Bartok - Mikrokosmos (complete, with score)

Here is my recording made in february/march 2020, of Bela Bartok's iconic collection Mikrokosmos, written between 1926 and 1939 for his second son, Peter Bartok. As always there are things that could have been better, but as a whole I am pleased with the result.
These are progressive pieces, starting from the most easy beginner's etudes progressing gradually to dashing concert pieces. The first book is quite boring to be honest, so you may want to skip ahead a bit :)
The painting is "Kosmische Flora" (1917) by Paul Klee.
Chris Breemer, piano
buymeacoffee.com/cbreemer
Book I
00:18 1-Six Unison Melodies (1)
00:42 2-Six Unison Melodies (2)
01:29 3-Six Unison Melodies (3)
02:04 4-Six Unison Melodies (4)
02:28 5-Six Unison Melodies (5)
03:03 6-Six Unison Melodies (6)
02:28 7-Dotted Notes
04:04 8-Repetition (1)
04:37 9-Syncopation (1)
05:16 10-With Alternate Hands
06:00 11-Parallel Motion
06:32 12-Reflection
07:22 13-Change of Position
07:54 14-Question and Answer
08:39 15-Village Song
09:08 16-Parallel Motion with Change of Position
10:04 17-Contrary Motion (1)
10:38 18-Four Unison Melodies (1)
11:03 19-Four Unison Melodies (2)
11:37 20-Four Unison Melodies (3)
12:20 21-Four Unison Melodies (4)
12:46 22-Imitation and Counterpoint
13:18 23-Imitation and Inversion (1)
13:53 24-Pastorale
14:31 25-Imitation and Inversion (2)
15:33 26-Repetition (2)
16:07 27-Syncopation (2)
16:46 28-Canon at the Octave
17:21 29-Imitation Reflected
17:55 30-Canon at the Lower Fifth
18:50 31-Dance in Canon Form
19:30 32-In Dorian Mode
20:24 33-Slow Dance
21:06 34-In Phrygian Mode
21:48 35-Chorale
23:06 36-Free Canon
Book II
23:54 37-In Lydian Mode
24:34 38-Staccato and Legato (1)
24:51 39-Staccato and Legato (Canon)
25:22 40-In Yugoslav Style
26:04 41-Melody with Accompaniment
26:40 42-Accompaniment in Broken Triads
28:02 43-In Hungarian Style
29:02 44-Contrary Motion (2)
29:23 45-Meditation
30:01 46-Increasing - Diminishing
30:57 47-County Fair
31:32 48-In Mixolydian Mode
32:23 49-Crescendo - Diminuendo
32:44 50-Minuetto
33:19 51-Waves
34:28 52-Unison Divided
34:48 53-In Transylvanian Style
35:35 54-Chromatics
35:52 55-Triplets in Lydian Mode
36:26 56-Melody in Tenths
36:45 57-Accents
37:34 58-In Oriental Style
38:28 59-Major and Minor
39:12 60-Canon with Sustained Notes
39:58 61-Pentatonic Melody
40:41 62-Minor Sixths in Parallel Motion
41:17 63-Buzzing
41:56 64-Line against Point
43:00 65-Dialogue
43:38 66-Melody Divided
Book III
44:54 67-Thirds against a Single Voice
45:36 68-Hungarian Dance
46:10 69-Chord Study
47:11 70-Melody against Double Notes
48:31 71-Thirds
49:35 72-Dragons' Dance
50:10 73-Sixths and Triads
50:44 74-Hungarian Song
51:54 75-Triplets
52:47 76-In Three Parts
53:09 77-Little Study
53:36 78-Five-tone Scale
54:05 79-Hommage a J.S.B.
54:50 80-Hommage a R.Sch.
55:38 81-Wandering
56:45 82-Scherzo
57:13 83-Melody with Interruptions
57:50 84-Merriment
58:33 85-Broken chords
59:57 86-Two Major Pentachords
1:01:37 87-Variations
1:03:10 88-Duet for Pipes
1:04:15 89-In Four Parts
1:05:14 90-In Russian Style
1:05:53 91-Chromatic Invention (1)
1:07:25 92-Chromatic Invention (2)
1:08:10 93-In Four Parts
1:08:54 94-Tale
1:10:00 95-Song of the Fox
1:11:19 96-Stumblings
Book IV
1:12:16 97-Notturno
1:14:04 98-Thumb under
1:14:34 99-Crossed hands
1:15:46 100-In the Style of a Folk Song
1:16:40 101-Diminished Fifth
1:17:56 102-Harmonics
1:19:15 103-Minor and Major
1:20:35 104-Wandering through the Keys
1:21:28 105-Game (with two pentatonic scales)
1:22:19 106-Children's Song
1:23:36 107-Melody in the Mist
1:25:04 108-Wrestling
1:25:55 109-From the Island of Bali
1:28:02 110-Clashing Sounds
1:29:16 111-Intermezzo
1:31:08 112-Variations on a folk tune
1:32:09 113-Bulgarian rhythm
1:33:09 114-Theme and inversion
1:34:15 115-Bulgarian rhythm
1:34:43 116-Melody
1:36:23 117-Bourree
1:37:21 118-Triplets in 9/8 time
1:38:09 119-Dance in 3/4 time
1:39:05 120-Triads
1:39:57 121-Two-part Study
Book V
1:41:07 122-Chords Together and Opposed
1:42:17 123-Staccato and Legato
1:43:10 124-Staccato
1:44:03 125-Boating
1:46:27 126-Change of Time
1:47:15 127-New Hungarian Folk Song
1:48:18 128-Peasant Dance
1:49:32 129-Alternating Thirds
1:50:25 130-Village Joke
1:51:13 131-Fourths
1:52:09 132-Major Seconds Broken and Together
1:53:50 133-Syncopation
1:55:01 134-Studies in Double Notes
1:56:05 135-Perpetuum Mobile
1:57:01 136-Whole-tone Scale
1:58:45 137-Unison
2:00:48 138-Bagpipe
2:02:21 139-Merry Andrew
Book VI
2:03:27 140-Free Variations
2:05:16 141-Subject and Reflection
2:07:03 142-From the Diary of a Fly
2:08:29 143-Divided arpeggios
2:11:29 144-Minor Seconds, Major Sevenths
2:15:50 145-Chromatic Invention (3)
2:19:23 146-Ostinato
2:21:54 147-March
2:23:56 148-Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (1)
2:26:03 149-Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (2)
2:27:16 150-Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (3)
2:28:51 151-Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (4)
2:30:39 152-Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (5)
2:31:57 153-Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (6)

