Description
Béla Bartók – Hungarian Folksongs for Voice and Piano CD
UPC: 5999882041407
MPN: HHCD016
Brand Name: Hagyományok Háza
Overview
This rare 2007 release by Hagyományok Háza revives Béla Bartók’s arrangements of authentic Hungarian folksongs for voice and piano. Compiled by the ethnomusicologist László Kelemen, this album presents twenty-four songs chosen from Bartók’s three original collections, each performed with faithful simplicity and stylistic integrity. Unlike concert-stage interpretations, these renditions aim to mirror the natural beauty and raw spirit of traditional singing as heard in rural communities. The album features captivating vocal performances by Ágnes Herczku, with Timea Djerdj and Margit Kincses on piano.
Product Features
- Format: Audio CD, Album
- Label: Hagyományok Háza – HHCD016
- Country: Hungary
- Released: 2007
- Genre: Classical, Folk, World & Country
- Style: Hungarian Folk (Népzene)
- Language: Hungarian
-
Performers:
Compiled & Edited by: László Kelemen- Vocals: Ágnes Herczku
- Piano: Timea Djerdj, Margit Kincses
- Engineer: János Konorót
Interesting Facts
Béla Bartók (1881–1945) was one of the great pioneers of ethnomusicology. Throughout his life, he devoted himself to collecting and preserving authentic folk music from Hungary and neighboring regions. His arrangements for voice and piano fuse classical composition with genuine folk ornamentation, rhythm, and melodic language — a hallmark of his artistic mission to elevate folk tradition to concert art without distortion.
This album, compiled by László Kelemen, aims to restore Bartók’s folksong settings to their original ethnographic authenticity. Kelemen handpicked 24 songs that best represent the natural vocal ornamentation, phrasing, and emotional depth of peasant performance style — ensuring they sound closer to how Bartók might have heard them in the field rather than on the concert stage.
About László Kelemen
Born in 1960 in Gyergyóditró, Transylvania, László Kelemen is a composer, folklorist, and the General Director of Hagyományok Háza (House of Traditions) in Budapest. Educated at the “G. Dima” Academy of Music in Cluj, he became a key figure in the Hungarian folk revival, performing and collecting traditional music across Transylvania and Hungary.
He co-founded the legendary Ökrös Ensemble with Csaba Ökrös and András Berecz, touring internationally and earning the Young Master of Folk Art and Hungarian Art Award. As music director of the Budapest Dance Ensemble, and later as founder of the Utolsó Óra (Final Hour) folk music archive, Kelemen spearheaded one of the largest folk recording projects in the Carpathian Basin, preserving over 1200 hours of field recordings.
For his lifelong dedication to Hungarian folk heritage, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 2008.
Track Listing
- Juhászcsúfoló
- Elindultam Szép Hazámbul
- Általmennék Én A Tiszán Ladikon
- Nem Messze Van Ide Kismargitta
- Végigmentem A Tárkányi Sej, Haj, Nagy Uccán
- Fehér László Lovat Lopott
- A Gyulai Kert Alatt, Kert Alatt
- Fekete Főd, Fehér Az Én Zsebkendőm
- Istenem, Istenem, Áraszd Meg A Vizet
- Töltik A Nagy Erdő Útját
- Ha Kimegyek Arr’a Magos Tetőre
- Asszonyok, Asszonyok, Had’ Legyek Társatok
- Eddig Való Dolgom A Tavaszi Szántás
- Annyi Bánat A Szűvemen
- Olvad A Hó, Csárdás Kis Angyalom, Tavasz Akar Lenni
- Pár-Ének
- Régi Keserves
- Bujdosó-Ének
- Panasz
- Hatforintos Nóta
- Pásztornóta
- Székely Lassú
- Székely Friss
- A Tömlöcben
Publishers
Label: Hagyományok Háza Catalog Number: HHCD016 Country of Release: Hungary Year: 2007
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