Béla Bartók - BB 43, Sz.33a 10 Hungarian Folksongs (1906-7) (Score, Lyrics, Analysis)

BB 43, Sz.33a Magyar népdalok (II. füzet) énekhangra és zongorára/Hungarian Folksongs (Book 2) for voice and piano

Béla Bartók (born Bartók Béla Viktor János) (1881-1945) is one of the most important composers of the earlier half of the 20th century. His works can be divided roughly into four periods, each with unique colors. The first period is reminiscent of Strauss and Wagner, in a late romantic idiom. The second period utilizes folk music and modern harmonies reminiscent of Schoenberg and Debussy. The third is characterized by mathematical elements and conquest for unique harmony. The last period is characterized by the simplification of textures. His best-known works include the second violin concerto, six string quartets, second piano concerto, concerto for orchestra, and music for strings, percussion, and celesta.

After the publication of 20 Hungarian folk songs, jointly written with Kodály, there was no sequel to follow it. Nevertheless, Bartók wrote 10 songs with piano accompaniments in 1906. However, he never offered them to be published, and it was published only in the 21st century.

No.2 was used in part of the 20 Hungarian folk song (BB 98), and No.3 in 8 Hungarian folk song (BB 47). No.5 and No.10 also became part of For Children (No.25 and 17 in the revised edition). This might explain why Bartók did not try to publish this collection - as he already used most of the melodies in other pieces. Another reason would be the poor reception of the 20 Hungarian Folksongs with Kodály (it took 32 years for the first edition to be all sold).

The premiere was on 8 October 1968 in Budapest by Terézia Csajbók and Lóránt Szűcs.

An important feature of this collection is the accompaniment. In the BB 42 set, the piano accompaniment more or less goes hand-in-hand with the original melody (the melody is stated in the piano part also, or the piano part is a mere harmonization). However, here, the piano part is independent of the vocal line.

(0:00) No.1 Tiszán innen, Tiszán túl (On this side of the Tisza, beyond the Tisza)
(2:15) No.2 Erdők, völgyek, szűk ligetek (Forests, valleys, tight groves)
(4:27) No.3 Olvad a hó, csárdás kisangyalom, tavasz akar lenni (The snow is melting, my sweetheart, spring is on its way)
(6:01) No.4 Ha bemegyek a csárdába, kimulatom magam (When I go to the inn I have a good time)
(6:55) No.5 Fehér László lovat lopott, (László Fehér stole a horse) - The score only lists the first stanza, but the singers chose to use the lyrics of the song with same title from the BB 42 set.
(9:58) No.6 Megittam a, megittam a piros bort a pohárbul (I drank the glass of red wine)
(10:36) No.7 Ez a kislány gyöngyöt fűz (This little girl is threading pearls)
(11:35) No.8 Sej, mikor engem katonának visznek (Hey, when they take me into the army)
(12:49) No.9 Még azt mondják, sej haj iciny piciny az én babám (People gossip, hey ho, my sweetheart is so tin)
(13:42) No.10 Kis kece lányom fehérbe vagyon (My little girl is dressed in white)
- Like No.5, the singers take an extra stanza not present in this score.

Source: English/Hungarian Wikipedia, preface from 2004 EMB Edition, Vera Lampert - Folk Music in Bartók's Compositions, original research

Recording by Terézia Csajbók, Loránt Szücs

This video is for a non-commercial purpose (I do not get any profit from this video), and I do not own the score or the music. If there is an advertisement, it is not by me; it is by Youtube. If you are the rightful owner and want this video removed, please contact me, and I will promptly remove it.

[Signore_S]