[@pantherav7677]

My piano teacher only made me play Bela Bartok mikrokosmos. When I thought we finished the third book there was even more. My classmates had different teachers and got to play other composers. They joked how "If you play Bela Bartok and sounds wrong, you're playing it right". I honestly envied them when they played Chopin in concerts. Thanks to you I can listen to how Bela Bartok should sound like and I quite get it. But I can't help to feel resentful of the composer. I guess my teacher wanted to improve my technique before the melodic pieces, but she lost me in the way.

[@ChrisBreemer]

I hear what you're saying. Bartok is never really comfortable even in the easiest of his pieces. There is always one challenge or another. He had the best in mind, and the musical rewards are great, but he did count on talented, motivated and persevering students (and ditto teachers). Of course one should also play Chopin, and Bach, and Mozart, and...

[@FantozziUgo1001bis]

We lived the same nightmare...

[@ChrisBreemer]

@@FantozziUgo1001bis What nightmare ?

[@GerSHAK]

I had the opposite experience. My first piano teacher had me start with Mikrokosmos, and when I switched to another teacher I was really sad that I had to play "boring" pieces by Bach and Mozart in addition. I just love Bartók's musical language so much

[@ChrisBreemer]

@@GerSHAK I think it takes time and maturity to appreciate Bach and Mozart, and find out they are anything but boring. At least that's how it worked for me.

