Béla Bartók

Ein Abend am Lande

Both pieces in the present volume are transcriptions from Bartók s Ten Easy Piano Pieces, a series composed for pedagogical purposes in 1908. Their themes are reminiscent of Hungarian and Slovak folk songs, although they are not authentic folk melodies. As Bartók explained in an American interview, An Evening in the Village was an original composition that is... with themes of my own invention but... the themes are in the style of the Hungarian Transylvanian folk tunes. There are two themes. The first one is a parlando-rubato-rhythm and the second one is more in a dance-like rhythm. The second one is more or less the imitation of a peasant flute playing. AnEvening in the Village has become one of Bartók s most popular works, which the composer himself was fond of playing at recitals. In 1931 he also orchestrated it as no. 1 of Hungarian Sketches.