Bartók, Béla: String Quartet No.6 op. BB119 (1939) 28'


World Premiere
1/20/1941
New York, NY
Kolisch Quartet /


Repertoire Note  
This was Bartók’s last string quartet, although he did sketch a few ideas for a seventh quartet in his final year. Its sombre ritornello theme reflects his growing pessimism as the world again turned to war. The middle movements, however, hark back to some of the lighter moments of Contrasts.

Note by Malcolm Gillies