Bartók composed his only opera, Bluebeard's Castle, in 1911 and submitted it to a competition, but it was rejected as unperformable. Growing distrustful of the Budapest music scene, Bartók withdrew to the suburbs, immersing himself in folk music collection and composing very few new works. Subsequently, Bartók undertook numerous arrangements of Romanian folk music, but among these, this Suite (1916) stands out as a particularly unique work.

This is a substantial work that Bartók undertook for his own concert repertoire after a long hiatus. Here, he did not use raw ethnic material; rather, a new attempt can be seen to refine various elements such as ethnic idioms, rhythms, and timbres through his unique compositional style. According to Bartók's later recollections, it was composed with the intention of "completely renewing his previous compositional style, transforming it into a more transparent style, a style of more bone and flesh."

I. Allegretto

A dance-like piece in ternary form. B-flat is the tonic, and the use of the whole-tone scale is prominent.

II. Scherzo

The opening, a descending figure using a twelve-tone row, sharp rhythms, and a cold timbre are striking. The overall form is a rondo-like ABACABACA.

III. Allegro molto

The material for this movement is influenced by Algerian (then French territory) folk music that Bartók heard in 1913. It requires advanced technique, including strepitoso, continuous accents, and rapid leaps. When playing, be mindful of the third beat to maintain rhythmic integrity.

IV. Sostenuto

The choice of a slow tempo for the final movement is similar to his String Quartet No. 2. The rhythmic pattern of eighth note, quarter note, quarter note, eighth note is derived from Hungarian folk songs. A highly delicate and poetic finale. When playing in 6/8 time, be mindful of the fourth beat.