[@gabithemagyar]

Bravo !! I am mightily impressed by the sheer amount of repertoire you have mastered !!!

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks !! It sometimes amazes me too. There is just so much music that I love and badly want to record.

[@fazergazer]

I absolutely loved these as a young fellow. I still do as an older fellow. Book VI has very tricky rhythms and you can practically taste the Hungarian flavors. Looking at the fragments of ethnic melodies Bartók collected with Kodaly you can see the inspiration for many of the ideas here. Imagine how Bartók conceived these for Peter. ❤🎉

[@ChrisBreemer]

I missed your comment somehow. Belated thanks, and you're right on the ball with them.

[@GregHarradineComposer]

So pleased to have discovered this! Thanks for your masterful performance, Chris.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks Greg !!

[@marksevern9339]

Thanks Chris. What a Herculean labour of love (if I can split my metaphors). Have started on Book 2 as you recommend. The solitude and sunshine of my morning in the English countryside, now has a slightly surreal accompaniment. Somehow it all feels in balance.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks Mark ! Bit of a change from Haydn, eh ! I had not actually planned on this big endeavor. Back in 2009 I recorded the complete Mikrokosmos with the exception of 4 pieces from book 6 (chickened out on the Chromatic Invention, beh). So earlier this year I though, let's just master and record these 4 missing pieces to complete the set. But then I found I could not condone any of the old recordings, both the playing and sound quality being way below par. So I had to start all over. Glad I did, in hindsight.

[@mihordeadana2368]

What a masterpiece.

[@bblsaul]

Bravo, Chris. I began teaching kids these volumes after realizing that very few had been exposed to anything remotely 20th century. I had one six-year-old student who mastered all six books in a couple of months. I handed him off to a better teacher. He's probably a star now!

[@ChrisBreemer]

Six years old ? Don't tell me you have not followed him !?

[@bblsaul]

@@ChrisBreemer can't even remember his name (he was Polish) ... it was 45 years ago! [did you get my FB note?]

[@fazergazer]

I adore your performance of the six dances in Bulgarian rhythms! It all comes together in these! So beautifully done!!!🎉

[@mangalarobertwatling9168]

Thanks for this. I am not a musician, just a listener but I can say that I am greatly enjoying this. I love solo piano music, mostly jazz. I was introduced to this music as a child by my mother and have loved it ever since. Thank you again for making this and for making it available to us.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks for your feedback ! And great to hear you enjoyed my interpretations (even though they don't hold a candle to those of the late Zoltan Kocsis).

[@mangalarobertwatling9168]

@@ChrisBreemer I don't know about him but you are here in the moment. Thanks for YOUR presentation. Added to my life today.

[@augustinecolindale]

This is brilliant! So much help and inspiration! Thank you so much

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks for the feedback ! Glad to hear this is an inspiration.

[@dariocugia1938]

Love Microcosmos!! I am studying vol. II! Will hear all the whole opus during this Horrible Lock down. Thank you, Mr. Breemer.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Now's the time to do it, Dario ! No matter which volume you practice, this will do wonders for your technique.

[@RileyAudio]

Great job Chris. This will take some time to get through this entire set but very impressed with what little I have listened to so far.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks Riley ! I don't expect anybody to sit through Book I though ;-) It's not until book II that things get interesting.

[@matthewgroters1154]

Thank you for the devotion to even the simplest of the numbers.

[@ChrisBreemer]

I'm sure Bartók would have wanted it that way !

[@gerardomanuelcastilloguzma1150]

Thanks so much Chris for sharing this outstanding work!

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks for the feedback ! It was my pleasure.

[@gerardomanuelcastilloguzma1150]

@@ChrisBreemer the pleasure is shared!

