Best classical recordings...ever!
Sep 19, 2014 at 3:45 PM Post #2,326 of 9,368
  Boulez complete DG recordings of Bartok box set. (early 90's to 2008)
 
All of the major orchestral works here plus a few rarities. As with any box set there will be better performances out there of certain works but as a whole I can wholeheartedly recommend this if you suddenly get into Bartok and want all of the orchestral bits in one place. 
 
Boulez, surprisingly is not Bartok's biggest fan, or so I've read. Surprising because he has constantly conducted his works throughout his conducting life. And he conducts them very well imo. Boulez like no other conductor understands 20th century composers. Or he takes the time to understand them. I'm not a fan of a lot of Boulez conducting of romantic composers and I feel he gets frustrated. He likes to dissect; to make every nuance heard and his Mahler for e.g suffers for this... He can easily remove drama and fundamental meaning by cutting open scores and giving smaller details more space and prominence. Mahlers little ironic twists and turns really don't need highlighting because they can very easily lose their poignancy. But not many can get Mahler right imo. Bartok's music on the other hand invites conductors to do this. His is full of surprises when looking deeper. But more importantly its is the timing and phrasing that is so important with Bartok because things can so easily get messy. 
 
Anyhoowza... 
 
These are solid and very thoughtful performances as a whole from the master of the 20th century repertoire.  The recording quality is constantly top notch.
 

 
Theres not many blokes I would trust with a comb-over, but Boulez is an exception. 

 
Boulez's Bartok is the milestone!  I have the set individually and I'm with Lugbug.  Boulez is the supreme of the modern music and highly recommend this set to anyone who like to explore Bartok.
 
Sep 19, 2014 at 8:41 PM Post #2,328 of 9,368
   
 
Winterreise is Schubert's masterpiece and probably the greatest song cycle ever written. And considering that Schubert is probably the greatest songwriter in recorded history - They are probably the greatest songs ever written.!
 
There are soooo many recordings to choose from, and loads of Baritones especially. I personally prefer it with a Tenor in the role as it was originally intended and Ian Bostridge with Leif Ove Andsnes is worthy of a recommendation on here. It may not be the most passionate performance but it is a beautiful one none the less and Bostridge has such a pleasing tone. His accompaniment is pretty much perfect to my ears. 

Would second this recommendation! And while I, too, prefer a tenor, I'm also fond of quite a few of the female singers who have performed it, my favorite being the contralto Nathalie Stutzmann backed by Inger Södergren.
 
Sep 19, 2014 at 8:56 PM Post #2,329 of 9,368
  Boulez complete DG recordings of Bartok box set. (early 90's to 2008)
 
All of the major orchestral works here plus a few rarities. As with any box set there will be better performances out there of certain works but as a whole I can wholeheartedly recommend this if you suddenly get into Bartok and want all of the orchestral bits in one place. 
 
Boulez, surprisingly is not Bartok's biggest fan, or so I've read. Surprising because he has constantly conducted his works throughout his conducting life. And he conducts them very well imo. Boulez like no other conductor understands 20th century composers. Or he takes the time to understand them. I'm not a fan of a lot of Boulez conducting of romantic composers and I feel he gets frustrated. He likes to dissect; to make every nuance heard and his Mahler for e.g suffers for this... He can easily remove drama and fundamental meaning by cutting open scores and giving smaller details more space and prominence. Mahlers little ironic twists and turns really don't need highlighting because they can very easily lose their poignancy. But not many can get Mahler right imo. Bartok's music on the other hand invites conductors to do this. His is full of surprises when looking deeper. But more importantly its is the timing and phrasing that is so important with Bartok because things can so easily get messy. 
 
Anyhoowza... 
 
These are solid and very thoughtful performances as a whole from the master of the 20th century repertoire.  The recording quality is constantly top notch.
 

 
Theres not many blokes I would trust with a comb-over, but Boulez is an exception. 

 
The Hungaroton complete Bartok series is the true reference.
I understand the appeal of the Boulez set(and have heard them many times) but it's no comparison IMO.
 
Sep 19, 2014 at 9:00 PM Post #2,330 of 9,368

 
I realize it's an investment but if your headphones cost more than this box set and you truly love Bartok's music and don't own this set you're priorities are awry.
wink.gif

 
Sep 20, 2014 at 6:11 AM Post #2,332 of 9,368
 
 
I realize it's an investment but if your headphones cost more than this box set and you truly love Bartok's music and don't own this set you're priorities are awry.
wink.gif

Haha yes I have to agree this has more authentic accounts and is the ideal set to have for serious Bartokians. I own quite a few recordings on it with Zoltan Kocsis. But my recommendation was for the Bartok noob :) I just think Boulez is a great place to start. 
 
