BB 98, Sz.92 Húsz magyar népdal énekhangra és zongorára/20 Hungarian Folksongs for Voice and Piano

Béla Bartók (born Bartók Béla Viktor János) (1881-1945) is one of the most important composers of the earlier half of the 20th century. His works can be divided roughly into four periods, each with unique colors. The first period is reminiscent of Strauss and Wagner, in a late romantic idiom. The second period utilizes folk music and modern harmonies reminiscent of Schoenberg and Debussy. The third is characterized by mathematical elements and conquest for unique harmony. The last period is characterized by the simplification of textures. His best-known works include the second violin concerto, six string quartets, second piano concerto, concerto for orchestra, and music for strings, percussion, and celesta.

The last folk song arrangement of Bartók was in a period when he already had multiple years of collecting, arranging, and adapting folk music into his music. The premiere was by Maria Basilides with the composer, on 30 January 1930 in Budapest. Later, 5 of the songs (1, 2, 11, 14, 12) were transcribed into voice and orchestra as BB 108.

As Bartók did not produce a further folk song arrangement collection after this, this could be seen as the most developed form of the folk song arrangements in Bartók’s oeuvre. In comparison to the initial folk song collections, the texture is more complex and the piano is not a mere accompaniment, but a separate voice equal to the singer’s lines.

Book 1 - Szomorú nóták (Sad Songs)
(0:00) No.1 A tömlöcben (In Prison)
(3:52) No.2 Régi keserves (Old Lament) - While listening to this, I thought some of the songs sound a lot like Korean folk songs I know. Perhaps this was due to the pentatonic scale and vocal inflections.
(6:23) No.3 Bujdosó ének (The Fugitive)
(8:33) No.4 Pásztornóta (Herdsman’s Song)
Book 2 - Táncdalok (Dancing Songs)
(10:23) No.5 Székely “lassú” (Székely Slow Dance) - The 2 songs here form kind of a mini-rhapsody.
(13:03) No.6 Székely “friss” (Székely Fast Dance)
(14:13) No.7 Kanásztánc (Swineherd’s Dance)
(16:03) No.8 “Hatforintos” nóta (Six-Florin Dance)
Book 4 - Vegyes dalok (Diverse Songs)
(17:48) No.9 Juhászcsúfoló (The Shepherd)
(19:55) No.10 Tréfás nóta (Joking Song)
(21:34) No.11 Párosító (1) (Nuptial Serenade 1)
(23:22) No.12 Párosító (2) (Nuptial Serenade 2)
(24:46) No.13 Pár-ének (Dialogue Song)
(28:04) No.14 Panasz (Lament)
(29:36) No.15 Bordal (Drinking Song)
Book 4 - Új dalok (New Style Songs)
(30:54) No.16 Allegro ("Hej, édesanyám") - The last 5 songs are connected together, into a single, continuous movement.
(31:53) No.17 Più allegro ("Érik a ropogós cseresznye")
(32:23) No.18 Moderato ("Már Dobozon régen leesett a hó")
(34:07) No.19 Allegretto ("Sárga kukoricaszár")
(34:39) No.20 Allegro non troppo ("Búza, búza, búza")

Source: English/Hungarian Wikipedia, Vera Lampert - Folk Music in Bartók's Compositions, original research

Recording by Erika Sziklay, István Lantos

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