Ex. 5-12: 127. New Hungarian Folk Song

No. 127 from Béla Bartók's Mikrokosmos (Sz. 107, BB 105), a collection of 153 progressive piano pieces in six volumes, written between 1926 and 1939. The title Mikrokosmos ("little world") reflects Bartók's aim to address rhythmic, melodic, harmonic, and pianistic problems in a comprehensive pedagogical work.

The pieces progress from simple beginner études (Volumes I–II, dedicated to his son Péter) to professional-level concert pieces (Volumes V–VI). No. 127 is in Volume V, one of a handful of pieces that include singing — the performer plays the piano while also singing the folk melody. The title reflects Bartók's own folk-song research: he sorted Hungarian folk songs into an "old style" and a "new style," and this melody belongs to the new style.

Bartók traveled extensively between 1906 and 1936 to rural Hungary, Romania, Algeria, and Turkey, transcribing folk songs and dances. This close study of folk music had a deep influence on his own musical style. When his publisher suggested the subtitle "Progressive Piano Pieces in Modern Idiom," Bartók rejected it: "In 20, or let us say 40 years, this work will cease to be 'modern.' And what does 'modern' mean? This word has no definite sense."

From the album Zoltán Kocsis plays Bartók by Zoltán Kocsis and Marta Lukin (2005)
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The jazz pianist Chick Corea admired these pieces and performed Bartók's two-piano arrangement of seven Mikrokosmos numbers — including this one — with Nicolas Economou.

From the album On Two Pianos by Chick Corea and Nicolas Economou (1983)
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