teaching songs in progressive order from beginner to advanced. The pieces in Mikrokosmos were originally written for Bartok's son, Peter's piano training. For Children is a set of two books containing beautiful, unique sounding songs playable by young pianists.
Like many other famous pianists, Bartok believed in the importance of singing as a means to becoming an artistic pianist. When he began teaching his son, the first several lessons consisted only of singing so that he could learn proper phrasing and musical line. Accounts from other students of Bartok mention Bartok's amazing skill of phrasing and creating a musical line. He knew how music was intended to sound and was good at playing it that way.
Bartok left a lasting legacy through his research and promotion of folk music from various countries and also through his educational books and music that many children encounter in their formative years of piano study.
Ethnomusicology. He then wrote these folk songs from Hungary, Bulgaria and other countries into his music. He discovered that a lot of the folk songs he listened to were based on the pentatonic scale, much like Eastern music, and wrote songs in that style for the piano, orchestra, opera and more. One of his closest colleagues was Zoltan Kodaly who was also keenly interested in folk music. Together they created a body of music that is often used in childhood music education today.
Bartok also wrote educational music. Mikrokosmos is a set of six books containing over one hundred teaching songs in progressive order from beginner to advanced. The pieces in Mikrokosmos were originally written for Bartok's son, Peter's piano training. For Children is a set of two books containing beautiful, unique sounding songs playable by young pianists.
Like many other famous pianists, Bartok believed in the importance of singing as a means to becoming an artistic pianist. When he began teaching his son, the first several lessons consisted only of singing so that he could learn proper phrasing and musical line. Accounts from other students of Bartok mention Bartok's amazing skill of phrasing and creating a musical line. He knew how music was intended to sound and was good at playing it that way.
Bartok left a lasting legacy through his research and promotion of folk music from various countries and also through his educational books and music that many children encounter in their formative years of piano study.
Edward MacDowell (1860–1908)
Edward MacDowell was an American composer in the romantic time period. His most popular piece is To A Wild Rose from his Woodland Sketches.
-- When was the romantic time period?
-- Can you name another composer who was also from this period?
-- When was the romantic time period?
-- Can you name another composer who was also from this period?