Search - Bartok, Jarvi, Philharmonia Orchestra :: Wooden Prince

Bartók had two distinct personalities as a composer--one private, the other very much public. The ballet The Wooden Prince (1917) was one of the most public works Bartók wrote and was an immense success. In it, he intentionally merges his own Hungarian/Romanian folk motifs with music from all over Europe. (It's been compared to Stravinsky's The Firebird). And it's a delight. As is Bartók's Hungarian Pictures (1931). These are based on folk- influenced piano sketches Bartók did with the utmost simplicity. In fact, he went out of his way to keep them true to their sources. Very beautiful, very playful. --Paul Cook