[@embrown23]

What an accomplishment. Thank you!

[@GuillermoPSKrebs]

Start playing some # of Mikrokosmos again as lockdowned. Feel so nice to see this from you Mr. Breemer, as much as I enjoy your rendition of WTK. Bravo! You are so awesom doing this.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks for the feedback Guillermo ! Good to hear someone enjoys both my Bach and Bartok recordings. These two masters were not only the greatest composers, but also the greatest piano pedagogues. Good luck with your Mikrokosmos ! The rewards are enormous.

[@MicoAquinoComposer]

Thank you for uploading this!

[@ChrisBreemer]

You're welcome ! Uploading was the easy part 😊

[@DorothyPotterSnyder]

Bela Bartok, the composer of these extraordinary and (for their time) incredibly modern pieces, died alone of leukemia in Brooklyn. He did not have two pennies to rub against each other. Remember that when you listen to his music, how he managed to draw these pulsing, living themes out of hunger, sickness, and poverty.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Actually Mikrokosmos was completed in 1939, before Bartok left for the USA. And If we are to believe the Wikipedia article, it is a myth that he died penniless. While he and his wife did not eran much, there were always sufficient funds to live more or less normally. What really amazes me is that in his final years, plagued by illness, loneliness and homesickness, he could compose two of the most uplifting works in all music, the Concerto for Orchestra and the luminous Third Piano Concerto.

[@samisami-qb5tl]

Gyula Kabos hungarian actor did alnost the same. The land of promise

[@lex3729]

​@@ChrisBreemer "eran"? If you expect to be taken seriously, please repair your typo.

[@UberTurtle12]

@@lex3729lighten up

[@suchthefool188]

What an achievement! Thank you for sharing, sounds great. I just started book 3.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thank you, and good luck with Book 3 !

[@maricarmenperezruiz451]

Excelente trabajo. Muchas gracias!!

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks and you are welcome !

[@snowcarriagechengcheng-hun3454]

Thanks for uploading!

[@ChrisBreemer]

You're welcome. After all the practicing and recording, it seemed like the logical thing to do 😁

[@peterimre87]

Thank you very much. It is a greatly and nice work. Fantastic thing so in all hear from first book to sixth. Thanks more once.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks for your appreciation Péter ! Feedback from Hungary means much to me in this music.

[@audacious1876]

Estou começando a estudar piano com o livro do Bartók e este vídeo foi uma dádiva. Obrigado por compartilhar seu conhecimento e trabalho conosco. Parabéns e saudações do Brasil.

[@ChrisBreemer]

I'm glad this is useful. There is probably no better way to learn playing the piano. I can also recommend the Bach Inventions as excellent study material.

[@nanthilrodriguez]

I stumbled accross this video ages ago having no conception of what these pieces were... I thought it was some extreme avant garde thing, but now that I'm studying Bartok it makes so much more sense. Really enjoyed these pieces, bought the first few volumes to read through.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Great that you discovered Bartok through my video ! He's not always easy on the ear and brain, especially in his early works (I still have trouble with his Miraculous Mandarin) but mostly one can get to appreciate and even love his music. What a mighty composer, what a mind !

[@Radiojacket]

Grate performance! And thank you for time code)

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks, you are welcome !

[@valenciahowery544]

simple beautiful

[@juancruzgigliani4778]

Excelente trabajo! Saludos desde Argentina, maestro!

[@ChrisBreemer]

Gracias ! Greetings to you too, and I hope the sun shines over there.

[@carolineneal9893]

Love your work

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks, great to hear.

[@EmmanuelPerez2020]

Grandiosa aportación. Saludos desde México.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Gracias ! Greetings from Holland, and stay healthy !

[@cesarbustosp]

Gracias

[@gabrieletomasello]

Great Job 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😊

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks ! After Bartok, a lot of other things suddenly feel easier :)

[@florig1124]

BRAVO.

