Béla Bartok (1881-1945) is a key figure in twentieth-century music, and the singular nature of his genius and the originality of his contribution are explored in this book. Born into the heart of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Bartok worked through his youthful nationalism to a clearer understanding of his native culture, setting off with his friend Zoltan Kodaly to record the folklore of Hungary before it was destroyed. He later ventured further into Romania and North Africa in pursuit of original cultures, and these sounds and experiences helped him find his voice as a composer.

The period of time when Bartok was composing some of his outstanding works saw the rise of a crypto-Fascist government in Hungary and Hitler's Germany, and in 1940 he emigrated to the United States. Homesick, short ofmoney and seriously ill, he composed the magnificent Concerto for Orchestra and was complering a poignant and nostalgie Third Piano Concerto when he died in 1945. This book shows the inextricable links between this reclusive creator's life, his music and the turbulence of two world wars.