Bartok Orchestral

[calaf]

I decided to bring back to life this thread because I've just received this Brilliant Classics set
http://www.joanrecords.com/epages/jo...duct/View/6488
which can be had for a song ($15) from berkshirerecordoutlet. I purchased the set because of the Violin Concertos (Gerhart Hetzel soloist) which are highly recommended by the Penguin guide. I liked them a lot, although I may still prefer the more aggressive Chung/Solti. The real surprise is Disk 4 which contains the "folk" music: Dance Suite, Romanian Folk Dances and Hungarian Pictures. Well, words can't describe how lighthearted, whimsical, even fun Bartok becomes in the hands of Adam Fischer!
The other surprise (especially considering it is a $3/CD set!) is the sound: this is, overall, the best recorded Bartok I have heard...

dshea_32665, the set includes a pretty good Miracolous Mandarin suite, although I prefer the fiercer LSO/Abbado and I have read that the Mandarin from "big brother" Ivan Fischer on Philips is The Mandarin to own.

 

[oematoema]

I love the Chailly/Concertgebouw recording of the Miraculous Mandarin, it's coupled with the Concerto for Orchestra, label is Decca.

 

[Bunnyears]

I just got Martha Argerich doing Bartok's 2nd piano concerto with Dutoit conducting (her husband at the time). It comes with the Prokofiev piano concertos 1 and 2 and it is great! I also picked up Dutoit's concerto for orchestra, but haven't had a chance to listen, the stack is so big because of the sales!

 

[JayG]

I have the Argerich/Dutoit as well, Bunny, and I second your praise for it. High energy, but always very musical. Just thought I'd chime in on that.

-Jay

 

[FalconP]

Re: Bartok Piano Concertos -- so far I only have two sets Kovacevich/London Sym./BBC Sym./Colin Davis (which is a good set for those on a budget) and Zoltan Kocsis/Budapest Festival Orch./Ivan Fischer (which is by far better: more intense and involved pianism and more fresh and vivid orchestral color).

I am very interested in the Boulez set, but I'll wait until it comes down from full price -- I may be in the minority, but I love Boulez as a conductor. I don't find him icy or calculated or businesslike (to quote the most common criticisms). I've heard his two Mahler symphonies (6 and 9) and his 6 is the most visceral and clearsighted account I have heard. His Mahler 9 compares favorably to Haitink, my favorite.

 

[Bunnyears]

I have the boulez concertos, and they really are a mixed bag. The best on the lot is the third concerto (helène Grimaud). Although Zimermann and Andsnes really do wonders with them, they are curiously unsatisfying. I think Boulez may have over-thought them, and the first concerto has for me an interestingly repellent quality. I actually got the cd because I love Zimermann and Andsnes, and admire Grimaud as well. On the plus side, you can't hear Grimaud singing on the recording. Definitely wait for the price to come down. I'll spin it again and see if my initial impressions have changed (can happen

).

 

[Tyson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dshea_32665 Tyson: any favorites for the miraculous mandarin? My apologies if it has been already posted. I listened to my Schwarz/SSO recording last night and am really digging the piece. It is a good recording, but wondering if there is a clear reference recording out there? dshea

Sorry I missed this. Yes, 2 favorites - Dorati (of course) and Fischer.

 

[Bunnyears]

Tyson,

What is the date of the Dorati? Most of the recordings by Dorati that I have are monophonic and of indifferent sound quality.

 

[Tyson]

Recording is from 1964 and the sound is quite good. It's part of the 5 CD box set of Bartok orchestral music conducted by Dorati that I picked up a while back. Really good buy

 

[Bryan T]

I'm listening to the Living Stereo reissue of the Concerto For Orchestra and am amazed at the sound quality. I can't believe that this was recorded in 1955. It sounds great! The stereo image is a bit wide for headphones, but I'm eager to hear it on a set of speakers.

Bryan

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan T I'm listening to the Living Stereo reissue of the Concerto For Orchestra and am amazed at the sound quality. I can't believe that this was recorded in 1955. It sounds great! The stereo image is a bit wide for headphones, but I'm eager to hear it on a set of speakers. Bryan

That's one of the SACD/hybrids that I bought. It sounds so much better in SACD 3 channel than regular stereo. It benefits from the addition of the 3rd channel (the way it was taped) than the engineered downmix of 3 channels into 2 for stereo speakers. On that disc, I really love the Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta, which I think is one of Bartok's greatest, if not his greatest piece of orchestral music.

I can understand why it might be a little difficult on headphones. Try the Esa-Pekka Salonen recording for headphone listening. That's another very good recording of the Concerto and Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta that was used by Kubrick when he made The Shining. If you like recordings with great tympani, then this recording of the Music for Strings, is a must.

Tyson,
Is this the Dorati set that you have?

 

[Tyson]

That's it

 

[Bryan T]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears That's one of the SACD/hybrids that I bought. It sounds so much better in SACD 3 channel than regular stereo. It benefits from the addition of the 3rd channel (the way it was taped) than the engineered downmix of 3 channels into 2 for stereo speakers. On that disc, I really love the Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta, which I think is one of Bartok's greatest, if not his greatest piece of orchestral music.

Just to be clear on this, the albums has three pieces: "Concerto for Orchestra," "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta," and "Hungarian Sketches." "Concerto for Orchestra" was originally recorded with two tracks and the other two pieces were recorded with three tracks. The stereo image of "Concerto for Orchesta" is very wide with seemingly little information in the center.

I now have a few different versions of "Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta," but haven't had enough time to form an opinion about my preferences. Most of my Bartok listening has been the string quartets.

Bryan

 

[Bunnyears]

I really could have sworn that there were three channels when I listened to the recording. I'll have to take it out and listen again. And my recording does have the Hungarian Sketches too.