Classical Music | Music for Flute

Recorded on 04/27/2016, uploaded on 01/12/2017

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Suite Paysanne Hongroise     Béla Bartók, arranged by Paul Arma

Among Bartók’s great passions was the collecting of Eastern European folk melodies. He traveled to remote villages in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and elsewhere, listening to the songs and dances of the peasants and finding original ways of notating their quirky rhythmic and melodic inflections. These musical features made a lasting impression on his style. The Suite Paysanne Hongroise, originally for solo piano, is a set of fifteen tiny movements based on melodies taken from authentic Hungarian folk material. To these catchy tunes, Bartók adds imaginative accompaniments and bold harmonic colors. The result is a short piece full of vivid contrasts, ranging in the blink of an eye from wistful to droll to vigorous. The duo transcription of the suite performed this afternoon is by Bartók’s student Paul Arma.             Notes by Sarah Frisof

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.