貝拉.巴爾托克(Béla Bartók, 1881-1945)是匈牙利著名的作曲家、鋼琴演奏家和教師。他深入匈牙利和東歐諸國從事研究民歌的工作,成就卓著,獲得極高的聲望,巴爾托克活躍於上述這些活動促使他完成《小宇宙》這部大作。巴爾托克博採眾家之長,將現代的創作技法融匯於他的創作中,以其獨特的音樂風格和作曲技巧贏得了世界的聲譽。自一九二六年至一九三九年,在巴爾托克持續不斷的努力之下,創作了一百五十三首精粹的鋼琴小品,統稱為《小宇宙》。最初的創作動機是為了幼子彼得學習彈奏時所作的鋼琴練習曲。這套鋼琴進階教材共分為六冊,由易而難,分集而列,其中實具有深厚的教育意義。《小宇宙》第五冊和六冊無論在技巧或音樂上都較困難,作曲家設計給程度較佳的學習者彈奏,巴爾托克本人也演奏當中的一些作品,並留下錄音。第五冊討論更多觸鍵的問題,雙音的練習以及四度音作為樂曲處理中一種變化的方法。第六冊則綜合了巴爾托克成熟曲風中所有技巧與音樂的特色。《小宇宙》第五冊和第六冊指導學習者熟悉現代音樂的作曲手法,掌握鍵盤技巧以及了解民歌素材的運用,好好學習這兩冊中的作品等同見證了巴爾托克本人所言“一位鋼琴家必須也是一位音樂家”。
Composer Bela Bartok (1881-1945) was also active as a concert pianist and teacher, and he gained further renown for his research into the folk traditions of his native Hungary and other eastern European countries. All these activities contributed to the composition of his Mikrokosmos. Bartok integrated modern skills of composition in his creation, and won the worldwide reputation by his unique musical style and skills of his composition . Written between 1926 and 1939 as piano studies for his son Peter, the 153 pieces that comprises Mikrokosmos' Six volumes progress in technical and musical difficulty in the manner of a piano method, providing a valuable teaching tool. The last two volumes (nos. 122- 153) of Mikrokosmos introduce pieces which are technically and musically quite difficult and were intended to serve as material for advanced students; in fact, Bartok included most of them in his concert program and recordings. More touch problems, etudes in double notes, and pieces using fourths are Volumes V, and the final volume contains pieces that utilize the full range of technical and musical difficulties found in Bartok's mature style. Useful in teaching theoretical devices, and folk-song elements as well as piano technique, Mikrokosmos V and VI bear witness to Bartok's declaration that "one cannot be a pianist without being musician".