Zoltán Kodály

Dances of Galanta

Galánta is a small Hungarian market-town known to the travellers from Vienna to Budapest. The composer has passed there seven years of his childhood. There existed at that time a famous Gipsy-band which has disappeared in the meantime. Their music was the first 'orchestral sonority' which came to the ear of the child. The forbears of these gipsies were known already more than hundred years ago. About 1800 some books of Hungarian dances were published in Vienna, one of which contained music 'after several gipsies from Galantha'. They have preserved the old Hungarian tradition. In order to continue it the composer has taken his principal subjects from these ancient editions. (Zoltán Kodály, 1934)'Dances from Galánta' is available in the New Study Score series. These completely redesigned scores offer an unparalleled insight into the music of the last hundred years. Great care has been taken to select the best available content for this journey through music history, and every score has been edited according to the latest quality standards. The New Study Score series combines historic masterpieces with first-class editorial content, prefaces, and a highly legible, clean notation, all in the trusted Universal Edition quality.