In 1931 Bartók wrote the Duos (44) for two violins, a collection of works designed for students and comprised mostly of arrangements of folk tunes. Five years later he fashioned this mostly successful set of transcriptions of five pieces from that group. In some of the works—No. 4 (Ruthenian Dance), for instance—the piano version catches the folk colors more effectively; in others, however, most notably in No. 5, the duo-violin version is better able to capture the upper register sonic effects.

Slow Tune No. 1 is a transcription of Sorrow No. 28 in the duo set. It features a gloomy, agitated melody that grows into an epic outpouring in the middle section. At over two minutes in length, this is the longest of the five and probably the deepest.

By contrast, the second piece, Whirling Dance, is the shortest and perhaps lightest in the Petite Suite. It is a transcription of Rumanian Whirling Dance No. 38 in the Duos collection. To some, it will sound the most familiar of the five because of its theme's likeness to a rhythmic motif in the composer's 1942 Concerto for orchestra. That motif can be heard in the finale after the first slow section, when it introduces and then serves as accompaniment for the heroic, all-conquering brass theme. Here, the colorful tune exudes joy in its Rumanian spirit, dancing happily about for a mere 45 seconds.

Quasi pizzicato No. 3 is a transcription of Pizzicato No. 43 in the Duos. The original naturally catches the pizzicato character more effectively, but the less-pointed piano version of this jumpy, moderately paced tune still has color and charm of its own. Lasting about one-and-a-quarter minutes, this keyboard rendition offers a mellower view of the Hungarian folk tune. The aforementioned Ruthenian Dance (No. 4) is a transcription of Burlesque No. 16 one of the easier Duos. Here the piano catches the humor with sass and brashness, with swagger and a sense for spice.

Bagpipes, a transcription of No. 36, alas, is perhaps the least effective transcription here. Bartók, apparently sensing the keyboard limitations at imitating the high-flying effects he wrote for the two violins' upper ranges, even cut this piece by nearly a minute over the original. That said, the piano version still has much to offer in its rendering of the spirit of celebration and joy here in Bartók's imitation folk tune.

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