The definitive edition (1987) of the piano teaching classic, including an introduction by the composer's son Peter Bartók. In 1945, Béla Bartók 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 (children). Stylistically, Mikrokosmos reflects the influence of folk music on Bartok's life, and the rhythms and harmonies employed create music that is as modern today as when the cycle was written. The 153 pieces that make up Mikrokosmos are divided into volumes arranged according to technical and musical difficulty.
Major teaching points highlighted in Mikrokosmos 2: Staccato, legato, accompaniment in broken triads, accents.