Béla Bartók: Pieces For Piano

On this CD:

1. Sonata for clarinet & piano in A minor, Op 37
Composed by Easley Blackwood
Performed by Claude Helffer

2. Suite, for piano, Sz. 62, BB 70 (Op. 14)
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Claude Helffer

3. Eight Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Songs for piano, Sz. 74, BB 83 (Op. 20)
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Claude Helffer

4. Out of Doors, suite for piano (Szabadban), Sz. 81, BB 89
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Claude Helffer

5. Love, Love, Nothing but Love
Composed by Anonymous
Performed by Claude Helffer

Tracks:

Piano Etudes (Book One): I. De'sordre - Molto vivace, vigoroso, molto ritmico
Piano Etudes (Book One): II. Cordes a' vide - Andantino con moto, molto tenero
Piano Etudes (Book One): II. Touches bloque'es - Presto possibile, sempre molto ritmico
Piano Etudes (Book One): IV. Fanfares - Vivacissimo molto ritmico, con allegria e slancio
Piano Etudes (Book One): V. Arc-en-ciel - Andante molto rubato, con eleganza, with swing
Piano Etudes (Book One): VI. Automne a' Varsovie - Presto cantabile, molto ritmico e flessibile
Piano Etudes (Book Two): VII. Galamb borong - Vivacissimo luminoso, legato possibile
Piano Etudes (Book Two): VIII. Fe'm - Vivace risoluto, con vigore
Piano Etudes (Book Two): IX. Vertige - Prestissimo sempre molto legato, sehr gleichmassig
Piano Etudes (Book Two): X. Der Zauberlehrling - Prestissimo, staccatissimo, leggierissimo
Piano Etudes (Book Two): XI. En suspens - Andante con moto, (avec l`e'le'gance du swing)
Piano Etudes (Book Two): XII. Entrelacs - Vivacissimo molto ritmico, sempre legato, con delicatezza
Piano Etudes (Book Two): XIII. L'escalier du diable - Presto legato ma leggiero
Piano Etudes (Book Two): XIV. Coloana infinita' - Presto possibile, tempestoso con fuoco
Musica ricercata: I. Sosenuto - Misurato - Prestissimo
Musica ricercata: II. Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale
Musica ricercata: III. Allegro con spirito
Musica ricercata: IV. Tempo de Valse (poco vivace - a' l'orgue de Barbarie)
Musica ricercata: V. Rubato. Lamentoso
Musica ricercata: VI. Allegro molto capriccioso
Musica ricercata: VII. Cantabile, molto legato
Musica ricercata: VIII. Vivace. Energico
Musica ricercata: IX. Adagio. Mesto - Allegro maestoso
Musica ricercata: X. Vivace. Capriccioso
Musica ricercata: XI. Andante misurato e tranquillo
Piano Etudes (From Book Three): XV. White on White

Customer Reviews:

A nice mico-view of Ligeti's work.......2007-03-11

In the notes that accompany this CD, Ligeti explains that his piano compositions are the way he made up for his inadequacies as a player. It's hard to argue that he didn't reach his goal. These superbly-performed pieces provide a clear view of many aspects of Ligeti's work--his humor, his lyricism, his ear, and sometimes his little obsessions.

The most obvious technical requirement of this music is touch. In some of the etudes, complex voicings are required at very low dynamic levels. In others, the ability to bring out multiple voices is paramount. Aimard is perfect. His technique is so assured that we can easily get to the music and not be sidetracked by prowess.

Those who know Ligeti's music know how protean he could be. Like a good athlete, he was willing to take on enormous risks. Sometimes the result felt intellectualized and tiresome. But more often than not, the music soared. This is certainly true of the Etudes on this disk. They are studies in the truest sense of the word--one may focus on a particular set of intervals, another on a texture, yet another on a rhythm. Each one is fascinating and the collection holds together nicely. There are even hints of Nancarrow!

Ligeti himself felt ambiguously about the "Musica Ricercata", and it isn't hard to see why. The first piece is based on only two pitches (with octaves); the second on three and so on. It sort of proves a point, but what point? By the time you get to the fourth piece, it starts to get good, but the listener has to regain some flagging energy. The third piece is actually the basis of the opening of "6 Bagatelles for Wind Quintet".

So while I have little quibbles, I still recommend this disk strongly. It's great music, beautifully played.

Very Nice Piano Studies. Not the best Ligeti.......2006-09-02

Volume 3 of the Gyorgy Ligeti Edition on Sony has gotten a boatload of very positive reviews, above, from people who probably know a lot more about music, especially piano music, than I do, but I maintain, from my position as a rank amateur who just happens to like listening to a wide range of classical music, that this disc is neither the very best piano music nor the most interesting Ligeti.

Don't get me wrong. I think almost all of the studies on these tracks are good, maybe even almost as good as Chopin and Liszt, but I don't think so. We don't hum Ligeti etudes the way some people hum Chopin etudes or dances for piano. And, a few of the passages sound like the scene from 'Ghostbusters' where Bill Murray tickles the very high keys on Sigourny Weaver's piano as they enter her apartment to track down some particularly awesome apparitions of Zuel (sic) and Gozer (sic sic).

If you are looking to touch only the high points of Ligeti's music and don't have the compulsioin to own everything, you can pass on these and not be missing too much of the good stuff. Check out his choral and a capella works for the really hot stuff.

