Par BARTOK BELA. Bartók' s 'Romanian Christmas Songs' are based on folk melodies that originated in a pagan celebration of the winter solstice, and which he felt gave ' the impression of a fiery, war-like type of song, rather than a pious and religious one”. Nevertheless, he chose 20 melodies from this collection of ' colinde” and published them under the title of ' Christmas Songs”. In the first edition of 1918 they were conceived for children' s hands and so were published ' without octaves”- but in his revised edition of 1936, which we present here, Bartók added an appendix featuring alternative ' concert versions”, confirming that these miniatures are also perfectly suited for public performance. Our Urtext edition is based on that of the Bartók Complete Edition, and for the first time integrates these concert variants directly into the musical text. We also offer the original melodies and translations of the texts of these colinde to provide an insight into the origins of this rather different kind of Christmas music./ Répertoire / Piano

Op. 20. Par BARTOK BELA. After his 15 Hungarian peasant songs (HN 1404), these Improvisations on Hungarian peasant songs are the second of Bartók' s works to feature the words ' Hungarian peasant songs” in their title. The manner in which he confronts folk melodies with subtle, avant-garde sounds here was later described by Bartók himself as venturing to ' the outermost limits”. He also breaks up the song structures so radically into their constituent motives that the title ' improvisations” best conveys his approach to this folk music. The musical text of this Urtext edition, edited by Bartók expert László Somfai, is taken from the relevant volume of the Bartók Complete Edition. Comments at the close of this edition offer important hints on performance practice./ Répertoire / Piano

The definitive edition (1987) of the piano teaching classic. Includes an introduction by the composer's son Peter Bartók.
In 1945 Bela Bartok described 'Mikrokosmos' as a cycle of 153 pieces for piano written for 'didactic' purposes, seeing them as a series of pieces in many different styles, representing a small world, or as the 'world of the little ones, the children'. Stylistically Mikrokosmos reflects the influence of folk music on Bartók's life and the rhythms and harmonies employed create music that is as modern today as when the cycle was written.
The 153 pieces making up 'Mikrokosmos' are divided into six volumes arranged according to technical and musical difficulty. / Classique / Préface : Peter Bartok / Partition /

The definitive edition (1987) of the piano teaching classic. Includes an introduction by the composer's son Peter Bartók.

In 1945 Bela Bartok described 'Mikrokosmos' as a cycle of 153 pieces for piano written for 'didactic' purposes, seeing them as a series of pieces in many different styles, representing a small world, or as the 'world of the little ones, the children'. Stylistically Mikrokosmos reflects the influence of folk music on Bartók's life and the rhythms and harmonies employed create music that is as modern today as when the cycle was written.

The 153 pieces making up 'Mikrokosmos' are divided into six volumes arranged according to technical and musical difficulty / Partition /

The definitive edition (1987) of the piano teaching classic. Includes an introduction by the composer's son Peter Bartók.

In 1945 Bela Bartok described 'Mikrokosmos' as a cycle of 153 pieces for piano written for 'didactic' purposes, seeing them as a series of pieces in many different styles, representing a small world, or as the 'world of the little ones, the children'. Stylistically Mikrokosmos reflects the influence of folk music on Bartók's life and the rhythms and harmonies employed create music that is as modern today as when the cycle was written.

The 153 pieces making up 'Mikrokosmos' are divided into six volumes arranged according to technical and musical difficulty. / Partition /

Par BROWN CHRISTINE. Play at Sight For Piano is a systematic course in the essential skills and techniques required for successful sight-reading, suitable for elementary pianists. Divided into four parts, each covering a specific range of skills, starting with separate hands within a compass of five notes, moving up to reading two staves together with varied keys, dynamics and articulation. One week's exercises are given on each page - the teacher can hear one or more at a weekly lesson. The technical point of each page is clearly explained. Specific problems such as keeping eyes on the music and reading two staves at once are discussed. The gradual pace encourages an accurate and musical performance at every stage, essential for confidence and enjoyment. Christine Brown is a renowned teacher and pedagogue of immense experience. She is highly respected for her lectures and articles on the subject of sight-reading and also a leading authority on the Hungarian composer, Bela Bartok./ Etude / Piano

Bartók is regarded as one of the most important composers of the 20th century. He became famous both as a music teacher and as an ethnomusicologist. Being a trained pianist, his relation to the piano certainly was very special and is reflected in numerous piano works.
This comprehensive collection of selected piano works by Bartók is a rich source of his most beautiful pieces, including the two complete volumes For Children. / Classique / Partition /

La série 'Festival Collection' est composée de 8 volumes rassemblant des thèmes couvrant les périodes : Baroque, Classique, Romantique et 20ème/ 21ème siècle. Cette série est étudiée pour correspondre au niveau du pianiste. Le CD audio contenant tous les morceaux du songbook guidera l'étudiant dans son interprétation. / Piano

The compositions in Easy Piano Pieces For Children have all been carefully selected for the beginner pianist. Over 100 selections in this songbook are progressively graded, with editorial markings and suggested fingering, allowing beginner children to learn with specially selected songs that they will enjoy playing.As an addition to the bestselling Everybody's Favorite series, these attractive and original pieces are easy to play and will allow young pianists to have fun while improving various aspects of their technique.This large songbook includes classic favourites by Mozart, Debussy and Grieg, Piano miniatures by Schumann, Arensky and Türk, as well as selections from Bartók's For Children, among many others. Each piece is graded with a star to indicate difficulty, while a glossary of music symbols and a keyboard chart are included to help early students with note and key recognition. / Piano