Bartok, Bela - 44 Duets (2Va)

Béla Bartók composed his 44 Violin Duos in 1931, at the urging of the German violin pedagogue Erich Doflein. 44 Duets for two violas arranges these pieces for two violas. With two exceptions, all the pieces are based on original folk music themes, most of which the composer himself collected in the course of his numerous collecting trips to the Carpathian Basin and in Algeria.

Although conceived as parts of a pedagogically motivated set, these little pieces are highly effective in concert performance as well. The transcription follows Bartók's original faithfully. The publication includes fingering added by the editor.