Perfect Ligeti........2005-10-19

The own György Ligeti was asked about who was the pianist more complete in his piano works; he talked about Pierre-Laurent Aimard, whose a close relation with the XXth Century music is very well known (Boulez, Messiaen, Berg, Schönberg, Carter...) all around the world. He talked too about Volker Banfield, who has recorded some of the Etudes for Wergo, but not so good as Aimard recordings, in my opinion.

What we find in this CD, 3rd of an outstanding series, is the technical perfection made piano playing, in the hands of Aimard, who plays absolutely all the notes full of perfection, sense and correction, from the dynamic to the tempo, from the correct attack to the prodigious use of the pedal. If you are used to a romantic piano you can feel this versions a little cold or dry, but this is because Aimard goes directly to the heart of the XXth Century style of piano playing, in the line that comes from Schönberg-Berg-Webern and that goes in a different way of playing than the century before, so you can be lost in some sense about the way he understand the use of the piano, the playing, the technique, the echoes, the silences...

You'll find in this CD the Musica Ricercata, a work from Ligeti's first period, very easy to understand for those who are not used to listen this kind of "modern" music. It has many folk motives, used in a way very close to Bartók's style. One of this pieces (Musica ricercata: II. Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale) was taken by Stanley Kubrick for his last film Eyes Wide Shut, with an outstanding presence in the film associated to the worries and pressure over the main character; Ligeti says about this piece that it was a knife against the stalinist regime because of this style of music, sinister, innovative and forgiven in the communist Europe. The film's version is slower than this by Aimard, more "cinematographic" but slower than the score asks. Aimard's version in this piece and in the full pieces are outstanding.

The rest of the CD it's based on the Etudes, books I & II, both of them complete. Those are pieces much more modern than the Musica Ricercata, some of them, in the words of Ligeti with some links and inspiration on Nancarrow's works. We are listening in this case some of the most complex works for piano written in the XXth Century, and many of them authentic jewels of the genre. The Aimard versions for Sony are the better I know from the French pianist, who have recorded some of them in other CDs, like his great recording from de Carnagie Hall (Warner), but not so good like this outstanding CD.

So, if you are looking for perfection in Ligeti's piano music performances don't doubt about this CD; if you want to discover the piano of the XXth Century this could be a great door to go into, because of the music, because of the performing and because of a perfect recording and booklet.

good cd.......2005-08-23

This is a great cd if you are interested in piano music. I personally enjoyed "Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale", which was most famously used in the Kubrick film, Eyes Wide Shut. The rest of the cd is very enjoyable as well.

Ligeti on cd, hooray.......2005-08-01

We all owe Stanley Kubrick a big debt of gratitude for exposing us to Ligeti who, with Cage and Stockhausen among others, influenced the evolution of popular music while maintaining a continuum to our classical past.

The recording quality in this series is outstanding, and it is a delight to see the breadth of this series. Having many works of Ligeti from the Wergo vinyl catalog of the 70's, I selected the piano works for the fun of discovery.

Those of you who enjoy this piano stuff should try to find Nina Deutsch's recording of Charles Ives: Solo Piano Music.

Average customer rating:

The Real Stuff
My Cup of Tea
Get it for the Copland

Collector's Edition

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ebony Con: I. Allegro Moderato
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Customer Reviews:

The Real Stuff.......2007-03-25

This disk collects Benny Goodman performances with the composers conducting, so it is historic and probably authoritative as to performance, but great to have Copland, Stravinsky, etc. themselves and Goodman in your collection. Nice performances, although sound varies with these vintage sessions.

My Cup of Tea.......2002-05-22

Goodman's performances of all the music on this disc are superb. He (along with violinist Joseph Szigeti) commissioned the Bartok score and, notwithstanding its age (mono/1940) there has never been a better recording than this one. The other performances are first-rate stereo recordings that appeared on a 1966 CBS/Columbia Lp titled "Meeting at the Summit." Morton Gould's music often sounds like watered-down Copland to my ears, but "Derivations" is a really strong piece and quite memorable. The Stravinsky is a true masterpiece that has never sounded better, and the same goes for Bernstein's powerfully imagined, joyous "Prelude, Fugue and Riffs." Having the composers conduct was an inspired idea (in the case of the Bartok, the composer accompanies at the piano); not at all gimmicky. It's amazing how well Goodman still played in the middle '60s. Although he gave solid performances well into the '70s, he was still at or near his peak when these recordings were made and the dead-on intonation and range of color in his playing is simply breathtaking. The other reviewer mostly likes the Copland score. It's nice, but the real show-stopper here is the Bernstein: 7 1/2 minutes of sheer big-band bravado. Not to be missed!

Get it for the Copland.......2001-10-10

Aaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto is one of the most magical pieces of music ever to come out of North America, and for me, this is *the* recording. Fifty years old, but as is so often the case, the original is the best - Mr Goodman's finest twenty minutes. Great value, too! The other pieces (by Bernstein, Stravinsky and Bartok) I can take or leave, but who knows, they might be your cup of tea.

