Mikrokosmos

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For the 1996 movie, see Microcosmos

Béla Bartók's composition for piano Mikrokosmos Sz. 107, BB 105 consists of 153 progressive pieces in six volumes written between 1926 and 1939. The individual pieces progress from very easy and simple beginner etudes to very difficult advanced technical displays, and are used in modern piano lessons and education. In total, according to Bartók, the piece "appears as a synthesis of all the musical and technical problems which were treated and in some case only partially solved in the previous piano works." Volumes one and two are dedicated to his son Péter, while volumes five and six are intended as professionally performable concert pieces. ^[1]

Volumes I-II: Pieces 1-36 and 37-66, beginner
Volumes III-IV: Pieces 67-96 and 97-121, moderate to advanced
Volumes V-VI: 122-139 and 140-153, professional

The opening (mm. 1-14) of "Boating" (VI, 125) is typical of the modernist compositional techniques used in the later volumes, featuring the bimodal use of the pentatonic collection on E♭ in the right hand and either G mixolydian or dorian collections in the left:

Volume VI contains the "Six Dances In Bulgarian Rhythm", dedicated to Miss Harriet Cohen. Bulgarian rhythm is one in which the beats in each bar are of unequal length. For example, the first dance (148) is grouped into 4+2+3 quavers in each bar.

Pianists who have recorded all six volumes include György Sándor, Homero Francesch, Zoltan Kocsis, Jenő Jandó and Claude Helffer.