Description
Following his composition of 15 Hungarian peasant songs (HN 1404), these Improvisations on Hungarian peasant songs represent the second instance in which Bartók incorporates the phrase “Hungarian peasant songs” into the title of his work. The way in which he engages with folk melodies, intertwining them with subtle avant-garde elements, was later characterized by Bartók himself as exploring “the outermost limits.” Furthermore, he deconstructs the song structures to such an extent that the term “improvisations” aptly reflects his methodology in approaching this folk music. The musical text of this Urtext edition, curated by Bartók scholar László Somfai, is derived from the pertinent volume of the Bartók Complete Edition. Concluding remarks in this edition provide significant insights into performance practice.