Average customer rating:

A+
Even for a trained jazz musician who thinks classical artists are overhyped, this stands out as one of the best albums.
Fantastic
Enjoyable listening
very interesting

Midori ~ Encore!
Fritz Kreisler , Niccolo Paganini , Christoph Willibald Gluck , Cesar Cui , Grazyna Bacewicz , Edward Elgar , Dmitry Shostakovich , Antonin Dvorak , Sergey Prokofiev , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Karol Szymanowski , Pablo de Sarasate , Gabriel Faure , Alexander Nikolayevich Skryabin , Bela Bartok , Eugène Ysaye , Midori (Goto) , and Robert McDonald
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: Romanian Polka - Allegro
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: Quick Dance - Allegro
Reve d'enfant, Op. 14

Customer Reviews:

A+.......2007-05-10

To say that I love this disc would be an understatement. I have probably listened to it 500 times. To comment on just a few of the tracks...
The "Praeludium and Allegro" is definitely the best recording anyone (except maybe Kreisler!) has ever done. The praeludium, which is almost all quarter notes, is often just blindly sawed out. Midori treats each note individually. The allegro is also nice - not rushed at all. The staggeringly difficult Skryabin-Szigeti "Etude in Thirds" tossed off with impeccable technique and spotless intonation. Sarasate's "Habanera" sparkles with a decisive 'Spanish' flavor. Elgar's "Chanson de Matin" is just plain beautiful. Also nice are inclusions of some numbers not heard hardly ever, including Bacewicz's "Oberek #2" mazurka and the Shostakovich preludes. Robert McDonald, definitely one of the best, is the able pianist for all the numbers.

Even for a trained jazz musician who thinks classical artists are overhyped, this stands out as one of the best albums........2007-04-11

Let's be honest--any kid with a violin who ever set foot in a conservatory thinks (s)he's a prodigy, the next Mehta or Yo Yo Ma, while they play the same old tired music everyone else plays, exactly as the greats play it, with hardly a shred of originality that doesn't arise out of an inability to replicate the 'masters' as well as their CD players (and that goes for jazz musicians too, but they don't get as snobby about it). The musicians who are truly great don't have any sort of attitude about their playing or their music--they just play, and they play anything, and it's great.

Midori has been one such great artist from early on. She simply had the knack. You would still want to listen to her if she was half as skilled. Every decent musician practices assiduously, seeks out the best people to learn from, makes sacrifices in life just for the chance to play for a living (even weddings and strip clubs if need be), but few have 'the knack.'

I don't know if Midori has a similar story, nor does it really matter in terms of actually making music. I know her parents moved from Osaka to the States with her when she was about ten just so she could pursue her potential--as all great students have great parents. I'm sure she didn't just pop out of the womb playing violin. But, like I wrote above, she's got the knack that you can't get through practice or training. She's just plain great.

Yes, I'm bored by classical music in general. I like 'good' music regardless of style though, and this album is so far beyond good that it belongs in whatever collection of immortal artist you may have--say: Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Johnny Cash, Billy Joel, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Shaka Khan, Luther Vandross, and--even if you have no other classical music in your collection--Midori.

Fantastic.......2006-08-11

Midori produces some amazing sounds out of her violin!
You cant go wrong with Encore! Shes brilliant.

Enjoyable listening.......2005-09-24

I enjoyed this cd especially the first three pieces. Midori played Sarasate and Paganini pretty well.

very interesting.......2005-09-13

I as watching (and listening!) her play live in Dubrovnik this summer. In this record she is equally brilliant as she is when playing live!

Average customer rating:

Report from the far reaches of the musical envelope.
Not great music, but fun
share Ligeti's fascination with mechanical things.
Better than it had any right to be
listen to with open ears

Ligeti: Mechanical Music
Gyorgy Ligeti , Pierre Charial , Jürgen Hocker , and Françoise Terrioux
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Adaptations For Barrel Organ: Continuum
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Adaptation For Barrel Organ: IV. Temp de Valse (poco vivace - (a l'orgue de barbarie))
Adaptation For Barrel Organ: V. Rubato. Lementoso
Adaptation For Barrel Organ: VI. Allegro molto capriccioso
Adaptation For Barrel Organ: VII. Cantabile, molto legato
Adaptation For Barrel Organ: VIII. Vivace. Energico
Adaptation For Barrel Organ: IX. (Bela Bartok in memoriam) Adagio. Mesto - Allegro maestoso
Adaptation For Barrel Organ: X. Vivace. Capriccioso
Adaptation For Barrel Organ: IX. (Omaggio a Girolamo Frescobaldi) Andante misurato e tranquillo
Adaptations For Player Piano: X. Der Zauberlehrling
Adaptations For Player Piano: IX. Vertige
Adaptations For Player Piano: XI. En suspens
Adaptations For Player Piano: XIII, L'escalier du diable
Adaptations For Player Piano: XIVa. Coloana fara sfarsit
Adaptations For Player Piano: VII. Galamb borong - Adapted For 2 Player Pianos
Adaptations For Player Piano: Continuum - Adapted For 2 Player pianos

Amazon.com essential recording

Although Gyorgy Ligeti is best known for his eerie, tonally ambiguous choral and orchestral writing (immortalized in 2001: A Space Odyssey), this collection of works for musical automata--player piano, barrel organ, and metronomes--includes some of his most astonishing music. The player piano pieces are an exhilarating, intensely physical roller-coaster ride through superhuman tempi and dynamic extremes--an intriguing marriage of artifice and human invention. While clearly indebted to the influence of Nancarrow, Ligeti's player piano works are more approachable than Nancarrow's rigorous etudes, revealing the sense of humor that distinguishes Ligeti from his more ponderous contemporaries. Likewise, the controversial prank piece Metronomes foreshadows the phasing experiments of Reich with its intricate cross-rhythms created by metronomes marking time simultaneously at different speeds. Perhaps most fascinating of all are Ligeti's compositions for computer-modified barrel organ--a hand-cranked, calliope-like instrument popular with itinerant musicians in the 1700s. --Dennis Rea

