Book Review
Sep. 23rd, 2018 11:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariThe Life and Music of Bela Bartok
by Halsey Stevens
This book was first published in 1953, lest than 10 years after Bartok's death. It provides a very good examination of his life and music. Halsey is very clear-eyed and insightful about the composer and his work, although the lack of the perspective time brings is often evident. The biographical section is straightfoward and has just about the right amount of detail, even if I did occasionally feel the lack of additional information or reflection. The chapters on Bartok's music were arranged by genre, and then covered the pieces chronologically within each section. I think Halsey might have done better to approach the music through the lens of different aspects of Bartok's compositional technique and development, which would have averted some of the drier play by play portions.
by Halsey Stevens
This book was first published in 1953, lest than 10 years after Bartok's death. It provides a very good examination of his life and music. Halsey is very clear-eyed and insightful about the composer and his work, although the lack of the perspective time brings is often evident. The biographical section is straightfoward and has just about the right amount of detail, even if I did occasionally feel the lack of additional information or reflection. The chapters on Bartok's music were arranged by genre, and then covered the pieces chronologically within each section. I think Halsey might have done better to approach the music through the lens of different aspects of Bartok's compositional technique and development, which would have averted some of the drier play by play portions.
