Search - Bartok, Jando :: Mikrokosmos

Bartók wrote Mikrokosmos, a series of 153 pieces, to help his son Peter learn the piano. (Peter wound up as a distinguished recording engineer.) It starts with music on the simplest possible level and progresses up through the virtuoso level. Once past the very easiest pieces of Book 1, it is also a wonderful series of piano miniatures in a wide variety of styles, making fascinating listening one book at a time. Jenö Jandó plays very well throughout, although he misses a few points he might have picked up had he listened to Bartók's own recordings of some of the pieces. Still a recommendable set, especially with the mono recording by Bartók's pupil Gyorgy Sandor (CBS Masterworks MP2K 52528). --Leslie Gerber