Customer Reviews:

Report from the far reaches of the musical envelope........2006-08-29

This recording of Gyorgy Ligeti's 'Mechanical Music' gets five stars from me only because I happen to like this sort of thing, and 'good' music of this type which pushes the envelope in one direction or another is hard to come by. My immediate reaction to it is the amount of similarity I hear in some of the works to those of Frank Zappa's more serious instrumentals, especially to his 'signature' tune, 'Peaches En Regalia'. If I didn't know Sir Frank was heavily influenced by Edgar Varese, I would have started looking for Hungarian skeletens in the Zappa closet.

I will say that if you are not a nut on having the 'complete' set of things, this CD is less interesting than Ligeti's vocal works, but just a bit more interesting than his conventional instrumental works.

Not great music, but fun.......2006-02-16

Of Marcel Duchamp's powerful "Nude Descending a Staircase," an unfriendly (but perceptive) critic said a better title would have been "Explosion in a Shingle Factory." I'd suggest that Ligeti's Poeme Symphonique for 200 Metronomes might more descriptively be titled "Tone Poem: Waiting Out a Twenty-Minute Hailstorm in a Tin Shack."

That said, the album is fun. Some of the barrel organ works have a whimsicality that's appropriate for this instrument (which sometimes produces a sound that I can only describe as watery). It's interesting to hear Ligeti's already-strange Musica Ricercata pieces scored for barrel organ. No one of these pieces, however, carries a lot of emotional power.

share Ligeti's fascination with mechanical things........2004-01-30

First off, I should inform you that Sony's Ligeti Edition series is being deleted so if you're interested in this stuff, you should pick up the ones you want as soon as you can. Ligeti Edition 5 is a good one. No, it's AWESOME. If you have any interest in "mechanical music," this should be essential.

Poeme Symphonique for 100 Metronomes was the main thing I wanted to hear on this collection. The piece starts with 100 metronomes ticking in a dense, ordered mass of monotone ticks. As the piece progresses, as some of the metronomes finish winding down, distinct rhythmic arrangements begin to emerge, swaying and wavy and disorienting. (You can also play a good trick on someone: play this piece in their car and they'll think the vehicle is about to explode or something.) Finally, one metronome is left ticking alone, then silence. The concept seemed utterly fascinating so I knew it was something I had to check out. Fortunately, it is more than just an idea that sounds good on paper - it is a very enthralling piece of music. In the liner notes, Ligeti discusses the thermodynamic category of maximal entropy, which factored into his considerations in composing this piece. That's interesting, because in his work on "dissipative structures," Nobel laureate Ilya Prigogine theorized that a given system might reach a "bifurcation point," at which its simpler processes can no longer provide for order. At this point, Prigogine tells us, the system can either go into a total, entropic collapse, or evolve into a higher form of order. The second law of thermodynamics (on which our understanding of entropy is based) may not be as relevant as Prigogine's insights. Rather than coming to maximal entropy upon the finale of the single metronome, we can think of it as a new beginning. It's kind of inspirational in its own weird little way. To get the most out of it, play it on your finest stereo equipment at massive volumes and drown in the sound (gotta emulate the live performance anyway you can).

Another highlight of this collection as Ligeti's piano Etudes adapted for player piano. In standard form, the Etudes demand reams of virtuosity. Here, they are rearranged for player piano where there are no limits imposed by the performer - even the godlike Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Fredrik Ullen are still MEN, and thus have man's limitations. Needless to say, these adaptations are stunning and astonishingly fast, from the head-spinning runs of L'escalier du diable to the astonishing gamelan texture of Galamb borong (for two player pianos). Also of interest is Continuum, adapted for two player pianos. It takes the blurry prestissimo to unreal speeds (it cannot actually be played fast enough on standard piano - the original was written for harpsichord).

The barrel organ pieces are very amusing adaptations of early Ligeti with shadows of Bartok, and they are full of the original pieces' rhythmic ingenuity and vigor, but with flawless mechanical precision and tone control. I think a big reason for my enjoying them is their quirky sound. As for Musica ricercata, personally I'd rather listen to Aimard's piano version (on Ligeti Edition 3), but the barrel organ adaptation is a pretty interesting spin on the piece, with an arrangement that gives it a very different flavor. The barrel organ also makes them sound kinda proggy, hehe.

Get it. Remember, this stuff's going out of print, and Ligeti is so good you don't want to miss your opportunity to have his music!

Better than it had any right to be.......2003-11-26

I stalled for a long time on buying this disc because the general premise didn't seem attractive. 40 minutes of arrangements for barrel organ (mainly of early Ligeti), 15 of arrangements for player piano and a 20-minute piece for 100 metronomes just didn't seem much like fun. In part I was right, but there are also some surprising successes in store for the listener.

Continuum and Hungarian Rock are both harpsichord pieces: one a frenetic pattern-illusion toccata, the other a piece of faux-naif postmodern pastiche. Both come off very well in barrel organ transcription--it's so much easier to hear details that tend to get lost in live performance. Three early piano pieces follow in barrel organ transcriptions: the Capriccio #1 and Invention are not greatly interesting, but Pierre Charial's barrel organ version of the second Capriccio finds depths--and premonitions of later Ligeti--in it that have so far been missed by live interpreters.

