Analysis And Research On The Creative Characteristics And Recording Versions Of Bartok’s Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs

Béla Bartók(1881-1945)was one of the most important composers and pianists in Hungary during the 20 th century.His greatest achievement in music history was his lifelong dedication to collecting,organizing,and researching nearly ten thousand folk songs from Hungary and surrounding areas.He drew inspiration from Hungarian peasant music and used compositional techniques to transform these songs into vivid and contemporary pieces with a unique personal style and color.His works are a result of his research into folk music and have preserved a vast amount of folk songs,laying a solid foundation for the development of Hungarian folk music and making an indelible contribution.To gain a deeper understanding of the Hungarian peasant music in Bartók’s works,this paper focuses on his collection of "Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs." It explores how Bartók adapted the melodies of Hungarian peasant songs into simple yet artistically valuable piano pieces,highlighting their musical characteristics.Meanwhile,by utilizing audio analysis software to analyze the characteristics of the audio waveform,combined with the mode of listening to the audio,provide theoretical support for the interpretation of speed,intensity,and pedal usage,aiming to offer guidance for future performers.This paper employs literature research,work analysis,and recording analysis methods to conduct a comprehensive study on Béla Bartók’s "Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs".The introduction section mainly elaborates on the reasons for the topic selection,research objectives and significance,and briefly summarizes the current domestic and foreign research.The main body is divided into three chapters: the first chapter introduces Bartók’s life and explores the characteristics and evolution of Hungarian peasant music,providing a basis for analyzing the creative features and performance interpretation of "Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs" composed by Bartók;the second chapter delves into the creative features of the work from four aspects of musical form,rhythm,tonal scale,and harmonic layout;the third chapter analyzes the technical difficulties of performance in terms of speed,dynamics,and pedals based on the recording versions of Bartók,Sandor,and Kocsis.It explores the reasons for the differences among different recording versions and the performance insights they bring.Through this paper,we hope to deepen people’s understanding of the value of Hungarian folk art and its greatest contribution to the Hungarian nation through Bartók’s works.At the same time,it also helps to better understand and interpret this classic work in performance.