Zoltán Kodály

Children's Dances

Most of Zoltán Kodály's (1882-1967) pedagogical compositions are written for voices. Some piano collections, which use the black keys of the instrument to draw the attention of music learners to the various possibilities of the pentatonic range, can be regarded as exceptions. The earliest of these is the twelve-piece cycle Children's Dances, which dates back to 1945 and addresses the needs of advanced pianists, not beginners. Its melodies reflect characteristics of Hungarian folk dance tunes, while their setting even evokes the sound of original folk instruments commonly used for accompaniment.

Vilmos Bántai and Éva Bántai-Sipos selected eight of the Children's Dances to transcribe for flute and piano. In these transcriptions, recommended for music school students, the original e flat-g flat-a flat-b flat-d flat range is always transposed to easier-to-read keys. In the case of two pieces, two different transpositions (one being very easy to play and the other more difficult) are even offered. The flute is undoubtedly featured as a melodic instrument in these pieces, while the piano sometimes plays a supporting role and other times shares equal status with the flute.