[@marc_titella]

Thanks

[@bradwalton3977]

Thanks for doing this.

[@ChrisBreemer]

My pleasure. It was very educating.

[@fazergazer]

Much of the technical and musical challenges of Book VI can be found in the concerti, sonatas…note 144 seconds and sevenths and find this in the middle movement of Sonata 3…and the transferred apply to the concepts of the String Quartets, Music of Outdoors, Night, etc. stunningly beautiful❤

[@ChrisBreemer]

I agree to a point. But I can say from experience that the Sonata and Out of Doors are several steps up from Mikrokosmos on the technical level😲

[@nobitanori4306]

Me encanta la canción😍😍😍

[@Zappadrien]

Tank you mister Breemer !

[@ChrisBreemer]

You are welcome mister Beaudoin !

[@mitodrumisra8972]

This is brilliant. Attempting 153 pieces and playing them is not an easy task... WELL DONE, HERCULES!! (or Mr.Breemer) 😋😊😊

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thank you !

[@mitodrumisra8972]

@@ChrisBreemer You're welcome, Sir! 😊😊😊

[@crimeancomposer]

Congratulations to you ❤🎉 you did hard work

[@ChrisBreemer]

Yes indeed ! Thank you 😊

[@davidlevi7500]

maravilloso

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thank you David !

[@GerSHAK]

Thank you so much for this.

[@ChrisBreemer]

You're welcome ! Not a bad way to learn piano playing ! Do get another piano so you can pick them up once again. Yes that tempo misreading was quite silly, it had been pointed out by someone already. It's a pity that YT videos can't be edited or replaced. Setting playback speed to x2 will probably do it no favors 😁

[@GerSHAK]

@@ChrisBreemer x2 actually worked nice enough for me :) And quite an understandable mistake, given it's much faster than any of the surrounding numbers!

[@ChrisBreemer]

@@GerSHAK I'll give that a try then, curious how it will sound 😄

[@mildredmatildaacevedo2104]

:’D muchísimas gracias! Me sirve demasiado para estudiar

[@ChrisBreemer]

Great to hear ! Good luck with studying this marvelous collection.

[@ValzainLumivix]

Epic

[@rednosereddotenjoyempower3577]

O.K. thank you

[@toeless_ant7688]

nice

[@ntcarver]

This is brilliant, thank you! My Dad just sent me Book IV and I'm very much looking forward to learning it

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks ! Book 6 is hard work, these are not easy pieces. But very rewarding once you get into them. Happy practicing !

[@ntcarver]

No, book 4 😅. Hopefully not quite as hard! Thanks 😁

[@ChrisBreemer]

@@ntcarver Ah yes, seems I have a problem with Roman numerals 😁 Book 4 is far less hard than book 6 of course, but still far from easy.

[@ChrysGringo]

just comment to mark where I left and to engage with this amazing video! thx Chris 2:25

[@ChrisBreemer]

Seems you left very soon already !

[@ChrysGringo]

@@ChrisBreemer kkkkk I'm back!

[@ChrysGringo]

5:21

[@Bennick323]

It's times like these where I'm kind of sad... like, I consider myself to be someone who's pretty musically traveled and I'm really open to anything. When it comes to ... "classical" (if that's the right term here? I see some saying "modern"), it's a little tough for me to understand or approach it. I grew up on rock and pop, landed pretty firmly in metal, and love branching out into all kinds of experimental, ambient, noise, folk, hip hop... you name it. The one thing all of these have in common though is a relatively easy to understand approach to the format: A song has a straightforward name, generally radio-friendly length, a solid atmosphere it's going for (or at least a smooth transition between atmospheres), etc. I feel here, though, that I get pretty confused: songs don't often seem to have very easy to remember names which communicate anything I can really relate to(concerto no. 6 in d minor, or something, which tells me it's just one of many things where we just refer to the form and the key it might be played in), I often have a harder time following where the song is trying to go, it's almost inherently ABOUT who's performing it and when and where, there's no real concept of an "album"... it's just a totally different world to me with its own history that I don't really have a good grasp on. So, this is all to say, I'm sure you've done a wonderful job here (it's certainly a lot). I just don't feel like I'm equipped to really appreciate it like I should. I think the last time I felt like I felt I understood or connected with any music in a "classical" sphere was Arvo Part. Maybe others would have some idea of how I could orient myself a little better?

