Béla Bartók Festival in Brussels: Celebrating the Composer’s Legacy and Music
The three-day Bartók Festival kicked off in Brussels, organized by the Liszt Institute, the Béla Bartók Archive in Belgium, and the Bartók Archive in Budapest. The festival, running from September 25 to 27, features professional lectures and concerts showcasing music composed by or inspired by Béla Bartók.
This year marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of Denijs Dille, a Flemish Catholic priest and prominent Bartók scholar. Dille played a pivotal role in establishing the Bartók Archives in both Budapest and Brussels, which are essential resources for Bartók research.
The festival began with a symposium dedicated to Dille, featuring lectures by Belgian musicologist Carl Van Eyndhoven, music historian László Vikárius, and Belgian pianist Gilbert De Greeve. Thursday will see a wreath-laying ceremony at the Béla Bartók statue in Brussels, led by Hungarian Ambassador Tamás Iván Kovács, followed by a chamber performance of “Bluebeard’s Castle.” The festival will conclude on Friday with a jazz concert titled “Bartók Electrified” by the Párniczky Quartet, showcasing Bartók’s influence on jazz music.
Béla Bartók, a pioneering Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist, revolutionized 20th-century music with his blend of traditional folk music and modernist elements. His compositions, such as “Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta” and “Concerto for Orchestra,” influenced future composers and pushed boundaries in tonality and structure.
The event highlights Bartók’s enduring impact on classical and modern music across various genres.
