Béla Bartók in 1922 Photo: Public Domain
In the early 20th century, Béla Bartók was engaged in the collection and preservation of authentic Hungarian folk music. He was profoundly influenced by this research, so much so that the rhythms, melodies and moods of this 'peasant music' are found in abundance throughout his compositions.
When the Hungarian border was closed due to WWI, Bartók was compelled to make a drastic change to his lifestyle and research. It was during these war years that he wrote his second string quartet.
There are three movements:
- Moderato
- Allegro molto capriccioso
- Lento
Recorded 1 September 2019 at St Andrew's on The Terrace, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Sound Engineer: Darryl Stack