[@ChrisBreemer]

Well, Bartók is not the easiest composer to try and connect to classical music. If you are into metal, noise (?) and hip-hop, and if the only classical composer you warmed is Arvo Pärt (I assume you heard some of his ultra-minimalist works like Für Alina) I don't really know what to recommend... Best I can advise is to listen to a lot of different classical things, find out what appeals to you, and work from there. KZbin does a great job in suggesting things you may like, based on your earlier choices. You may well discover so much beauty that you no longer care for all the pop stuff.

[@anhducduong0105]

Is this good material for practicing sight-reading skill?

[@ChrisBreemer]

Yes, definitely. Because you constantly need to be alert for unusual rhythms, accents, harmonies, etc.

[@nobitanori4306]

Me impresiona que ayas estado 2 horas 34 minutos y 28 segundos tocando

[@ChrisBreemer]

Haha. I did not record it all in one go of course.

[@Faune13]

Hello nice job ! It seems that you tried to follow tempo markings but note that one of the first studies called reflection is actually double the speed. Maybe you didn't see that speed is given for the white note, but more generally, people usually don't understand how the metric 2 over 2 is different from the metric 4 over 4. It's good to see some Benjamin Zander's masterclass about it.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Oops, that is quite embarrassing. Without the need for a masterclass I see that I simply misread the note value. I usually listen to real pianist's recordings before recording myself, but I seem to have missed out on this one.

[@Faune13]

@@ChrisBreemer ^^ Yes my advice about Zander's masterclasses was more for people who want to make the 2 over 2 thing clearer especially when there is no tempo marking. I believe even you could learn from that (as I did) because then 2 over 2 would obviously alarm you about the speed. By the way, I like the way you sound and phrase the unisson pieces. It very nicely evoques monk songs.

[@nintendianajones64]

Question for the pianist: Did you actually time yourself to get to the composers required time listed at the end of the pieces? Or take it more as a suggestion?

[@ChrisBreemer]

None of the above - I simply adhered to the metronome markings, which would logically imply that the timing can't be far off. Why Bártok found it necessary to ALSO include timings at the end of each piece, I have no clue.

[@nah7379]

Can you please tell me what kind of texture this composition is? I need to know because of my music assignment. Thanks 🙏 great work btw!

[@ChrisBreemer]

Texture... ??? Even if I understood the question I'd have no idea what to tell you. You really got a music assignment on something you have no clue about ?

[@reynalenleighalenzuela3454]

@@ChrisBreemer I have the same assignment. Our school doesn't even explain anything we just go to our phones and search about anything related to the topic.

[@reynalenleighalenzuela3454]

@@ChrisBreemer i dont even know what tf is the dynamics and orchestration

[@kellydemando3303]

@@reynalenleighalenzuela3454 Dynamics just refers to how loud or soft something is, and orchestration (in a nutshell) refers to the instruments used and how they’re voiced. I’m guessing by texture you mean homophonic vs. polyphonic. If your music program can’t explain those basic concepts to you, you need to switch schools.

[@sundsyndrome8267]

@@ChrisBreemer sort of counterpoint, don't you think?

[@nobitanori4306]

Me encantaría tocar como tú

[@klassezabel8938]

Well done! Thank you! There is a wrong link in Vol. IV. Number 112 is at 1:31:08. You linked it to number 119 by mistake.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks for your feedback ! And thanks for reporting the wrong link, which was caused by mistyping one digit. I've corrected it.

