This is one of Bartók's most famous series of piano pieces, whose fame is probably greater than either its popularity with pianists, or the frequency with which it occurs on concert programmes. When it was written in 1908, it triggered sensation and scandal in musical circles. The series as a whole is not a true cyclic composition that can only be played in its entirety with movements in the original order. Rather, it is a more loosely-ordered collection, although some of the pieces belong together. However, the varied succession of tempos and characters and general succession from technically easy to more difficult could also be a reason for the volume's ordering.''