Béla Bartók

Allegro barbaro BB 63 (Sz. 49)

This version of Béla Bartók’s 'Allegro Barbaro' is the latest of several challenging arrangements for guitar of twentieth century masterpieces. The piece was written by Bartók as a reply to a critic who had accused him of 'musical barbarity' and it pulls no punches in its opposition to the late romantic musical styles of the time (1911). Huge technical and musical challenges have been answered by Siegfried Steinkogler in this arrangement, which he recommends as an effective encore piece. Similar arrangements recently published include Bartók’s Solo Violin Sonata and Berg’s Piano Sonata, both arranged by Christophe Dejour.