The Poeme Symphonique might well be Ligeti's most controversial piece, and it's a comparatively rare venture into Dadaism. Essentially, all the performance involves is queuing up 100 metronomes at different speeds and waiting for them to run down. It's actually more musically interesting than one would expect--patterns emerge from a blur before the rhythms become more and more regular at the end--but it's unlikely to be a piece the listener is likely to return to. (In truth, it works much better live, treated as an installation.)

The barrel organ transcription of Musica ricercata for piano doesn't add very much to the original. One or two pieces--particularly the seventh--do benefit from having new light drawn on them, but in general I'd rather hear a pianist play it (particularly Aimard in his excellent performances on volume 3 of this edition).

The disc ends with player piano transcriptions. Der Zauberlehring, Vertige, En suspens and L'escalier du diable all appear much faster here than on recordings with human pianists. L'escalier, in particular, gives a tremendous sheer visceral thrill, though I miss the expressiveness of a live pianist. Coloana fara sfarasit is actually intended for a player piano, as Ligeti found it was too hard for a real pianist to play. It's a splendidly exhilarating ride, and I hope one day a super-virtuoso will be found who can play it on the piano. The two transcriptions for two antiphonally divided player pianos are not so interesting: Galamb borong gains little from the arrangement, while the version of Continuum that closes the disc isn't nearly as fun as the one that opens it.

I enjoyed this disc, though it's not one I return to very often. If you like the concept, I would recommend this recording--though buy it sooner rather than later as Sony's website no longer lists this disc as in print.

listen to with open ears.......2003-06-04

This cd is very interesting to listen to. Wow the barrel organ is a little different but it adds another view to Ligeti's music. Now for Poeme Symphonique for 100 metronomes, i didn't know how i would go with this piece. First time was like wow different but the second time started to hear something very personal.Music is what you make it

Average customer rating:

Microcosmos
Great value with a few flaws
eeh, I guess I don't like Bartok that much
Best classical value out there
5 Stars for the music and performance

Bartok: Complete Solo Piano Music

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Improvisation | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
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Bartok: The Piano Concertos
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Brahms: Works for Solo Piano

ASIN: B00008X5AY
Release Date: 2003-05-27

Amazon.com

Sàndor, still active at 90 as this reissue appears, was a student of Bartók and a preferred interpreter of his music. Since this set appeared on nine LPs in the early 1960s, it has been the standard for Bartók's piano music; in this fine-sounding reissue, it still is. Sàndor can hit hard enough for such virtuoso pieces as the Piano Sonata and "Out of Doors," but he also retains the romantic element heard in the composer's own playing which tempers the harsher qualities of the music. While this collection isn't quite as complete as advertised (some early, insignificant piano music by Bartók is omitted), it includes all of Bartók's significant piano music, including such relatively obscure gems as the Bagatelles, eight Improvisations, and many delectable folk arrangements which will appeal even to listeners who think Bartók is too challenging for them. Vox's recorded sound, superbly remastered, resists obsolescence as effectively as Sàndor's performances. Even with the inclusion of the early books of "Mikrokosmos," which will appeal mostly to piano students, this set is worth several times the asking price. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Microcosmos.......2007-03-08

Sándor was a champion not only of Bartók's music but also of Bartók's style of playing. He often complained that people were too quick to see Bartók as ultra-modern, and to fail to appreciate the rich seam of lyricism that also runs through his music.

The piano music is dominated by short pieces, many of them written for piano students, notably the collections "Microcosmos" and "For Children". These, together with suites of folk dance arrangements, make up the bulk of the solo piano output.

Sandór plays these short, and often simple pieces, with neither too much nor too little art. As a gifted teacher, he knew unerringly how much music each of these small vessels held. The result is beguiling - but be warned: no-one can listen to the 153 short pieces of Microcosmos end-to-end. This is an anthology to be dipped into, not swallowed whole.

The remastering is pretty successful (fortunately - some of Vox's CD reissues are plagued by severe deterioration of the original tapes). And it's for half nothing-what's not to like?

Great value with a few flaws.......2006-07-28

I am not a Bartok expert by any scale, but I do like the way these pieces, without exception, are played. There are, however, a couple of other problems.

As mentioned by an earlier reviewer, very few of the works are split into tracks - Mikrokosmos is divided into 7 for each of its six volumes, and to accomodate for a full CD. In these seven tracks there are 121 songs. I would have much preferred if the songs had been split into tracks. Almost the entire CD set is this way - Fifteen Hungarian Songs is one track, Fourteen Bagatelles, etc. It is very annoying when one wants to hear a particular song in those tracks and not the others.

Another detriment to the collection is the recording quality. It is decent most of the time, but in loud sections the piano buzzes. One might be able to ignore it, but I think that it detracts from the passion of the forte quite a bit.

Overall, for $18 it is pretty decent, but if you are like me and like to keep your music library neatly organized (and aren't extremely cheap), I would not recommend this set.

eeh, I guess I don't like Bartok that much.......2006-07-25

I like the fact that Bartok is into the folk tradition and all, but he just tends to forget the fact that melody has to be SOMEWHERE in the music. I'm all for creative expression when you're sitting alone at the piano, but abstract music should be reserved for performance art. I like playing some of your stuff Bela, but I just don't want to listen to you.

