Béla Bartók (1881-1945)
For Children
Years ago I wrote an article on For Children that was published in Clavier. While I welcomed their interest in Bartok's music, they were more interested in the pedagogical application of this work. I obliged by reworking the article to address its usefulness for adult learners of the piano. However, my original interest was in the provenance of the work, and whether it was possible to find a definitive version of the work.
In short, there are so many "authorized" versions of For Children - including those authorized for print by Bartok himself, that a single definitive edition seems impossible. To date I have not published my findings, but the search has taken me across North America and to the Bartok Archive in Budapest. I hope to have time in the future to publish this work.