For Children (Hungarian: Gyermekeknek) is a set of short piano pieces composed by Béla Bartók in 1908 and 1909; 85 pieces were originally issued in four volumes. Each piece is based on a folk tune: Hungarian in the first two volumes (42 pieces), Slovak in the last two (43 pieces). In 1945, Bartók revised the set, removing six pieces that were inaccurately transcribed or had been found not to be original folk tunes, and substantially changing the harmonization of a number of others; the collection, now of 79 pieces, was reissued in two volumes (of 40 and 39 pieces). The pieces were written for students to play, and progress slightly in difficulty through each half of the collection. In modern times, some concert pianists (notably Zoltán Kocsis) had begun including some of them on their recital programs, citing their musical value even apart from their pedagogical origins.

Contents

The final, revised version of For Children is divided into two volumes:

1. Játszó gyermekek (Children at Play). Allegro
2. Gyermekdal (Children's Song). Andante
3. Quasi adagio
4. Párnatánc (Pillow Dance). Allegro
5. Játék (Play). Allegretto
6. Balkéztanulmány (Study for the Left Hand). Allegro
7. Játékdal (Play Song). Andante grazioso
8. Gyermekjáték (Children's Game). Allegretto
9. Dal (Song). Adagio
10. Gyermektánc (Children's Dance). Allegro molto
11. Lento
12. Allegro
13. Ballada (Ballad). Andante
14. Allegretto
15. Allegro moderato
16. Régi magyar dallam (Old Hungarian Tune). Andante rubato
17. Körtánc (Round Dance). Lento
18. Katonadal (Soldier's Song). Andante non troppo
19. Allegretto
20. Bordal (Drinking Song). Allegro
21. Allegro robusto
22. Allegretto
23. Táncdal (Dance Song). Allegro grazioso
24. Andante sostenuto
25. Parlando
26. Moderato
27. Tréfa (Jest). Allegramente
28. Kórusdal (Choral). Andante
29. Ötfokú dallam (Pentatonic Tune). Allegro scherzando
30. Gúnydal (Jeering Song). Allegro ironico
31. Allegro tranquillo — attacca
32. Andante
33. Allegro non troppo
34. Allegretto
35. Con moto
36. Részegek nótája (Drunkard's Song). Vivace
37. Kanásznóta (Swine-herd's Song). Allegro
38. Regös ének (Winter Solstice Song). Molto vivace
39. Allegro moderato
40. Kanásztánc (Swine-herd's Dance). Allegro vivace
41. Allegro
42. Andante
43. Allegretto
44. Lakodalmas (Wedding Song). Andante
45. Változatok (Variations). Molto andante — A tempo — A tempo — L'istesso tempo
46. I. Körtánc (Round Dance I). Allegro
47. Bánat (Sorrow). Andante
48. Táncdal (Dance). Allegro non troppo
49. II. Körtánc (Round Dance II). Andante
50. Temetésre szól az ének (Funeral Song). Largo
51. Lento — attacca
52. Andante rubato — attacca
53. Allegro
54. Moderato
55. I. Dudanóta (Bagpipe I). Molto tranquillo
56. Panasz (Lament). Lento
57. Andante
58. Gúnydal (Teasing Song). Sostenuto
59. Románc (Romance). Assai lento
60. Kerget dzés (Game of Tag). Presto
61. Tréfa (Pleasantry). Allegro moderato
62. Duhajkodó (Revelry). Molto allegro
63. Andante tranquillo - attacca
64. Andante
65. Scherzando. Allegretto
66. Furulyaszó (Peasant's Flute). Andante, molto rubato
67. Még egy tréfa (Pleasantry II). Allegro
68. Andante, molto rubato
69. Kánon (Canon). Allegro non troppo
70. Szól a duda (Bagpipe II). Vivace
71. Betyárnóta (''The Highway Robber). Allegro
72. Pesante
73. Andante tranquillo
74. Búcsú (Farewell). Adagio
75. Ballada (Ballad). Moderato
77. Rapszódia (Rhapsody). Parlando, molto rubato
78. Siratóének (Dirge). Lento
79. Halotti ének (Mourning Song). Lento