Best classical value out there.......2005-10-05

To put this set in perspective, for months I would go to my local Tower Records fishing for worthwhile classical CDs at least once a week. One of the discs that sat in the bins the longest was a single CD of Bartok piano music, played by Zoltan Kocsis. It was Volume 7 of a complete series. This CD listed for $17.99, and as long as I went to that Tower Records, it did not budge an inch, nor was its price amended.

Now, Kocsis is one of the greatest pianists alive, and if anyone is worthy of commanding a premium, it is him. And to be fair, that CD is going to be re-released on October 11 as part of a Collector's Edition - eight CDs, $63.97 MSRP. But it's already going up against this little gem, which contains five CDs with all of the truly great solo-piano works by an internationally recognized Bartok specialist for $21 - not much more than the cost of one CD from the other set. This kind of value is not to be taken lightly.

I came to this set with my impression of Sandor informed by his complete Prokofiev - ultra-hard, sometimes rhythmically slack, always melodically lacking in some way or another. But he held a very special feeling for Bartok, and saved his best playing for the great Hungarian. In passages like the first of the Three Csik Dances, the opening of the Improvisations Op. 20, or in the Ten Easy Pieces, there is a simplicity, charm and wistful homesickness that is quite touching. In pieces like the Out of Doors suite, the Sonata, or the Burlesques, there is a vicious, impulsive energy, a wicked sense of humor and an overabundance of overtones. It is never mindless, inappropriate or even overly harsh - it's just very, very loud.

In this set I like best the endless landscape of the Sonatina, the unusual colors and fragrances in the Etudes, the brilliantly conceived Bear Dance (the last of the Ten Easy Pieces), and the multifaceted, complex, gorgeous Improvisations. Any fan of Bartok should hear these.

5 Stars for the music and performance.......2005-04-04

This is a fantastic deal, but the problem with this Collection stems from the fact that the pieces are often not separated by tracks. This is especially annoying for the Children's Pieces and Mikrokosmos. There are so many pieces, one wears out the fast forward button and still may miss the particular piece one is looking for. The booklet is fairly insightful, and the performer is widely hailed as the supreme interpreter of Bartok's piano music. So aside from this slightly annoying at times and ridiculously annoying at other times flaw, this is one of the best deals in Classical music. Don't hesitate. Add it to the cart.

Live from the Concertgebouw, 1978 & 1979

Average customer rating:

If you only get one Martha Argerich disc...
DON'T YOU WISH YOU'D BEEN THERE?
Argerich's strengths and weaknesses
Great Chopin Nocturne
Not Martha's Best

Live from the Concertgebouw, 1978 & 1979
Johann Sebastian Bach , Bela Bartok , Frédéric Chopin , Alberto Ginastera , Sergey Prokofiev , Domenico Scarlatti , and Martha Argerich
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 / Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23

ASIN: B00004LCAR
Release Date: 2000-05-09

Tracks:

Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: I. Sinfonia - Grave Adagio
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: Andante
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: II. Allemande
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: III. Courante
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: IV. Sarabonde
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: V. Rondeau
Nocturne No. 13 In C Minor, Op. 48, No. 1
Scherzo No. 3 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 39
Sonata, Sz. 80: I. Allegro moderato
Sonata, Sz. 80: II. Sostenuto e pesante
Sonata, Sz. 80: III. Allegro molto
Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2: I. Danza del viejo boyero (Dance Of The Old Cowherd)
Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2: II. Danza de la moza donoso (Dance Of The Delightful Young Girl)
Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2: III. Danza del gaucho matrero (Dance Of The Artful Herdsman)
Piano Sonata No. 7 In B Flat, Op. 83: I. Allegro inquieto - Andantino
Piano Sonata No. 7 In B Flat, Op. 83: II. Andante caloroso
Piano Sonata No. 7 In B Flat, Op. 83: III. Precipitato
Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata In D Minor
Bourree - English Suite No. 2 In A Minor, BWV 807

Amazon.com

Throughout her lengthy artistic career, pianist Martha Argerich has experienced many heights and depths: moments of "crisis" in which she hasn't always seemed prepared to offer the full extent of her artistic insights, but also many, many times when she has managed simultaneously to come into her own and to completely lose herself in music-making. Fortunately it's the latter snapshot of Argerich's career that this CD captures, drawing from two live recitals Argerich gave at Amsterdam's Concertgebouw in 1978 and 1979. They document the pianist's overwhelming gifts, with all the artistic characteristics that have made her so revered. The program is quite eclectic, with music from Prokofiev and Chopin--all familiar territory for Argerich, which she masters with arresting brilliance, extraordinary technical facility, and grandly sweeping gestures. A bit further afield on the program are such composers as Domenico Scarlatti and J.S. Bach. The latter might give one pause: Bach and Argerich? But in the slower movements of the C Minor Partita, it's astonishing to hear such uncommonly tender, feathery tones. In short, the music breathes. It's only too bad that in the faster movements of the Bach pieces Argerich resorts to her typically fiery, stormy attacks. --Teresa Pieschacón Raphael

Customer Reviews:

If you only get one Martha Argerich disc..........2007-04-30

If you only get one Martha Argerich disc, or if you're just begining to collect her music, this would be an excellent choice. She is in superb form here, playing to a large, very appreciative audience. Also she plays a huge variety here, ranging from Bach & Scarlatti, through Chopin, to semi-modern composers including Bartok, Prokofiev, and Ginastera.

