Bartok

Bartók - Stamping Dance (from Mikrokosmos, Sz. 107, vol 5)

Sometimes known as Peasant’s Dance, this rustic piece explores changes of tempo and mood. While the composer’s articulation markings need careful consideration, it is not necessary to be too pedantic about the metronome markings (Bartók did not stick to these literally in his own performances). As long as the tempo relationships are preserved, some leeway is permissible. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links Click here to purchase sheet music form the Trinity College online store... Read >>

Bartók - Rondo (No. 1 from Three Rondos on Folk Tunes)

ABRSM Grade 8 - C1

With his compatriot Kodály, Bartók collected folksongs from his native Hungary as well as surrounding east-European countries, introducing them into his compositions. The first Rondo contains three Slovak folksongs, the first acting as the rondo theme and the other two as episodes. This vibrant piece is full of contrasts in texture and mood, singing wistfully one moment and dancing wildly the next. Do not be a slave to the strict-looking metronome marks (Bartók was not in his own performances).... Read >>

Bartók - The Highway Robber (from For Children, Sz. 42)

This descriptive piece contains three different settings of the same folk tune, each with its own unique harmonisations, dynamic levels and articulations. The prevailing drum rhythm in the left hand punctuates these. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links Click here to purchase sheet music form the Trinity College online store (external link). Click here to view open domain editions for these works (external link). Click here to view the... Read >>

Bartók - No.2 from Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (from Mikrokosmos, Sz. 107, vol. 6)

The 2nd piece in Béla Bartók’s Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, from Mikrokosmos, Book 6, features an unusual time signature – 2+2+3/8 (effectively 7/8). To get the feel of how this time signature works, it may be helpful firstly to practise a few scales with this grouping, putting a slight accent at the beginning of each group. Not only will this give you the feeling for the irregular meter, it will also enliven your scale practice (not always a popular activity) by adding a fresh challenge. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to... Read >>

Bartók - Pentatonic Tune (No. 29 from For Children, Vol. 1)

ABRSM Grade 4 – C1

Bartók’s For Children is a large collection of folksong arrangements written between 1908 and 1910, revised in 1943. Pentatonic Tune is based on Hungarian folk tunes, the term “pentatonic” referring to the five-note scale so often found in folk music. The first tune appears starkly, in unison between the hands in different registers of the piano, sometimes fragmented. We find two arrangements of the second tune, both featuring the melodic line in the left hand with a chordal accompaniment in the right hand. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video)... Read >>

Bartók - Teasing Song (No.18 from For Children, Vol. 2)

ABRSM Grade 4 – C1

A folk melody, presented in different keys, is passed from left hand to right and back again - with an off-beat chordal accompaniment in the other hand. The mood is light, with plenty of touches of humour. The player will need to attend to varieties of touch, articulation and dynamics. Resources & links Piano Exam Pieces 2021 & 2021, Grade 4 is available from the ABRSM online shop here. The syllabus upon which these Practising the Piano Online Academy materials are based is © by... Read >>

Bartók - Dialogue (from First Term at the Piano)

ABRSM Initial Grade – B3

The great Hungarian composer Béla Bartók was an important educator, writing piano music for all levels, including the very early stages. Dialogue comes from a set of elementary pieces entitled First Term at the Piano. It features the two hands in conversation with each other, the right hand leading and the left hand imitating a bar later. Each hand stays in its own hand position throughout; the player’s task is to manage the five-finger positions with flexibility of phrasing and hand movements, avoiding locking the wrist by adjusting it laterally in order to align the arm behind the finger that... Read >>