Encouraged by the fact that I took part in the first Hungarian performances of Béla Bartók's three stage works, as well as in more recent productions of them, either in my capacity of designer, producer, or scenic and dramatic adaptor, I am setting down here a few of my experiences with these works, viewed from the particular point of view of my profession.

Bartók was constantly aware of the intellectual tendencies of his age and viewed with keen interest every aspect of contemporary life and thought. Naturally, his ideas affected his music; and since he confided most sketches of technical detail and many definitive statements of his musical problems to the keyboard, an examination of his body of works for the piano will afford us insight into the development of his idiom—as well as helping us to understand the evolution of contemporary music.

At the beginning of the twentieth century there was a turning point in the history of modern music.

The excesses of the romanticists began to be unbearable for many. There were composers who felt: “this road does not lead us anywhere; there is no other solution but a complete break with the nineteenth century.”

Invaluable help was given to this change (or let us rather call it rejuvenation) by a kind of peasant music unknown up till then.