This recording illustrates why Argerich is considered by many to be the greatest living pianist, (I also love Pollini). Her power, passion, full colored tone, and technical agility are unparalleled. While everything on this album is superb, my favorite is the Chopin Nocturne in C minor. It starts off very calm, but with just a hint of the turbulence to come. It becomes even more serine when suddenly the serenity is invaded by waves of dark turbulence. I've heard a few other versions of this work, but I've never heard the simultaneous range of emotions that Argerich achieves here, it's magical.

DON'T YOU WISH YOU'D BEEN THERE?.......2006-08-31

Thrilling, exciting, sexy, passionate, fiery, volatile, demanding, challenging, surprising, charismatic, exquisitely beautiful. Are we talking about the pianist or the playing? Well, both, of course. This recital from the Concertgebouw in the late 70's (actually put together from two recitals) amply demonstrates why Martha Argerich is one of the great pianists of our time.

For a start, there is the breathtaking range of repertoire here - from Bach to Bartok and Prokofiev and on to her fellow-countryman, Ginastera. All of them played with an innate sense of the different styles and character demanded. But all of them challenging stale preconceptions, shedding new light on the composers and their music. Even the most familiar pieces come up as fresh as though newly minted. The Chopin items are just as fresh and exciting as anything here: the C Minor Nocturne is a wonder of colour and tints, the darkness of its central section starkly contrasted with the elegance and smoothness of its outer parts. Equally the motoric rhythms of the first movement of the Bartok Sonata and the last of the Prokofiev display enormous power and energy.

With her reluctance to play/record solo recitals any more, live documents such as these Concertgebouw programmes are invaluable. If you've a taste for invigorating, refreshing piano playing of the highest standards (both of technique and interpretation), don't hesitate.

Argerich's strengths and weaknesses.......2005-11-11

This CD, with live recordings from 1978 and 1979, is a showcase of Martha Argerich's astounding gifts but also of some of her evident shortcomings. The former are a technique as brilliant as any to be found anywhere in the world today, a real interpretative temperament and a natural musical instinct which is amongst the most unique in the annals of piano playing. The latter, a tendency towards senselessly fast and forced playing which often leads to distorted renditions reminiscent of the worst moments of Simon Barere and Gyorgy Cziffra.

The Partita n. 2 is good, reasonably spacious and even luminous in places. It's non-authoritative Bach playing but all the better for it. The Bartok sonata is the highlight of the disc: its motoric drive is relentless, its percussiveness notable without being unpleasant, and the overall technical vigour quite remarkable. Prokofiev's Sonata n. 7, op. 83 - probably the most popular of the Russian master's nine - is also impressive, with some brilliant fingerwork in spite of some minor slips and exciting throughout, though the final allegro precipitato sounds hurried rather than potent. Argerich also shows the expected understanding of her compatriot Alberto Ginastera's Danzas Argentinas, which she dispatches with flair and elan.

The Chopin, however, is a totally different story, and a sad one at that. This Scherzo n. 3 is much inferior to Argerich's previous recordings of the piece - made in 1961 and 1965 - and easily her worst attempt. She entirely sacrifices the narrative aspect of the work to speed and feverishness. The result is a shapeless, amorphous performance, with many blurred and technically inaccurate moments, and a tone with is at times hard-edged and banged. I can't imagine Chopin wanting that (ironically enough, the notoriously fast-fingered Barere recorded this same scherzo in the 30's with restraint, good taste and a luminous quality of tone).

All in all, a valuable CD, not only for the instances of great piano playing but also for revealing Argerich's highs and lows as a performer.

Great Chopin Nocturne.......2005-02-03

Sometimes, listening to Argerich can give one the impression that you are hearing THE way of playing a piece.
In this case, it happened with Chopin's beautiful nocturne, which i had already heard in various performances by other pianists (Rubinstein, Barenboim, etc)

I can't believe it's the same piece. In this recording, Argerich has managed to make this one explode like an atomic bomb, and leave me trembling.... Even in the slower parts the notes seem to flow like water... Simply wonderful.

The other works recorded are good, but the partita sounds better on DG's Studio recording, the Scherzo also sounds better on DG's Debut Recital... The Prokofiev sonata is included in this disc only, so if you want it, there you go...

Anyway, good cd, gret Nocturne, very good permormances all around.

The sound is a little crappy though, so it gets 4 stars instead of five. I really don't like EMI's live sound...

Not Martha's Best.......2001-07-30

Being a Marth Argerich fan, i was disapointed with this CD. In the last movement of the Prokofiev, which is one of my favorite pieces of music, she loses control and the Great Finaly of the sonata is very sloppy. through out the CD backround noise is heard and for the encores i was amazed at how much whishpereing there was , even during her playing. i know thats something that she cannot help. overall her playing is much cleaner and neater on otherr CD's. i recommened her two Great Pianists of hte Twentieth Century CD's much more than this one. the First one has a much nicer recording of the Bach Partita.

Average customer rating:

Masterful interpretation of Bartok's piano works

Zoltán Kocsis plays Bartók

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Improvisation | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Works for Solo Piano
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Historic Russian Archives Emil Gilels Edition [Box Set]
Plays Schubert

ASIN: B0009A41VA
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Customer Reviews:

Masterful interpretation of Bartok's piano works.......2005-10-21

Without a doubt Bartok is one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. Combining a deep understanding of the possibilities of eastern European folk music - particularly Hungarian and Romanian - with an extremely advanced harmonic and rhythmic vocabulary, Bartok composed some of the greatest works of the last century.

