Classical Music | Cello Music

Recorded on 01/07/2015, uploaded on 06/04/2015

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Romanian Folk Dances     Béla Bartók, arranged by Luigi Silva

I.     Joc cu bâta (Stick Dance)
II.    Brâul (Sash Dance)   
III.   Pe Loc (Stamping Dance)
IV.    Buciumeana (Horn Dance)
V.     Poarca Româneasca (Romanian Polka)
VI.   Maruntel (Quick Dance)

From 1905 to 1914, Bartók traveled throughout his native countryside with fellow Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály, collecting more than 6,000 folk pieces, many of which had never been heard outside the remote villages from which they came. Bartók used the folk songs in many guises, including as pedagogical tools, ethno-musicological records, or in this case, concert pieces.

Written in 1915, Romanian Folk Dances features six dance tunes that Bartók discovered in Transylvania. He arranged the collection for solo piano and later for orchestra. Since then, the work has been arranged for nearly all instrument combinations, including this colorful version for cello and piano. The six dances feature many elements characteristic of the folk songs Bartók discovered, such as modal tonality, asymmetric meters, and an austere character. They range in spirit and intent, from festive (Stick Dance) to graceful (Hornpipe Dance) to lively (Fast Dance).      Laura Usiskin

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.