Bella Bartok (1881-1945), one of Hungary's leading composers, made great achievements not only in his composition but also in the collection and analysis of folk songs of Eastern Europe.

This first collection of "Romanian Christmas Songs" is based on Bartok's collection of folk music from 1912-14, along with "Romanian Folk Dances" and "Sonatine" in 1915. It was written for solo piano.



This woodwind septet was arranged in November 2005 by commission from Oume Daisan Junior High School Band, and was premiered on Christmas day of the same year by their septet.



The basis of this work is a melody called Kolinda, which is sung in folklore at Christmastime. In this first collection of "Romanian Christmas Songs", ten short arrangements are selected in attacca. To effectively perform, study each of these songs thoroughly so that you can play them in a well-balanced manner with a natural flow.

(Keiichi Kurokawa)