Celebrated violinists Maria Milstein and Mathieu van Bellen pair Béla Bartók’s 44 Duos for Two Violins with Luciano Berio’s 34 Duetti per Due Violini. Bartók’s miniature masterpieces have inspired and delighted countless young musicians.

Although written for children, these duos are far from childlike: original harmonies, striking dissonances and lively rhythms are employed to create music with emotional depth, some being profoundly tragic, others fierce, lyrical, wild or fiery. Few works capture the vitality of folk music as vividly as these. Like Bartók, Berio composed his ‘Duetti’ as teaching pieces, dedicating each of the 34 duos to a friend, colleague or composer, beginning with Béla, an homage to Bartók. The pieces offer a kaleidoscope of styles, reflecting Berio’s personal connections with the dedicatees.

Maria Milstein & Mathieu van Bellen – Violin