For Children (Hungarian: Gyermekeknek) is a set of short piano pieces[1] composed by Béla Bartók in 1908 and 1909; 85 pieces were originally issued in four volumes. Each piece is based on a folk tune: Hungarian in the first two volumes (42 pieces), Slovak in the last two (43 pieces). In 1945, Bartók revised the set, removing six pieces that were inaccurately transcribed or had been found not to be original folk tunes, and substantially changing the harmonization of a number of others; the collection, now of 79 pieces, was reissued in two volumes (of 40 and 39 pieces).
For Children |
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Béla Bartók (1881–1945) at the composition time |
Native name | Gyermekeknek |
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Year | 1908 (1908) and 1909 |
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The pieces were written for students to play, and progress slightly in difficulty through each half of the collection. In modern times, some concert pianists (notably Zoltán Kocsis) had begun including some of them on their recital programs, citing their musical value even apart from their pedagogical origins.
The final, revised version of For Children is divided into two volumes:
- Volume I
- Játszó gyermekek (Children at Play). Allegro
- Gyermekdal (Children's Song). Andante
- Quasi adagio
- Párnatánc (Pillow Dance). Allegro
- Játék (Play). Allegretto
- Balkéztanulmány (Study for the Left Hand). Allegro
- Játékdal (Play Song). Andante grazioso
- Gyermekjáték (Children's Game). Allegretto
- Dal (Song). Adagio
- Gyermektánc (Children's Dance). Allegro molto
- Lento
- Allegro
- Ballada (Ballad). Andante
- Allegretto
- Allegro moderato
- Régi magyar dallam (Old Hungarian Tune). Andante rubato
- Körtánc (Round Dance). Lento
- Katonadal (Soldier's Song). Andante non troppo
- Allegretto
- Bordal (Drinking Song). Allegro
- Allegro robusto
- Allegretto
- Táncdal (Dance Song). Allegro grazioso
- Andante sostenuto
- Parlando
- Moderato
- Tréfa (Jest). Allegramente
- Kórusdal (Choral). Andante
- Ötfokú dallam (Pentatonic Tune). Allegro scherzando
- Gúnydal (Jeering Song). Allegro ironico
- Allegro tranquillo — attacca
- Andante
- Allegro non troppo
- Allegretto
- Con moto
- Részegek nótája (Drunkard's Song). Vivace
- Kanásznóta (Swine-herd's Song). Allegro
- Regös ének (Winter Solstice Song). Molto vivace
- Allegro moderato
- Kanásztánc (Swine-herd's Dance). Allegro vivace
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- Volume II
- Allegro
- Andante
- Allegretto
- Lakodalmas (Wedding Song). Andante
- Változatok (Variations). Molto andante — A tempo — A tempo — L'istesso tempo
- I. Körtánc (Round Dance I). Allegro
- Bánat (Sorrow). Andante
- Táncdal (Dance). Allegro non troppo
- II. Körtánc (Round Dance II). Andante
- Temetésre szól az ének (Funeral Song). Largo
- Lento — attacca
- Andante rubato — attacca
- Allegro
- Moderato
- I. Dudanóta (Bagpipe I). Molto tranquillo
- Panasz (Lament). Lento
- Andante
- Gúnydal (Teasing Song). Sostenuto
- Románc (Romance). Assai lento
- Kerget dzés (Game of Tag). Presto
- Tréfa (Pleasantry). Allegro moderato
- Duhajkodó (Revelry). Molto allegro
- Andante tranquillo - attacca
- Andante
- Scherzando. Allegretto
- Furulyaszó (Peasant's Flute). Andante, molto rubato
- Még egy tréfa (Pleasantry II). Allegro
- Andante, molto rubato
- Kánon (Canon). Allegro non troppo
- Szól a duda (Bagpipe II). Vivace
- Betyárnóta (The Highway Robber). Allegro
- Pesante
- Andante tranquillo
- Búcsú (Farewell). Adagio
- Ballada (Ballad). Moderato
- -
- Rapszódia (Rhapsody). Parlando, molto rubato
- Siratóének (Dirge). Lento
- Halotti ének (Mourning Song). Lento
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