For Children

The piano cycle For Children is the first of the 48 planned volumes of the Béla Bartók Complete Critical Edition to appear. It takes a synoptic form, in which each folksong adaptation appears in two versions on facing pages: that of the first edition of 1909 to 1911, and the revised score of 1943. Appendix I contains Bartók’s notes to the first edition, stating the place of origin and the text of each song, accompanied by notation of the melody and an English translation of the words. Appendix II adds further variants for some pieces. The score is accompanied by a detailed study of its origin and reception in English, Hungarian and German, followed by notes to performers on Bartók’s notation and on performance problems specific to For Children. The Critical Commentary at the end of the volume presents the entire source material of the work.

The BBCCE is distributed worldwide by G. Henle, except of Hungary.