Reimagining the Bartók collected folk songs of Banat & Transylvania
“Peasant music, in the strict sense of the word, must be regarded as a natural phenomenon; the forms in which it manifests itself are due to the instinctive transforming power of a community entirely devoid of erudition. (…) Correspondingly it has in its individual parts an absolute artistic perfection, a perfection in miniature forms which – one might say – is equal to the perfection of a musical masterpiece of the largest proportions”
- Bela Bartók, The Relation of Folk Song to the Development of the Art Music of Our Time, 1921
VIDEO - Retracing Bartok @ House of Music Budapesta
RETRACING BARTÓK is conceived as a celebration of the extraordinary diversity and richness of the Romanian Folk Music and it is both an artistic reflection on the transformation of folk into contemporary culture and a retracing of Bela Bartok story and his love for Romanian people and their musical heritage.
It is envisioned as a cultural archeology multidisciplinary project developed over several years starting in 2018 and is curated by Romanian-American pianist Lucian Ban and American violist Mat Maneri.
It is produced by Jazz Updates organization and is presented within the frame of Timisoara 2023 European Capital of Culture.
