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Famous Music of the Early 20th Century
Part 1 (c. 1900–1930)
Sonatina
by Béla Bartók (1881–1945)
Sonatina, Sz. 55, BB. 69 is a solo piano work composed in 1915 by Béla Bartók. Originally titled Sonatina on Romanian Folk Tunes, the piece draws on folk melodies Bartók collected in Romania, which influenced much of his music despite his preference for Hungarian folk traditions.
The sonatina has three movements—Dudások (Bagpipers), Medvetánc (Bear Dance), and Finale—and incorporates five different folk tunes, with themes recurring and combining in the coda. Typically lasting around four minutes, the work captures Bartók’s skill in transforming traditional dances into a compact, expressive piano composition.
Infernal Dance from The Firebird
by Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971)
The Firebird is a ballet and orchestral work by Igor Stravinsky, composed for the 1910 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. With choreography by Michel Fokine and a scenario inspired by Russian fairy tales, the ballet follows Prince Ivan as he battles the evil immortal Koschei, aided by the magical Firebird. Its premiere on 25 June 1910 at the Opéra de Paris brought Stravinsky international fame.
Stravinsky distinguished mortal and supernatural elements with leitmotifs and innovative orchestral techniques, including ponticello, col legno, flautando, glissandi, and flutter-tonguing. He later arranged three concert suites (1911, 1919, and 1945), with the 1919 version remaining the most popular. The work has been staged in numerous productions, recorded widely, and adapted into film, preserving its enduring impact on ballet and orchestral music.
Prelude in C Sharp Minor
by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)
Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2, is one of his most famous piano works. Part of the Morceaux de fantaisie (“Pieces of Fantasy”).
Rachmaninoff first performed the piece on 26 September 1892 at the Moscow Electrical Exhibition, where it was met with enthusiastic acclaim. Its success inspired him to complete a full set of 24 preludes, one in every major and minor key, following the tradition of Bach, Chopin, and others.
Dance of the Knights
by Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953)
Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64, is a ballet by Sergei Prokofiev, based on William Shakespeare’s play. Composed in 1935 and revised for its Soviet premiere in 1940, Prokofiev later created three orchestral suites and a piano suite from the ballet music.
The ballet was developed from a scenario by Adrian Piotrovsky and Sergey Radlov, following the drambalet style promoted at the Kirov and Bolshoi theatres. Its premiere faced delays due to controversies over the original happy ending and Soviet cultural politics. The full ballet was first staged on 30 December 1938 at the Mahen Theatre in Brno, Czechoslovakia, in a single-act version drawn mainly from the first two suites.