An outstanding authority on the folk music of Central and Eastern Europe, Hungarian composer B#65533;la Bart#65533;k (1881–1945) explored the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic vocabulary of these regions, evolving a terse, vibrant, and unique musical language in his own works. This important compilation of Bart#65533;k's short works for piano contains the Allegro Barbaro, a sonorous, boisterous piece of power and bravura; 6 Romanian Folk Dances; 20 Romanian Christmas Carols; 15 Hungarian Peasant Songs, a connected cycle of short folk-tune settings; the 4-part Suite, Op. 14; the Three Etudes, Op. 18; and 8 Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Songs, Op. 20. Highly dissonant, individual, and marked in character, the tunes in the connected cycle of the Improvisations represent a high point in Bart#65533;k's treatment of folk materials. These short pieces are an ideal and fully representative introduction to the music of one of the most influential composers of the twentieth century — an attractive repertoire for intermediate and advanced pianists.