[@SarahRoseStiles]

Just out of curiosity, what kind of piano are you playing on, and where was this recorded ?

[@ChrisBreemer]

This was recorded at home on my Gaveau baby grand, using a Tascam DR-2D protable recorder.

[@user-is5le7lm2e]

1:16:43

[@vergil____5653]

Can you tell the grade span of each book?

[@ChrisBreemer]

No... but I can tell you books 5 and 6 are bloody difficult. There's also quite some challenges in books 4 and 3, even occasionally already in book 2.

[@user-gk9kg4rr3t]

1:46:30 미크로코스모스 126번

[@ChrisBreemer]

Yes, that is No.126. Well spotted 😁

[@mochdrew3364]

45 has Db?

[@ChrisBreemer]

Well spotted, thanks ! That is indeed a most irritating read error. That will teach me once again to always listen to a performance before recording, no matter how small and easy the piece.

[@anhducduong0105]

Do you think this is good for beginners, compared to Czerny's Op.599?

[@ChrisBreemer]

I don't know how you want to compare them. Czerny, at least in this opus, seems focused on mechanical technique without offering much of musical value and interest. Bartók on the other hand, guides you to become a complete and versatile musician right from the start, building up technique along the way. I would absolutely recommend books 1 and 2 for beginners, 3 and 4 for intermediate students, and 5 and 6 for advanced students. Just do not stick exclusively to the likes of Czerny and Hanon, any highly trained monkey can play that stuff 😁

[@anhducduong0105]

@@ChrisBreemer Very satisfying feedback. This has stucked in my head recently 🤣

[@texwiller4029]

Is it possible that this music "opens" some day? WTK & Strauss walzes versus Bartok & Busoni.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Very possible. But Bartók takes time to get into and appreciate. It will never sound like a Strauss Waltz though. His music is seldom meant to feel comfortable.

[@mochdrew3364]

Is this collection good enough to cover Czerny's studies?

[@ChrisBreemer]

I would not compare them. Bartok teaches you a million things Czerny doesn't. Musicality, phrasing, modality, accenting, rhythmic complexities, dynamic shading, harmonic complexities, you name it. But for simply exercising and warming up the fingers, I guess Czerny etudes have their use.

[@mochdrew3364]

@@ChrisBreemer I'd prefer Hanon for warming up..

[@user-dg2ww3hi8h]

1:12:25

[@timothyhawkins5327]

This sounds like it’s played on a piano with a cold.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Really.

[@jefffloyd2141]

The movie "DEMONS" brought me here. Lamberto Bava!

[@a.a.dehulster7567]

Very well played! But isn’t that a D in the left hand instead of a D Flat you play in the Meditation Book II no 45? And in Crescendo-Diminuendo no 49 Book II you play a wrong note in measure 4, a C sharp instead of a B if my ear doesn’t fool me.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thank you ! I think the first error was already pointed out by someone, as I have these notes marked in my score. In no.49 bar 4 I played C rather than B. Won't happen again 😁

[@a.a.dehulster7567]

@@ChrisBreemer 👍 Anyhow compliments for your wonderful performance and skill in those tricky pieces! While listening to you I noticed that I always played a C instead of a C# in the left and right hand in measures 8, 9, 10, 11 of the two-part study no 121😳. Strange, but a c sounds good too there😀.

[@ChrisBreemer]

@@a.a.dehulster7567 A belated thanks ! I only notice your comment just now. It happens to me regularly that, when listening to a professional performance, I find out I have persistently been playing a wrong note. Mostly I quickly correct that (if it's not too late) but sometimes I stubbornly stick to my version if I think it sounds better or more interesting. In such cases I always like to imagine the composer would have agreed 😊 Your C in no.121 sounds plausible, though a little out of character.

[@OuaghlaniAlaa]

Who's playing the second piano ?

[@ChrisBreemer]

In the two-piano items, I played both parts and then merged them together. Quite a tiring and frustrating job.

