Bela Bartok

The Mikrokosmos is a cycle of 153 pieces for piano written with a didactic purpose. That is to give the piano pieces which can be used from the very beginning and then going on it is graded according to difficulties. The title Mikrokosmos can be interpreted as a series of pieces in many different styles representing a small world. This edition has been written in English French German and Hungarian.

This is the new definitive collection for piano edited by Peter Bartók of Bartók's For Children based on Hungarian Folk Tunes.

The definitive edition (1987) of the piano teaching classic. Includes an introduction by the composer's son Peter Bartók.

In 1945 Bela Bartok 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, the children'. Stylistically Mikrokosmos reflects the influence of folk music on Bartók's life and the rhythms and harmonies employed create music that is as modern today as when the cycle was written.

The 153 pieces making up 'Mikrokosmos' are divided into six volumes arranged according to technical and musical difficulty. / Partition /

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. ln the preparation of this revised edition the last previous printed edition was compared with the available manuscript sources which include editions marked by Béla Bartók with corrections. His corrected copies of the violin-piano transcription (prepared by Zoltán Székely) as well as the orchestra arrangement were also considered.The major correction concerns metronome numbers. At various times since the work's first publicationthe composer slightly revised some of these tempi. ln the composer's lifetime the last printed editions of both violin-piano and piano versions produced during World War II bear corrections in his file copies the two being in agreement with each other as well as with the marked duration of each dance. The tempi found in these printed editions believed to be the composer's last word on the subject appear in this revised edition.' (Peter Bartók)

Composées en 1915 les Danses populaires roumaines comptent parmi les ?uvres les plus connues de Bartók ? et ce sous de multiples formes car outre les diverses éditions de la version pour piano et une orchestration plus tardive de Bartók lui-même il existe également des arrangements réalisés par des contemporains avec l?accord du compositeur. On peut aujourd?hui même avoir recours à des enregistrements des danses par Bartók lui-même; ces derniers avec des reprises variées et enrichies de doublures à l?octave illustrent en quelque sorte la «version de concert» des danses. Le spécialiste de Bartók László Somfai a mis de l?ordre dans cette abondante documentation et présente dansla Henle-Urtextausgabe les variantes essentielles pour le musicien directement dans le texte musical.

This is a new edition of Béla Bartók?s popular Romanian Folk Dances in its original scoring for Solo Piano. With fascinating background notes and unique imagery this publication is essential for pianistsinterested in the work of the Hungarian composer.When Bartók?was just 23 years old he visited the Transylvanian town of?Gerlicepuszta. Overhearing a lullaby sung by a teenage servant girl named LidiDósa he quizzed her about it and noted it down. This was the beginning of a passion for folk music that would go on to change the course of the composer's life and work. Romanian FolkDances?remains one of Bartók's most popular and enduring works evoking the folk melodies combined with his own idiosyncratic harmonies and textures. Each of the six short pieces here is based on atraditional melody which Bartók?penned during his travels.? Including newly engraved masterpieces?Stick Dance Waistband Dance In One Spot Dance From Butschum Romanian Polkaand Fast Dance this sheet music collection features editorial revisions guided by recordings of Bartók's own performance. The notation also includes fingering guidancethroughout. Romanian Folk Dances also?features a specially-written introduction as well as some fantastic photographs that both tell the story of the young composer and the intriguingbackstory of this work.? One of the most important 20th century composers and along with Liszt one of Hungary's finest musical minds Bartók?held a strong fascination for folkmusic. Through his studies recordings and arrangements he composed some incredible music like these?Romanian Folk Dances ?while simultaneously initiating the field of

The four-movement Suite op. 14 was composed in 1916 and was one of Bartók?s favourite piano works throughout his life. Unlike in his other works for piano of these years he did not use any folksong melodies or folkloristicelements here. Instead he endeavoured to achieve a new more ?abstract? transparent piano style that forgoes ornament and embellishment. A special feature of this Henle edition is the appendix with an additional Andante movementthat was originally intended to come before the Scherzo but which Bartók removed from the Suite only shortly before its publication in 1918. The Urtext edition of this important work in the concert repertoire follows the musicaltext of the Bartók Complete Edition. It has been edited by perhaps the most distinguished Bartók scholar in the world today László Somfai who has also written the comprehensive introduction to the work and who offers helpfulsuggestions regarding its interpretation.

The Definitive Bartók Edition brings together selected highlights from Béla Bartók?s extensive pedagogical piano catalogue for the very first time. Featuring repertoire from For Children, Mikrokosmos, Ten Easy Pieces, Romanian Christmas Carols, Fourteen Bagatelles and others, each volume has been compiled to be steadily progressive to aid learning. An accompanying audio CD features demonstration performances by Iain Farrington.

These six dances form the final culmination of Bartók?s ?Mikrokosmos? (HN 1408-1410) that work of the century comprising over 150 pieces. He dedicated this grouping collected under its own title to the famous English pianist Harriet Cohen. Inspired this specialist for contemporary music found in them ?a whole world of music? and championed the pieces. Bartók himself added the dances to his concert repertory early on though initially in a reduced form that omitted the fifth dance which was not composed until the end of 1939 as one of the last works of the collection. Our practical standalone Urtext edition of these six dances also featuresan early version of the concluding piece and supplies interesting background details about Bartók?s own recital practice. This edition?s musical text is based on that of the Bartók Complete Edition.