Hungarian Peasant Songs

Op. 20-After his 15 Hungarian peasant songs (HN 1404) these Improvisations on Hungarian peasant songs are the second of Bartók’s works to feature the words “Hungarian peasant songs” in their title.Themanner in which he confronts folk melodies with subtle avant-garde sounds here was later described by Bartók himself as venturing to “the outermost limits”. He also breaks up the song structures so radicallyinto their constituent motives that the title “improvisations” best conveys his approach to this folk music. The musical text of this Urtext edition edited by Bartók expert László Somfai is takenfrom the relevant volume of the Bartók Complete Edition.Comments at the close of this edition offer important hints on performance practice.

Of the many works Bartók composed on Hungarian and Romanian folk melodies between 1914 and 1918 these three piano pieces occupy a special place. Originally outlined for the collection 15 Hungarian Peasant Songs (Urtext edition HN 1404) the drafts were left untouched for the next twenty years. Not until 1941 when Boosey

A superb collection of 15 songs for Piano Solo by Hungarian composer Bela Bartok.

Of the many works Bartók composed on Hungarian and Romanian folk melodies between 1914 and 1918, these three piano pieces occupy a special place. Originally outlined for the collection 15 Hungarian Peasant Songs (Urtext edition HN 1404), the drafts were left untouched for the next twenty years. Not until 1941, when Boosey

The 'Romanian Folk Dances' undoubtedly rank amongst Bartók's most popular compositions. The earliest version is scored for piano (1915) and was published by Universal Edition in 1918. The composer himself orchestrated this version in 1917. Several other chamber music arrangements (for example Zoltán Székely's version for violin and piano) were not by Bartók although he authorised them. The musical material derives from Bartók's collections of folk music which date right back to 1904 when he wrote down a melody sung by a Hungarian peasant girl. In the course of extensive travels throughout Eastern Europe Bartókcompiled an enormous collection of folk tunes (by 1918 his collection comprised no fewer than 2700 Hungarian 3500 Romanian and 3000 Slovak dances and songs) which would in all probability have been lost had Bartók not written them down. As it was some of them found their way into his compositions. In 1908 Bartók jotted down dance tunes in Transsylvania. They are the source of the 'Romanian Folk Dances'.

Béla Bartók's series of piano pieces For Children, based on folk melodies, was written around the end of the first decade of the 20th century. The pieces were published shortly afterwards by the Hungarian publisher Károly Rozsnyai. That first publication was in four volumes, the first two containing a total of 42 pieces based on Hungarian folk tunes, the third and fourth containing 43 pieces based on Slovakian folk tunes.In 1943, whilst in the United States, Bartók prepared a revised version of the collection for the publishers Boosey and Hawkes. The revisions were minimal: two Hungarian and four Slovakian songs were eliminated, there were a few minor alterations incorporating new ideas, some of the pieces previously written with accidentals had key signatures added, a few pieces were rewritten with changed meters - some fingerings were added or changed.The composer prepared the revised 1943 edition by using copies of the first edition on which he marked minor changes - where the changes were more extensive, fresh manuscript was written and a new version engraved. However, much of the engraving of the first edition was preserved in the 1943 edition. Publication took place in 1946, after the composer's death - it is not known if he saw final proofs prior to printing.The revised edition was published in two volumes, which now have been published together as one volume for the first time. / Piano

For Children Vol. 2. Bartók composed his first pedagogical collection For Children between 1908 and 1911. The first edition was issued between 1909 and 1911 in four volumes, comprising two of Hungarian and two of Slovak folk song arrangements. After moving to America, Bartók considered it important to produce new editions of his earlier works. Thus in autumn 1943, together with his new publisher Boosey

Harom Magyar Parasztdal-For two Sopranos Alto Tenor and Bass.First performance: Etone vocal ensemble September 2002.Conducting score.