Bartók Béla Viktor János ： Suite IV Sostenuto BB 70 Sz 62 Op.14

Placed at the end of the suite, “Sostenuto” is a movement of sustained and composed character. Its long-resonating chords, lingering sonorities, and writing that makes use of silence create a tense, introspective atmosphere. A key point is to let the broad flow unfold without haste while carefully bringing out the changes in the harmony and the movement of the voices. In performance, the pedal should support the resonance without allowing the sound to become blurred, and the melodic voice should be allowed to emerge. Attention to the beginnings and endings of notes, as well as to the spaces between them, conveys the work’s profound stillness.