The folk melodies used (number is the catalog number in Lampart’s catalog):
For No.1 - “Tiszán innen, Dunántúl” - From Felsőiregh (Tolna), Young woman, September 1906 (No.14)
For No.2 - “Erdők, völgyek” - From Felsőiregh (Tolna), Woman, September 1906 (No.240)
For No.3 - “Olvad a hó” - From Csíkvacsárcsi (Csík), Young people, July 1907 (No.173)
For No.4 - “Ha bemegyek a kocsmába” - From Doboz (Békés), Zsófi Vas (18), November 1906 (No.15)
For No.5 - “Fehér László lovat lopott” - From Doboy (Békés), Elderly woman, November 1906 (No.56)
For No.6 - “Megittam a, megittam a piros bort a pohárból” - From Tápiószele (Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun), Girls, August 1906 (No.16)
For No.7 - “Ez a kislány gyöngyöt fűz” - From Tura (Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun), Örzse Kocsi (18), August 1906 (No.17)
For No.8 - “Sej mikor engem katonának visznek” - From Békésgyula (Békés), Panna Illés (17), July 1906 (No.18)
For No.9 - “Zöld erdőben jártam piros almafa tövében” - From Kibéd (Maros-Torda), Lidi Dósa (18), July 1904 (No.19)
For No.10 - “Kis kece lányom fejérbe vagyon” - From Felsőiregh (Tolna), Elderly woman, April 1907 (No.45)

Lyrics:
No.1
Tiszán innen, Tiszán túl, (On this side of the Tisza, beyond the Tisza, )
Túl a Dunán van egy csikós nyájastul. (Beyond the Tisza lives a horseman with his herd.)
Kis pej lova ki van kötvel, (His little bay horse is tied up, )
Szűrkötéllel, pakróc nélkül, gazdástul. (With a felt rope, without a rug, with his master.)

Tiszán innen, Tiszán túl, (On this side of the Tisza, beyond the Tisza, )
Túl a Dunán van egy gulás nyájastul. (Beyond the Danube there is a herdsman with his flock.)
Legelteti a guláját, (He lets his flock graze, )
Oda várja a babáját gyep ágyra. (He awaits his sweetheart with a bed of sward.)

No.2
Erdők, völgyek, szűk ligetek, (Forests, valleys, tight groves, )
Sokat bujdostam bennetek; (For a long time I was hiding among you;)
Bujdostam én az vadakkal, (I was a fugitive with the wild game, )
Sírtam a kis madarakkal. (I wept with the little birds.)

Esik eső az egekbül, (The rain is falling from the skies, )
Rózsa nyílik az völgyekbül. (Roses bloom in the valleys.)
Hát én csak magam egyedül (I just continue all alone, )
Hogy éljek meg nálad nélkül? (How can I live without you?)

No.3
Olvad a hó, csárdás kisangyalom, tavasz akar lenni, (The snow is melting, my sweetheart, spring is on its way.)
De szeretnék kiskertedben rózsabimbó lenni! (How I would like to be a rosebud in your garden!)
Nem lehetek én rózsa, elhervaszt Ferenc Jóska (But I cannot be a rose, Francis Joseph is sure to wilt me, )
A nagy bécsi háromemeletes magos kaszárnyába. (In the big tall three storey barracks of Vienna)

No.4
Ha bemegyek a csárdába, kimulatom magam. (When I go to the inn I have a good time)
Van még egy rongyos forintom, a cigánynak adom. (I have one lousy florin left, I give it to the gypsy.)
Feleségem kettő, csárdás mind a kettő, (I have two wives, both are attractive, )
Remélem, hogy a jövő őszre reng a cifra bölcső. (I hope that by next autumn the painted cradle will be rocking.)

Ha bemegyek a csárdába, kimulatom magam. (When I go to the inn I have a good time)
Van még egy rongyos forintom, a cigánynak adom. (I have one lousy florin left, I give it to the gypsy.)
Feleségem nincsen, becsületem sincsen, (I have no wife at all, neither have I honor, )
Belenyúlok a zsebembe: egy krajcárom sincsen. (I reach into my pocket: I find not a single farthing.)

No.5
Fehér László lovat lopott, (László Fehér stole a horse)
A fekete halom alatt. (Under the black hill, )
Fehér Lászlót ott megfogták, (László Fehér was caught there, )
Tömlöc fenekére zárták. (And thrown into the dungeon.)

Fehér Anna azt megtudta, (Anna Fehér found out)
Hogy a bátyja be van csukva. (That her brother is locked up)
Fogd be kocsis a lovakat, (Coachman, harness the horses, )
Tégy mellém sok aranyakat. (Place many gold coins beside me.)

Jónap isten, hadnagy uram! (Good day, Lord Lieutenant!)
Adjon isten szép madaram! (May God give you a beautiful bird!)
Mit hoztáte Fehér Anna, (What have you brought, Anna Fehér)
Szívem adta gyöngyionna? (My heart's precious pearl?)

