The definitive edition (1987) of the piano teaching classic. Includes an introduction by the composer's son Peter Bartók. In 1945 Bela Bartok described 'Mikrokosmos' as a cycle of 153 pieces for piano written for 'didactic' purposes, seeing them as a series of pieces in many different styles, representing a small world, or as the 'world of the little ones, the children'. Stylistically Mikrokosmos reflects the influence of folk music on Bartók's life and the rhythms and harmonies employed create music that is as modern today as when the cycle was written. The 153 pieces making up 'Mikrokosmos' are divided into six volumes arranged according to technical and musical difficulty. Contents: Foreword to the Definitive Edition - Preface by the Composer - Free Variations - Subject and Reflection - From the Diary of a Fly - Divided Arpeggios - Minor Seconds, Major Sevenths - Chromatic Invention (3) - Ostinato - March - Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (1) - Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (2) - Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (3) - Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (4) - Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (5) - Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (6) - Appendix: Notes