The use of Bartok's ethnomusicological writings as a window to a performance of the composer's Piano Sonata Sz. 80 (1926)

Bartok embarked on numerous expeditions to collect and study folksongs. These expeditions were primarily organized by the composer himself and were conducted initially out of personal interest, though his methods and findings were both influential to the burgeoning field of ethnomusicology. The folksongs Bartok collected played a large role in influencing, to various degrees, the content of his compositions, including his Piano Sonata Sz. 80 of 1926. Through the study of both Bartok's articles on folk music and the field recordings these articles are based upon, a performer can gain a strong understanding of the work. This thesis aims to explore these writings in support of a performance-based analysis of the composer's Piano Sonata Sz. 80, with the primary aim of achieving an informed performance outcome.