'Dances of Transylvania is the orchestral version of 'Sonatina' (1915). In Sonatina, Bartók had arranged Romanian instrumental (chiefly bagpipe) music. The three movements of the work, 'Bagpipers', 'Bear Dance' and 'Finale' comprise five melodies. Bartók explained that each of the two melodies of the first movement had been played by two pipers, the second by a peasant violinist using the lower strings of the instrument to reproduce the sounds of a bear, and the two melodies of the 'Finale' again by two violinists. In the orchestral version Bartók was out to reproduce the original sonority created by the peasants.'
(HCD 32505 Bartók New Series Vol. 5, Virág Büky)