This series is a compilation of the complete Violin Duets by the Hungarian composer Bela Bartok, as performed by Martin Agee during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, from his home in New York City.
Composed in 1931, Bartok originally intended for these works to be used by violin students as a learning tool. They are progressive in their technical difficulty from the simple to the virtuosic, but as a collection are considered a masterpiece of twentieth century literature for two violins.
As with many of Bartok's works, the songs and dances in the collection have their roots in or are derived from authentic Eastern European folk music, of which he was a scholar and a champion.
