Unlike the two sets of Liebeslieder Waltzes, these songs are fairly simple and unsophisticated settings drawn from a collection of Hungarian folk songs. That is not to say they are not masterfully written. They are in fact full of charm and exuberant energy, conveying the folk-like quality of the texts with a simplicity and directness of approach. The gypsy element, so common in Brahms' music, finds here a perfect outlet, expressed by the preponderance of minor keys and by the virtuosic piano accompaniments. The vocal writing is completely unpretentious, merely alternating between solo and strictly homophonic ensemble passages. Of the 11 songs here, only three have a slow tempo, No. 10 being particularly effective in its evocation of the cimbalom, a gypsy instrument similar to the hammered dulcimer.

Although these songs were not specifically designated by Brahms as a set to be performed together (as in the Liebeslieder Waltzes), they are usually done this way and are well-arranged for a good cumulative effect. In 1889, Brahms arranged and published eight of these songs for solo voice and piano.

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