Béla, Nagyszentmiklós (= Sînnicolau Mare, Rumänien) 25.3.1881, +New York 26.9.1945, ungar. Komponist und Pianist. B. lehrte 1907/1934 an der Musikhochschule Budapest und emigrierte 1940 in die USA. Sein kompositor. Schaffen (Bühnenwerke, Orchester-, Klavier- und Vokalmusik) ist stark von der ungar. Volksmusik geprägt; bekannt auch seine Oper 'Herzog Blaubarts Burg' (1911) und die Pantomime 'Der wunderbare Mandarin' (1919).
(1881-1945) Hungarian composer. His works combine folk elements with mathematical concepts of tonal and rhythmic proportion. His large output includes six string quartets, a Divertimento for string orchestra 1939, concertos for piano, violin, and viola, the Concerto for Orchestra 1942–45, a one-act opera Duke Bluebeard’s Castle 1918, and graded teaching pieces for piano.
A child prodigy, Bartók studied music at the Budapest Conservatory, later working with Zoltan Kodály in recording and transcribing folk music of Hungary and adjoining countries. His ballet The Miraculous Mandarin 1919 was banned because of its subject matter (it was set in a brothel). Bartók died in the US, having fled from Hungary 1940.