Bartok Violin Works

On this CD:

1. Rhapsodies 1 & 2, for violin & piano
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Bruno Canino, Mark Kaplan
Conducted by Daniel Chriss, Jodi Howard

2. Rhapsodies 1 & 2, for violin & piano
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Bruno Canino, Mark Kaplan
Conducted by Daniel Chriss, Jodi Howard

3. Sonata, for violin solo (edited by Yehudi Menhuin), Sz. 117, BB 124
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Bruno Canino, Mark Kaplan
Conducted by Daniel Chriss, Jodi Howard

4. Hungarian Folk Tunes, for violin & piano, arranged by Joseph Szigeti and Bela Bartók from "For Children" Hungarian Folk Tunes
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Bruno Canino, Mark Kaplan
Conducted by Daniel Chriss, Jodi Howard

5. Romanian Folk Dances (6), for piano (Román népi táncok), Sz. 56, BB 68
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Bruno Canino, Mark Kaplan
Conducted by Daniel Chriss, Jodi Howard

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.

Works for Solo Violin by Bach, Bartòk & Paganini

Average customer rating:

Good rendition of these pieces

Works for Solo Violin by Bach, Bartòk & Paganini

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000E3NK
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Customer Reviews:

Good rendition of these pieces.......2004-06-25

An interesting collection of pieces presented quite nicely by Viktoria Mullova. Ms. Mullova is a Russian emigre (she defected when she was in Norway, tricking her KGB handlers by leaving her priceless violin in the hotel, and was considered Kogan's finest student. Although her technique pays fitting tribute to her teacher, her temperament, frankly, does not.
Still, these solo works are presented with a good deal of aplomb. The Bach partita is played in the contemporary style, and is really quite interesting to hear under Mullova's hands, and the technical twisters of the Bartok are tossed of with ease.
The Paganini, although one of my favorite pieces, is given its due.
Overall, a good collection, worthy of exploration, and a good way to hear Mullova's sound.

Average customer rating:

Bartok Ravishingly Performed

Bartók: Works for Violin

Manufacturer: Valois
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CEBOUO
Release Date: 2006-03-21

Tracks:

Allegro Non Troppo
Andante Tranquillo
Allegro Molto
Recruiting Dance
Relaxation
Fast Dance

Tracks:

Tempo Di Ciaccona
Fuga
Melodia
Presto
Allegro Appassionato
Adagio
Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Bartok Ravishingly Performed.......2006-04-27

On this mid-price double CD album are collected most of the important violin works by Bela Bartok. The only major things missing are the early first violin concerto and the second violin/piano sonata. But included are the Second Violin Concerto, 'Contrasts' for violin, clarinet and piano, the magnificent Sonata for Solo Violin, and the First Sonata for Violin and Piano. The violinist featured is Laurent Korcia, a fortyish violinist who is wildly popular in his native France but not widely known elsewhere. His playing has been heralded outside France but some reason he hasn't had a great deal of exposure. He was featured playing one of the Ysaye solo sonatas in Bruno Monsaingeon's excellent documentary (available on DVD), 'The Art of Violin.'

For me the high points of the set are the Solo Sonata, played with incisive and yet suave manner, and the Second Violin Concerto, with its sometimes velvety, sometimes tart flavor. In the latter he is accompanied marvelously by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Simon Rattle's successor as its music director, the Finnish conductor Sakari Oramo. The solo sonata is one of the masterpieces of modern solo violin writing and a real bear to perform. Korcia manages it marvelously and although he has technique to burn he makes it clear that this is a knotty work to perform and get across; I have to believe that is what Bart?k intended. I have known and loved the sonata for years, ever since I heard Ivry Gitlis play and then make a classic recording of it. I have not heard Menuhin's recording but am told that it is a benchmark. Bartok wrote the sonata for him, so I can imagine it is excellent. That is as may be, but I was more than satisfied and often electrified (as in the fugal second movement) by Korcia's playing.

'Contrasts' was originally written for Benny Goodman and Josef Szigeti who premiered it with the composer at the piano. This performance with clarinetist Michel Portal and pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, along with Korcia, doesn't quite have the bounce in the first movement (Verbunkos) that I recall others having, but it is suave in the extreme and quite enjoyable. The atmospheric second movement, Piheno (Relaxation), is played with grace and intense concentration; one feature is that the clarinet plays in its spooky chalumeau register much of the time. The finale, Sebes (Fast Dance), is characterized by endless chains of sixteenths and a chugging peasant rhythm, very exciting and just a little down-and-dirty. Excellent!

I was not at all familiar with the First Sonata for Violin and Piano (Korcia/Bavouzet) and haven't quite digested it yet. It sounds fine, but I have nothing to compare it with. It is early (1921) and sounds harder-edged than the later works; this was the period of 'The Miraculous Mandarin', after all.

