Pure DSD 256 Stereo Exclusively at NativeDSD

Béla Bartók’s decision to write pedagogical pieces continued a tradition established by great composers. Such as Johann Sebastian Bach’s Inventions and Sinfonias, originally composed for his eldest son, and Robert Schumann’s Album for the Young, Op. 68, written for his three daughters.

In 1908, Bartók composed the first of his instructional works, Ten Easy Pieces for Piano, followed by For Children between 1908 and 1909. He also contributed teaching pieces for the Piano School (Zongoraiskola, 1913, co-authored with Sándor Reschofsky). His last pedagogical work for piano was Mikrokosmos, written between 1926 and 1939.

The pieces in For Children are true miniature masterpieces. The simplicity and beauty of the folk tunes are captivating. Despite this, they are not commonly part of the piano concert repertoire.

While some of the arrangements are frequently used in elementary music schools in Hungary, the complete volumes are rarely performed on stage. I have worked with these pieces for several years, and they have become a significant part of my repertoire.

My performances and this recording reflect the revised 1943 version by Bartók, edited by László Vikárius and published by Editio Musica Budapest/G. Henle Verlag. For a few pieces (Nos. 15, 18, 21 and 26), I have closely followed Bartók’s own recordings.

Dávid Báll – Steinway Model D Concert Grand Piano, Hamburg