[@OuaghlaniAlaa]

@@ChrisBreemer how did you manage to mix them ? Did you use a software ?

[@ChrisBreemer]

@@OuaghlaniAlaa Yes. I do not have professional mixing hardware.

[@samisami-qb5tl]

The first one i did play. In hungary music elementsry school every day was a Bartók lesdon gis centenary year. I didnt forgave

[@ChrisBreemer]

Didnt forgave what ?

[@samisami-qb5tl]

@@ChrisBreemer the birth of Bartók of course

[@marshallcurson1929]

Better than Biofeedback!

[@ChrisBreemer]

😕?

[@adzh1baev]

31:00

[@OVXX666]

its in weird keys haha if i were to sightread this i wouldnt be able to tell if i was doing it wrongly

[@ChrisBreemer]

Very informative.

[@Wwise_sounds]

26:10

[@jesuscerda820]

I failed piano class for not being able to play this and playing a Bach prelude.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Too bad !

[@RustyOrange71]

Sorry, great work by both composer and pianist spoilt by too many ads for it to be enjoyable.

[@ChrisBreemer]

I don't know how many ads KZbin has put in, it's a pity if they get in the way of appreciating the music. I chose to monetize my videos because like everyone else I like so see a little revenue from them - even if it's only a piddling amount I get so far. Adblocker used to work fine but it seems it's been outsmarted recently. Perhaps there is or will be an update, or perhaps some otgher adblocker might help.

[@martaveproubert107]

150. Just something for me don't worry 😅 !

[@ChrisBreemer]

Huh ?

[@martaveproubert107]

@@ChrisBreemer Number 150 is my favourite part of the piece and I forgot this number every time 😅 .

[@Jivanmuktishu]

Section 1 shows the elements of a molecular melody. This is a Workpiece, not for concertizing.

[@ChrisBreemer]

If you mean to say that Book 1 is not concert material, you are right. I only recorded it for the sake of completeness As do real pianists like Kocsis and Jandö.

[@Jivanmuktishu]

I have the view that the first few notes can be found everafter. Is this how it is mikrokosmos?

[@hangedups2608]

WELL SHIT

[@ChrisBreemer]

Huh ?

[@brianzayman2228]

Is this pianist not able to play softly when the score indicates it?

[@ChrisBreemer]

No, he is not. For one thing, playing softly is just about the most difficult thing in all piano playing, and I'm only an amateur lacking the superfine mechanical control of the professional. Also, I'm hampered by the sluggish and uneven action of my grand, and by the rather basic recording equipment which, as is well-known, tends to flatten the dynamics. Now that I've gone digital, the last two problems have become fairly unimportant so there might be some hope for me yet.

[@largebill1245]

@@ChrisBreemer wait, you’re an amateur? Learning all this repertoire(especially book 5+6) is super impressive!

[@user-rd3po6kv4l]

@@ChrisBreemer In Bartok's work, perhaps even more than in others', the nuances of sound intensity (from pppp to ffff) are of paramount importance! Imagine having an orchestra under your fingers! I didn't know if you played on a STEINWAY or a BÖSENDORFER or any other brand of piano? it is easier to reproduce the orchestral effect on a BÖSENDORFER than on a STEINWAY! anyway, congrats to you : being an amateur and getting this technical level is very impressive ! (I have also a pianistic background)...

[@ChrisBreemer]

@@user-rd3po6kv4l Thanks for your feedback. I think in all music dynamic gradations are very important (in Bartók more so than in Bach, obviously). But it is very hard to achieve on a less than optimal piano with very basic recording equipment. Not to mention amateur fingers that are less finely attuned than those of professionals. These days, I am doing much better on my hybrid Kawai 😊

[@filipemellomattos4057]

Uma coisa horrorosa! Você executa bem o piano, mas a obra é uma perda de tempo.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Your eccentric opinion is duly noted.

[@hyojoon_oo8693]

1:46:25