Bela Bartok, a great Hungarian composer

He was greatly influenced by his country’s folk music

Bela Bartok was born on 25th March 1881 in the village of Nagyszentmiklos in Hungary. However, the upheavals caused by wars and other events in Central Europe in the intervening years mean that this village, and several other places associated with Bartok, are no longer in Hungary. His birth village is now in Romania and named Sannicolaul-Mare.

Bartok’s father was the director of an agricultural college and a talented amateur pianist, although he died when Bela was only seven. Along with his younger sister, Bela spent his early life moving from place to place as his mother tried to find permanent work as a teacher. His health was poor, and childhood illnesses stunted his growth and prevented him from mixing with people of his own age.

Bela showed early musical ability and he began composing at the age of nine. He gave his first concert as a pianist when aged ten.

He entered the Budapest Music Academy in 1898 but ill health forced him to interrupt his studies three times and he gave up composing until 1902, when he discovered the music of Richard Strauss which inspired him to produce a flood of new pieces, including the “Kossuth” Symphony.