Bartok: 44 Duos for two violins - Kristof Barati, Karolina Kondorosi / Hungaroton Audio CD 2023 / HCD32869 

BÉLA BARTÓK: 44 DUOS FOR TWO VIOLINS

UPC 5991813286925

Made in Hungary

Recorded on 4-6 August, 2022 at Rottenbiller Studio

Asked in 1931 by Erich Doflein to arrange a couple of pieces from the series For Children for two violins for his new violin tutorial, Bartók sent instead 44 original compositions. In these excellent two-violin miniatures appear in a wonderful mixture the world of village fiddling with the virtuoso concert violin playing, and at the same time, the young player is introduced to the technical and performance practice of violin chamber music. The duets were originally published as a series arranged in order of difficulty for pedagogical purposes, but Bartók himself suggested different selections and orders for a concert hall performance. In our recording, the pieces are played in an order imagined by the artists, organized into 6 cycles.

44 Duos for Two Violins (sometimes also entitled 44 Duets), Sz. 98, BB 104 is a series of duets composed in 1931 by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók.

Béla Bartók did not intend this work to be played in performances, but rather to be useful as a work for young students. The work was commissioned by Erich Doflein, a German violinist and teacher, who asked Bartók if he would arrange some of the pieces from the For Children series. He composed other works in this period that were meant to be pedagogical, such as Mikrokosmos. This intention for educative works was exploited by the fact that he was a teacher himself, then he chose to write works for his pupils to play. Nevertheless, all songs and dances included in this series are based on folk music from many Eastern Europe countries, but harmonic and rhythmic freedom is evident throughout the whole piece.

In 1936, Bartók arranged 6 of these duos for piano, under the title Petite Suite.

Tracklist:

1-45.  44 Duos  

Béla Bartók (1881-1945)
1
44 Transylvanian dance / „Erdélyi” tánc 2:16

2
28 Sorrow / Bánkódás 2:19

3
35 Ruthenian kolomejka / Rutén kolomejka 1:07

4
36 Bagpipes / Szól a duda 1:09

5
25 Hungarian song / Magyar nóta – 2. 0:46

6
34 Enumerating song / Kiszámoló 0:56

7
13 Wedding song / Lakodalmas 1:25

8
23 Farewell to the bride / Menyasszony-búcsúztató 1:35

9
21 New Year’s greeting / Újévköszöntő – 1. 2:15

10
22 Mosquito dance / Szúnyogtánc 0:42

11
11 Cradle song / Gyermekrengetéskor 1:17

12
29 New Year’s greeting / Újévköszöntő – 2. 0:45

13
10 Ruthenian song / Rutén nóta 1:18

14
27 Limping dance / Sánta-tánc 0:29

15
41 Scherzo 0:49

16
15 Soldiers song / Katonanóta 1:00

17
16 Burlesque / Burleszk 0:59

18
4 Midsummer Night song / Szentivánéji 0:43

19
37 Prelude and canon / Prelúdium és kánon 2:40

20
Bagpipes / Szól a duda (Variant of No. 36 / a 36. változata) 1:13

21
33 Harvest song / Aratáskor 1:43

22
18 Hungarian march / Menetelő nóta – 2. 0:54

23
26 Teasing song / „Ugyan, édes komámasszony” 0:29

24
6 Hungarian song / Magyar nóta – 1. 0:47

25
30 New Year’s greeting / Újévköszöntő – 3. 0:48

26
31 New Year’s greeting / Újévköszöntő – 4. 0:40

27
38 Rumanian whirling dance / Forgatós 0:47

28
19 A fairy tale / Mese 1:12

29
7 Walachian song / Oláh nóta 1:02

30
42 Arabian song / Arab dal 1:15

31
5 Slovakian song / Tót nóta – 1. 1:14

32
17 Hungarian march / Menetelő nóta – 1. 0:47

33
2 Maypole dance / Kalamajkó 0:41

34
3 Menuetto 0:46

35
14 Pillow dance / Párnás tánc 0:38

36
1 Matchmaking song / Párosító 0:55

37
12 Hay-gathering song / Szénagyűjtéskor 0:58

38
20 Alternating song / Dal 1:23

39
8 Slovakian song / Tót nóta – 2. 1:14

40
24 Jeering song / Tréfás nóta 0:46

41
9 Play song / Játék 0:38

42
43 Pizzicato 1:11

43
40 Walachian dance / Oláh tánc 0:54

44
39 Serbian dance / Szerb tánc 0:52

45
32 Dance from Máramaros /Máramarosi tánc 0:46

Total Playtime 49:28