Dénes Várjon Photo: Adam Chamber Music Festival
Although Bartók first studied the piano, this Suite along with the later-composed Sonata are his only major works for the instrument. And despite his speciality in folk music and his significance as an ethno-musicologist, his Suite Op 14 does not contain any of these folk tunes, but is an entirely original composition.
The use of different modes, whole tone scales and chromatic harmonies is what gives this work its distinct 'Bartókian' flavour.
Recorded in Nelson Centre of Musical Arts by RNZ
Sound engineer: Darryl Stack
