The composer

Bartók was 57 years old when his Second Violin Concerto was premiered in Amsterdam, and about to embark on a final chapter in his life that would see him leave his beloved Hungary for the US. His life had already seen its fair share of upheaval – not least in terms of affairs of the heart – which is echoed in the turbulent nature of much of his music. Of equal importance to his musical style, though, was his break away from classical-style tonalism, partially through the influence of folk music which, with fellow composer Zoltán Kodály, he had spent much time collecting and recording.