A Maverick

This week Donald Macleod surveys the life and work of one of Hungary's greatest musicians - Zoltán Kodály. As composer, educationalist, musicologist, scholar, and passionate champion of indigenous folk music, Kodály worked tirelessly throughout his life in the service of music making. Born in rural Hungary at a time when the railways were still a relatively new presence in the landscape, Kodály lived his life in the face of a storm of technical, cultural, and political change. A near contemporary of Béla Bartók, with whom he became collaborator and lifelong friend, Kodály devoted his own artistry to the service of his nation and its people, developing radical techniques for teaching music to children. Donald Macleod is joined by Kodály scholar and teacher David Vinden to discuss Kodály's life and legacy, and to enjoy some of his vividly evocative music.