Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Béla Bartók - Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Songs, Sz.74
Performer: Zoltán Kocsis
After his 15 Hungarian peasant songs, 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.
Béla Bartók - Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Songs, Sz.74
Performer: Zoltán Kocsis
After his 15 Hungarian peasant songs, 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.
![Franz Liszt - Ballade No.2 in b minor, S170a [early version]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PNa9OM_pEzE/mqdefault.jpg "Franz Liszt - Ballade No.2 in b minor, S170a [early version]
As a matter of fact, Liszt never expected the original version of Ballade No.2 to be published, but the original version has long been known. In the later version, Liszt change the ending. Beyond all doubt, the beautiful and quiet coda of the later version is fantastic, but it doesnt mean the original ending is not good. As for me,I even very like the original version. It is an interesting job to explore Liszts creation through different version of works.")
