Painted Flowers

Available for 29 days

Bartók meets a fellow folk song collector. Béla Bartók was regarded as one of Hungary’s greatest composers. His fellow countryman, the pianist Andras Schiff, called him “one of the giants in the history of music.” But he was also one of the founders of what we now call ethnomusicology, spending much of his time immersed in peasant life, collecting folk songs. As around him Europe was torn apart by conflict, Bartók found relief in rural life and took inspiration from these traditional tunes, incorporating them into his own compositions. In today's programme, Donald Macleod discovers how Bartók met Zoltán Kodály, a kindred spirit who shared Bartók's love of folk song. 3 Hungarian Folksongs from Csik, BB 45b, Sz. 35a Víkingur Ólafsson, piano Eight Hungarian Folksongs Polina Pasztircsak, soloist Aleksandra Sasha Kozlov, piano Allegro Barbaro Cédric Tiberghien, piano 14 Bagatelles - excerpt Cédric Tiberghien, piano For Children James Ehnes, violin Andrew Armstrong, piano Violin Concerto No. 1, BB48a, Sz 36: Andante sostenuto Vilde Frang, violin Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Mikko Franck Produced by Alice McKee for BBC Audio Wales & West