Although Bartok wrote some sublime orchestral music (The Music for strings, percussion and celeste comes instantly to mind), it is in the realms of string quartet and solo piano music that Bartok reigns supreme among 20th century composers in the humble opinion of this reviewer.

So. Here is an 8 CD set of all of Bartok's solo piano music by (argueably) the pre-eminent interpreter of his piano music. These are insightful, passionate performances beautifully recorded.

I for one am thrilled to have this set - particularly since many of these CDs were unavailable up till now. The box is also very reasonably priced compared to the separate CDs.

Highly recommended - modern music begins here.

Average customer rating:

excellent overview of contemporaneous classic music
For the price you can't lose

Discover Music of the 20th Century

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

$7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

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A History of Musical Style

ASIN: B000B6N6B8
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Tracks:

Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'un Faune - Alexander Rahbari
Walzer - Peter Hill
I. Andante-Scherzo - Rebecca Hirsch
Sehr Ruhig Und Zart - Ulster Orchestra
Lebhaft Und Zart Bewegt - Ulster Orchestra
Sehr Langsam Und Ausserst Zart - Ulster Orchestra
Fliessend, Ausserst Zart - Ulster Orchestra
Sehr Fliessend - Ulster Orchestra
Forlane: Allegretto - Klara Kormendi
First Tableau: The Shrove-Tide Fair - Philharmonia Orchestra
The Mountebank - Philharmonia Orchestra
Vivo - Bournemouth Sinfonietta
III. Moderato Pesante - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Hymn To St. Cecilia - Choir Of St. John's College, Cambridge
IV. Allegretto - Ondrej Lenard
Introduzione: Andante Non Troppo-Allegro Vivace - Alexander Rahbari

Tracks:

Romance - Czecho-Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Kosice)
II. Allegro - Ladislav Slovak
III. Allegro Agitato - Stephen Gunzenhauser
Main Theme From Schindler's List - Paul Bateman
The Unanswered Question - Northern Sinfonia
Second Electonic Interpolation (Conclusion) - Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Third Electronic Interpolation (Beginning) - Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
I. Liturgie De Cristal - Amici Ensemble
IV. Commentaire - Idil Biret
Warming Up, Leading To Model 1, Bass - Gregory Rose
'Gott Nochmal' Sun God - Gregory Rose
'Vishnu' God Of Storms - Gregory Rose
God Of The Earth - Gregory Rose
First Interlude - Boris Berman
I. - Roger Heaton
Short Ride In A Fast Machine - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
The Lord's Prayer - Choir Of St. John's College, Cambridge
II. Lento E Largo-Tranquillissimo - Zofia Kilanowicz
Lullaby - Philharmonia Orchestra
Vision Of The Hunt I - Philharmonia Orchestra
Voice For Solo Flute - Robert Aitken

Customer Reviews:

excellent overview of contemporaneous classic music.......2007-03-22

excellent overview of contemporaneous classic music.

Should be continued, plenty more 20th-century composers to be discovered.

For the price you can't lose.......2007-02-21

This 2 cd set consists of, as the title indicates, various 20c pieces or movements from the Naxos catalog. Sound quality is uniformly high, although for some such as Stockhausen's it's not clear if that's good or bad. What is excellent is the variety of the collection--some familiar (Debussy), others not, some pretty, others intentionally weird. Few will find every piece to his or her taste, but many listeners who do not spend much time on 20c music will find something to like. Overall, a great introduction to a period of much off-putting, yes, but also much compelling music.

Average customer rating:

A "must have" for all bassists
A "must have" for all bassists

Double Bass Portraits

Manufacturer: Klavier
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000031VTI
Release Date: 1999-11-23

Tracks:

Boccherini: Sonata in A
Boccherini: Sonata in A
Bloch: Meditation Hebraique
Schumann: FantasiestOp. 73
Bartok: Romanian Dances, Sz. 56
Bartok: Romanian Dances, Sz. 56
Bartok: Romanian Dances, Sz. 56
Bartok: Romanian Dances, Sz. 56
Bartok: Romanian Dances, Sz. 56
Brahms: Sonatensatz, Op. Posth.
Haydn: Divertimento in D (arr. Piatiagorsky)
Haydn: Divertimento in D (arr. Piatiagorsky)
Haydn: Divertimento in D (arr. Piatiagorsky)
Faure: Elegie, Op. 24
Monti: Czardas

Customer Reviews:

A "must have" for all bassists.......2000-08-11

This splendid recording by Mr. Bradetich exhibits a fine example of the virtuosity and refinement in the technique of today's bassists. This extremely enjoyable recording of Mr. Bradetich's transcriptions for bass showcase his very natural musical ability through a variety of styles. The tone, the phrasing, the depth, it's all there and more! This is a very nice collection of pieces for the double bass recorded with precision and clarity. I hope that all bassists will add this c.d. to their library! As for Mr. Bradetich, I can't wait for the next album!

A "must have" for all bassists.......2000-08-11

Sony Classical: Great Performances 1903-1998

Average customer rating:

What I Bought From Sony Companies
Strange interpretation of "classical"
An interesting mix...
A touch of history....
A touch of history....

Sony Classical: Great Performances 1903-1998

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music