Folk music Quote by Michael Steen
““Bartók, like Janáek, carried out a considerable amount of research into folk music. He would travel into the countryside with his camera and his Edison wax disks to record Hungarian, Romanian and Slovakian folk music and customs. He went to Turkey and to north Africa to pursue the origins of these. ‘We must isolate the very ancient, for this is the only way of identifying the really new’, he said.””
About This Quote
Bartók, like Janálek, traveled widely to record folk music, believing that isolating ancient sounds reveals truly new music.
In simple terms: He sought ancient folk recordings to discover fresh musical ideas.
Key Takeaway
Explore roots to innovate.
Themes
folk music
research
travel
heritage
innovation
Mood
inquisitive
inspired
Type
historical
educational
null
When to use this quote
- music composition
- academic study
- field recording
Key Concepts
ethnomusicology
cultural preservation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does tradition inspire you?
- What new ideas arise from old sounds?
A Different Perspective
Historical focus may limit contemporary relevance.