Fehér László lovat lopott, (László Fehér stole a horse)
A fekete halom alatt. (Under the black hill, )
Hej! Fehér Lászlót ott megfogták, (Hey! László Fehér was caught there, )
Tömlöc fenekére zárták. (And thrown into the dungeon.)

No.6
Megittam a, megittam a piros bort a pohárbul. (I drank the glass of red wine, )
Kár volna még kimúlnom a világbul. (It would be sad to leave the world now.)
Kár volna még meghalni, (It would be a pity to die now, )
Ilyen korán hervadni, (To wilt so early, )
A szelei, kisszelei temetőbe hervadni. (To wilt in the cemetery of Szele, Kisszele.)
Kár volna még meghalni, (It would be a pity to die now, )
Ilyen korán hervadni, (To wilt so early, )
A szelei, kisszelei temetőbe hervadni. (To wilt in the cemetery of Szele, Kisszele.)

No.7
Ez a kislány gyöngyöt fűz, (This little girl is threading pearls)
Ég a szeme, mint a tűz, (Her eyes sparkle, like fire.)
Ha jaz enyém úgy égne, (If mine sparkled the same way)
Csuhaha, barna legény szeretne. (Hey, ho, the brown haired lad would love me.)
De mivel hogy nem úgy ég, (But as they do not sparkle so, )
Csuhaha, barna legény rám se néz. (Hey, ho, he does not even notice me.)

A haraszti határon (On the estate of Haraszt)
Csősz leszek én a nyáron. (I will serve as guard this summer.)
Aki nékem csókot ád, (If someone gives me a kiss)
Csuhaha, nem hajtom be a lovát. (Hey-ho, I will not capture her horse, )
Sem a lovát, sem magát, (Neither the horse, nor herself, )
Csuhaha, sem a kedves galambját. (Not even her sweetheart.)

No.8
Sej, mikor engem katonának visznek, (Hey, when they take me into the army)
Mind lehullnak a nyárfalevelek. (All the poplar leaves will drop off.)
Sírhattok már, benedeki lányok, (Mourn me, girls of Benedek, )
Sej, három évig nem járok hozzátok. (Hey, I will not visit you for three years.)

Sej mikor engem katonának visznek, (Hey, when they take me into the army)
Az árokban még a víz is reszket, (Even the water in the ditch trembles.)
Az árokban a víz hadd reszkessen, (Let the water tremble in the ditch, )
Sej, csak a babám igazán szeressen. (Hey, as long as my sweetheart loves me truly.)

No.9
Még azt mondják, sej haj iciny piciny az én babám. (People gossip, hey ho, my sweetheart is so tin.)
Ha táncolok véle, nem is illik ő énhozzám. (When I dance with her we do not match at all.)
Tyuhaj, nem is bánom, akármilyen iciny, piciny vagy, (Heyahey, I could not care less how tiny you may be, )
Nagy az én szerelmem, így is, úgy is az enyém vagy. (Great is my love for you, you are mine all the same.)

No.10
Kis kece lányom fehérbe vagyon, (My little girl is dressed in white, )
Fehérbe rózsám, fehérbe vagyon. (My sweetheart is in white, dressed in white.)
Mondom, mondom fordulj hozzám mátkám asszony, (I say: turn towards me, my betrothed woman, )
Mondom, mondom fordulj hozzám mátkám asszony. (I say: turn towards me, my betrothed woman.)

Kajtai rózsa, ciprusi menta, (Kajtai rose, Cypriot mint, )
Elmennék táncba, ha szép lány volna. (I would go dancing if there was a beautiful girl.)
Mondom, mondom fordulj hozzám mátkám asszony, (I say: turn towards me, my betrothed woman, )
Mondom, mondom fordulj hozzám mátkám asszony. (I say: turn towards me, my betrothed woman.)

(Translated by Petér Bartók (?), and ChatGPT (for No.5 and last stanza of No.10))

[rodrigoherreramunoz]

Interesting!! The first melody will also appear in Kodaly´s Hary Janos, and it will be the most common known version of this melody.

[rodrigoherreramunoz]

Interesting to hear the fisrt melody. I hear it also in Kodaly´s Hary Janos.

[HanQT-ldqx]

Thanks for sharing! May I ask how can I find the score sheets of this suit?