Bartók, For Children Book I (after Hungarian Folksongs), Sz.42 (Géza Anda)

B.Bartók, For Children Sz.42 Book I (after Hungarian Folksongs), with with a theme-and-structure analysis and synchronized sheet music (score) Performance: Géza Anda (piano), 1954/01/04-06 & 1955/01/08-09 Mono, No.3 studio, Abbey Road Analysis, Score Editing, Synch: ScoreMan 00:00 1. Children At Play 00:34 2. Children's Song 01:23 3. 02:12 4. Pillow Dance 03:00 5. Play 04:11 6. Study for the Left Hand 04:55 7. Play Song 05:27 8. Children's Game 06:52 9. Song 07:54 10. Children's Dance 08:29 11. 09:30 12. 10:56 13. Ballad 12:03 14. 12:38 15. 13:11 16. Old Hungarian Tune 14:02 17. Round Dance 15:16 18. Soldier's Song 16:08 19. 16:48 20. Drinking Song 17:21 21. 18:12 22. 18:59 23. Dance Song 19:47 24. 20:59 25. 21:48 26. 22:45 27. Jest 23:42 28. Choral 25:13 29. Pentatonic Tune 26:13 30. Jeering Song 26:46 31. 28:34 32. 29:59 33. 30:44 34. 31:35 35. 32:12 36. Drunkard's Song 32:55 37. Swine-Herd's Song 33:31 38. Winter Solstice Song 34:29 39. 36:04 40. Swine-Herd's Dance OVERVIEW “For Children” is a set of short piano pieces that Béla Bartók wrote in 1908–1909 for young piano students. There are two books: Book I uses Hungarian folk songs Book II uses Slovak folk songs Book I contains 40 (orginally 42) short pieces, each one based on an authentic Hungarian folk melody. The pieces are short, easy to play, and written to help children learn the piano while experiencing real folk music. HISTORICAL CONTEXT At this time, Bartók was traveling around Hungary and nearby regions, collecting thousands of folk songs by visiting villages and recording peasants singing. He and Zoltán Kodály were among the first musicians to treat folk melodies as serious, important music worth preserving. Bartók wanted young students to learn real folk melodies, not simplified “fake” folk-style pieces that were common in piano method books. So he created For Children to: Provide good educational pieces Introduce children to real Hungarian musical traditions Show how folk melodies could be used artistically and respectfully Later, in 1945 (the year he died), Bartók revised these pieces to remove or adjust melodies that had been collected inaccurately. MUSICAL SIGNIFICANCE 1. One of the earliest serious collections of folk-based teaching pieces Bartók showed that music for children can be simple and meaningful. 2. A major step in his development as a composer This work marks the beginning of Bartók’s lifelong style: using folk melodies, blending them with modern harmonies and rhythms, writing music rooted in tradition but with a fresh voice 3. A gateway into Bartók’s world Many young students first meet Bartók through For Children. It is often the easiest introduction to his musical language. 4. A preservation of folk heritage Because Bartók used the actual melodies he collected, the set also serves as a musical record of Hungarian village culture in the early 20th century.