Béla Bartók (1881-1945) is one of the most important musicians of the early 20th-century. His great contributions are comprehensive. First of all, he breaks the tonal musical structure of the 19th-century and creates a new musical language. Secondly, he diligently collects and compiles Hungarian folk songs, and is regarded as the ancestor of ethnomusicology. Thirdly, he edits many piano compositions of composers, such as Scarlatti (1685-1757), Couperin (1668-1733), Haydn (1732-1809), and Chopin (1810-1849), etc. Fourthly, his piano pedagogic materials “Mikrokosmos” brings well-rounded teaching, and becomes the best music textbook in the 20th-century. We can see that Bartók is not only a pianist but also a composer, a musicologist, a keyboard compositions’ editor, and an educator.

Most of Bartók’s works are written for the piano. “Out of Doors,” composed in 1926, is one of his mature masterpieces. By studying this work, we can learn that Bartók’s core musical language includes the use of folksong materials, the development of symmetric Arch Form, the combination of modals and scales, and the tension of irregular rhythms, etc. Besides, the use of simple materials to create extraordinary music is what he emphasizes the most.

Furthermore, after musical analysis, I propose my own interpretation from five aspects, such as phrasings, tempos, articulations, dynamic changes, and pedals. In addition, I compare the recordings of three pianists who interprets Out of Doors outstandingly, including György Sándor (1912-2005), Barbara Nissman (1944- ), and Zoltán Kocsis (1952-2016) by five aspects described above, and then, I recommend the version I appreciate. Finally, by means of these comparisons, I hope to conclude with the most convincing ways of interpretation for my personal performance of Out of Doors.