Mikrokosmos
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- For the 1996 movie, see Microcosmos
Béla Bartók's
composition for
piano Mikrokosmos Sz. 107, BB 105 consists of 153 progressive pieces in six volumes written between 1926 and 1939. The individual pieces progress from very easy and simple beginner etudes to very difficult advanced technical displays, and are used in modern piano lessons and education. In total, according to Bartók, the
piece "appears as a synthesis of all the musical and technical problems which were treated and in some case only partially solved in the previous piano works." Volumes one and two are dedicated to his son Péter, while volumes five and six are intended as professionally performable concert pieces.
[Carpenter, Alexander [AllMusic.com: Mikrokosmos], Retrieved 01:10, April 2, 2005 (UTC)]
- Volumes I-II: Pieces 1-36 and 37-66, beginner
- Volumes III-IV: Pieces 67-96 and 97-121, moderate to advanced
- Volumes V-VI: 122-139 and 140-153, professional
The opening (mm. 1-14) of "Boating" (VI, 125) is typical of the modernist compositional techniques used in the later volumes, featuring the
bimodal use of the
pentatonic collection on E♭ in the right hand and either G
mixolydian or
dorian collections in the left:
Volume VI contains the "Six Dances In Bulgarian Rhythm", dedicated to Miss Harriet Cohen. Bulgarian rhythm is one in which the beats in each bar are of unequal length. For example, the first dance (148) is grouped into 4+2+3 quavers in each bar.
References
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