Brand new Boulez box= £22.00        Brand new Hungaroton complete works= none.  Used= £880.30   (amazon uk)
 
We have to keep it real for the kids out there :wink:
 
Sep 20, 2014 at 1:54 PM Post #2,333 of 9,368
  Haha yes I have to agree this has more authentic accounts and is the ideal set to have for serious Bartokians. I own quite a few recordings on it with Zoltan Kocsis. But my recommendation was for the Bartok noob :) I just think Boulez is a great place to start. 
 
Brand new Boulez box= £22.00        Brand new Hungaroton complete works= none.  Used= £880.30   (amazon uk)
 
We have to keep it real for the kids out there :wink:

 
As a long time Bartok fanatic, I have to say Boulez in NOT a great place to start.This despite my positive feelings regarding Boulez' Bartok recordings.
 
The fact is, despite Boulez deeply committed performances, he often(quite often indeed) misses the Hungarian folk music implications of the works.Anyone who is at all familiar with Bartok would of course know that this not a trivial matter.Incidentally, the folk music implications are everywhere in Bartok's music, not just in the "folksy" stuff like the Rhapsodies (for example).
 
If the kids want to keep it "real", I would urge them to pick up the Hungaroton recordings in separate recordings, one at a time.They are easily available on-line and often at a budget price.
 
If this is not to their liking then this:
 

 
is also highly recommended.
 
Also the Hungaroton "Bartok new Series' is also superior to Boulez IMO:
 
http://www.bartoknewseries.com/en/node
 
 
Boulez does a fine job of illuminating many things in Bartok's music but.....
 
Sep 20, 2014 at 2:57 PM Post #2,335 of 9,368
Adam Fischer with the Hungarian SSO on Nimbus Records is rather good as well, not a full survey but most of the main orchestral works. Great sound to boot!  
 
Double cd below 
 

 
 
@perhapss
I still stand by the Boulez as a great and cheap overlook of all the main orchestral works but I totally hear what you are saying in regards to Boulez not highlighting the folk elements. Boulez opinion was that Bartok's later works weren't as good as his earlier works. This is a strange opinion for sure because Bartok is Bartok because of Romanian folk music and influence and certainly wouldn't have been as influential a figure as he become without it. None the less Boulez felt it held him back creatively as he focused too much on it and thus limited his artistic stretch so to speak.    
 
Sep 20, 2014 at 3:27 PM Post #2,336 of 9,368
The Hungarian folk element is the only thing in Bartok that I really like.
 
Sep 20, 2014 at 3:51 PM Post #2,337 of 9,368
  Adam Fischer with the Hungarian SSO on Nimbus Records is rather good as well, not a full survey but most of the main orchestral works. Great sound to boot!  
 
Double cd below 
 

 
 
@perhapss
I still stand by the Boulez as a great and cheap overlook of all the main orchestral works but I totally hear what you are saying in regards to Boulez not highlighting the folk elements. Boulez opinion was that Bartok's later works weren't as good as his earlier works. This is a strange opinion for sure because Bartok is Bartok because of Romanian folk music and influence and certainly wouldn't have been as influential a figure as he become without it. None the less Boulez felt it held him back creatively as he focused too much on it and thus limited his artistic stretch so to speak.    

 
Yes.
 
Boulez has always been openly skeptical of Bartok's use of folk material.
Yet, Bartok himself was quite clear that folk music(and Hungarian slant) was always at the core what he was doing.
 
Given these facts, how could Boulez give "Authoritative" performances?
 
This said, I sometimes hear things in Boulez' Bartok that I don't hear in other performances.
Often he can shine light on details that many others do not.
Especially the more novel and forward thinking details in harmony or orchestration(which are numerous in Bartok's writing).
 
Sep 20, 2014 at 4:05 PM Post #2,338 of 9,368
I got a set of 78s of Bartok playing his own piano works. The Hungarian aspect was unmistakable. I've been looking for other recordings that come close to these great performances. I'll check out Hungaraton.
 
Sep 20, 2014 at 5:37 PM Post #2,339 of 9,368
  I got a set of 78s of Bartok playing his own piano works. The Hungarian aspect was unmistakable. I've been looking for other recordings that come close to these great performances. I'll check out Hungaraton.

 
Many(if not all) of the recordings Bartok made playing the piano have been reissued digitally.
Remarkable documents indeed.
 
Bartok was quite a virtuoso pianist as well as a composer.
This recording of his second sonata for piano and violin(with Szigeti) is one of my all time favorite recordings.
 

 

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