Question about grade 1 syllabus music- Bartok

[Colin Nicholson]

Kari, you may need to check your spelling. Do you mean "Adagio" ?
If this is the ABRSM Grade 1 piece, you might be best to buy the AB book - only about 3 or 4 quid. This is usually edited, and may contain different phrasing, and offer more in the way of pedalling, finger numbers and other editorial things. Bartok also wrote hundreds of tunes for the young, and there may be different versions of Quasi Adagio - I know a few of his works.

Also which Grade 1 syllabus is it? 2009 - 2010, or 2011 - 2012?

[Colin Nicholson]

Kari,

I have done some investigating on this for you! - piece C4 by Bartok

Yes, the songs appear to have their English names (Boosey & Hawkes, yellow cover).
Volume 1 will be the right book, so here's what to do to check.

Go to ABRSM website, and click on the Grade 1 / C4 piece by Bartok (green speaker), and it plays a snippet from the tune on piano, then compare it to the music.

I have heard it - its in 2/4 time, key of A minor (so no key signature), an the first four notes may be quavers, playing A E E D E.. C A (the .. denotes a crotchet) - then I think it repeats itself. The left hand has a simple 2-part chord at the start, probably A & E at the start.

I think also by the way it is played, each pair of quavers has a slur (couplet), so you lightly detach the 2nd quaver in each pair.

I am not bothering with the alternative lists, so not sure, but I can play the notes on the piano after hearing it. The piece may also be entitled "Children...... ?" there are a few, but if you check out the above notation, key and tim sig., shouldn't be a problem. I would get Boosey & Hawkes though, to be on the safe side. Don't worry about the different titles, the piece will definitely be there - No 3 "whatever"!!

Also, "Quasi Adagio" means almost slow, so sometimes pieces of music are named after the tempo marking.... a classic example is "Minuetto Allegretto" by Mozart - its a Minuet, and its played fairly quick. The Wombles used to use that music (sad!!)

Colin