Béla Bartók won considerable repute as a pianist before finding success as a composer. A major influence throughout Bartók’s creative life was the folk-music of his native Hungary and neighbouring Romania. This provided the material for many of his compositions, especially his piano works, for instance the Two Romanian Dances, the Three Hungarian Folktunes, and several of the Ten Easy Pieces, all included here. Bartók’s melodic fertility and rhythmic vitality have ensured universal popularity for his music.