Winterreigen

Op. 13 (1905), ten bagatelles for piano, each with a programmatic title evoking a character at a winter gathering. The set is one of the most charming examples of the character-piece cycle in Hungarian piano music. The individual pieces vary from the tender dedication of the opening Widmung to the comic energy of Marsch der lustigen Brüder and Tolle Gesellschaft, the graceful Valse aimable, the exotic Sphärenmusik, and the quietly touching Morgengrauen (Dawn) and Postludium that close the set. The title alludes to Schubert's song cycle but the mood is social and warmly affectionate rather than tragic.

These are intimate pieces that reward a chamber-music touch — a clean, singing tone, clear voicing, and rhythmic wit in the dance pieces. Avoid heaviness: the Marsch should be humorous, not martial; the Valse aimable should be genuinely amiable and light. The Widmung and Morgengrauen call for a warm, inner-voiced singing tone. The set can be performed complete as a cycle or individual pieces can be extracted as encores.