The only single-volume biography of B�la Bart�k available in English, this fascinating book offers a fresh perspective on one of the most loved and frequently performed composers of the twentieth century, an artist who ranks with Stravinsky and Schoenberg as a leading figure in modern classical music. Building on more than twenty-five years of research, Malcolm Gillies weaves together the varied aspects of Bart�k's life--the private and public man, the pianist, the champion of folk music, and the national and cultural figure--with a perceptive discussion of his music. The book looks at two pivotal moments in Bart�k's life--the first, the Budapest premiere of Richard Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra, which inspired Bart�k to begin his climb to the heights of modern composition. The second moment was when a vacationing Bart�k overheard a servant girl singing a folk song, an experience which sparked one of the great quests of modern music--Bart�k's epic effort to collect and preserve over 10,000 folk tunes. We see how Bart�k came to believe that if a particular interval or rhythm worked well in a folk tune, he could take its essence and creatively transform it in his own pieces, whether a string quartet or some of the innovative vocal pieces that he wrote. Gillies sheds light on both the modernist and folk influences that can be found in Bart�k's work, and he offers an engaging commentary on the full range of Bart�k's compositions, ranging from Bluebeard's Castle to his ballets The Wooden Prince and The Miraculous Mandarin, to his piano and violin concertos, and much more. A delight for all classical music lovers, this book will be an absolute must-read for the legions of Bart�k fans.