Elon Music Professor Victoria Fischer Faw presented a lecture titled “Béla Bartok as Student-and Teacher-and Student” at the annual conference of the North Carolina Music Teachers Association Nov. 3, 2012 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Béla Bartók (1881-1945), composer of those difficult, formidable and modern piano works also stands as one of the most important contributors to the elementary and intermediate piano repertoire. His Piano Method, For Children, early volumes of Mikrokosmos, and various other beginning pieces provide teachers with high quality 20th-century literature as well as an introduction to the charms of folk music. But did you know that Bartók was a grand-student of the great Romantic composer Franz Liszt? Most of Bartók’s teachers were products of the Liszt studio, including István Thomán. Bartok actually succeeded his teacher Thomán in the position of piano professor at the Liszt Conservatory—the position originally created for the great master Liszt himself. During his years as Piano Professor, Bartók, in his role as pedagogue, composed most of his early level works, and also edited many volumes of works of the classic composers including Bach, Mozart, Beethoven—and Liszt.
As Bartók said of this legacy: “Thomán taught me … the newest pedagogy … which… Liszt had already applied instinctively and Thomán, a former pupil of Liszt, could acquire directly from his great master. Thus, the most initiated hands imparted to me the mastery of poetically coloring the piano tone. “
The lecture-recital presentation explored the pedagogy of Bartók and his connections through Thomán with Liszt, provide tips for teaching Bartók in the piano studio, and demonstrate the authentic performance of selected works in performance.