Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dances 1-10

The Hungarian Dances are today without a doubt amongst Brahms’ best-known compositions.

Brahms himself made an arrangement of the dances 1–10, originally for piano four hands, for solo piano. We are now publishing a revised version of these impressive pieces with the up-to-date text in the new Brahms Complete Edition. Rolf Koenen’s fingerings provide the best possible help for mastering these complex works.

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Although one might think that the“Hungarian dance” repertoire – which remains very popular even today – has its origins in Hungarian folk song traditions, this is by no means the case. Such dances appeared in Hungary only in the 18th century; they are composed instrumental pieces in a rhythmically accented 5 time.

This repertoire was influenced and expanded by melodies from the War of Independence (1703–11) led by Prince Rákóczi, and, in the first half of the 19th century, also by the csárdás and by art songs. (Camilla Cai in Preface)

Revised Urtext Edition, paperbound