The Solo Sonata and the Violin/Piano Sonata were recorded in Marseille in 1997. The Second Concerto was recorded live in concert in Birmingham in 2004. 'Contrasts' was recorded in Brussels in 2005. All are in fine sound. There are no audience sounds in the live recording.

Strong recommendations all around.

Scott Morrison

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Engineer's Choice
Bela Bartok , David Diamond , Ottorino Respighi , Falla, Manuel de , Ravel, Maurice , James DePreist , Schwarz, Gerard , Wagner, Roger , Shifrin, David , and Davidovich, Bella
Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Opera & Vocal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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Engineer's Choice II

ASIN: B00000071F
Release Date: 1992-05-22

Tracks:

Symphony No. 10: Scherzo
Gimpel The Fool: 'Jester's Song And Mazel Tov'
Through The Looking Glass: Looking-Glass Insects
Grand Canyon Suite: Sunset
Billy The Kid: Gun Battle
Symphony No.6: Movements III. And IV.
Piano Concerto: Adagio
Wassail Song
Fleurs
Menuetto
Symphony No. 51: Finale (Allegro)
Suite For Skip And Sadie: Good Morning
Piano Trio: Tema con Variazioni
Treestone: Tristopher Tristian
Prelude In G Minor
A Quaker Reader: Movements IV and VIII
Symphony No. 6: Scherzo (Leggerissimo vivace)
The Miraculous Mandarin: The Miraculous Mandarin (excerpts)
Symphony No. 2: Finale (Allegro vigoroso) (Excerpt)
Roman Festivals: Roman Festivals (excerpts)
Nights In The Gardens Of Spain (excerpts)
Daphnis And Chloe: Daphnis and Chloe (excerpt)

Mutter Modern: Works by Stravinsky / Lutoslawski / Bartok / Moret / Berg / Rihm - Anne-Sophie Mutter

Average customer rating:

Excellent buy!
DIABETES IS HELPED BY TWENTIETH CENTURY VIOLIN MUSIC
Nicely Done
Great collections of modern music by fine musician.

Mutter Modern: Works by Stravinsky / Lutoslawski / Bartok / Moret / Berg / Rihm - Anne-Sophie Mutter

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Tristan Murail: Gondwana; Désintégrations; Time and Again

ASIN: B000001GN1
Release Date: 1995-01-17

Tracks:

Concerto en Re: 1. Toccata
Concerto en Re: 2. Aria I
Concerto en Re: 3. Aria II
Concerto en Re: 4. Capriccio
Partita: 1. Allegro giusto
Partita: 2. Ad libitum
Partita: 3. Largo
Partita: 4. Ad libitum
Partita: 5. Presto
Chain 2: 1. Ad libitum
Chain 2: 2. A battuta
Chain 2: 3. Ad libitum
Chain 2: 4. A battuta - Ad libitum - A battuta

Tracks:

1. Allegro non troppo
2. Andante tranquillo - Allegro scherzando - Tempo I
3. Allegro molto
1. Lumiere vaporeuse. Mysterieux et envoutant
2. Dialogue avec l'Etoile
3. Azur fascinant (Serenade tessinoise). Exuberant, un air de fete

Tracks:

Violinkonzert: I. Andante - Allegretto - Anne Sophie
Violinkonzert: II. Allegro - Adagio - Anne Sophie
Musik fur Violine und Orchester: Anfang - Beginning - Debut - Inizio - Anne Sophie
Musik fur Violine und Orchester: Taka - Bar - Mesure - Battuta 179 - Anne Sophie

Customer Reviews:

Excellent buy!.......2007-04-09

This is an excellent buy. I especially like the Stravinsky and Berg. But all compositions are good and she really plays the heck out of fthem.

DIABETES IS HELPED BY TWENTIETH CENTURY VIOLIN MUSIC.......2002-09-04

I listened to Igor Stravinsky's concerto en re and Witold Lutoslawski's Partita and Chain 2 before lunch. Stravinsky was fine and easy. Lutoslawski I kind of glossed over. After lunch I got through Bartok,enjoyed Norbert Moret's En reve, submerged with Berg, and got reamed by Rihm.
Lutoslawski always lowers my blood sugar. I think it is because his music is unfamiliar, dissonant, and requires a lot of attention as do the rest. The violin concerto by Bartok and Berg were intriguing and held me spellbound.
Wolfgang Rihm I thought extreme in his high registers for the violin. My sugar three hours after eating was 122. This is good for me.
So, I ordered Norbert Moret's Cello Concerto by a favorite named Rostropovich along with Hymne de Silence. I was going to order Wolfgang Rihm's Sring Quartets 1,8 & 5, but the review made it sound like a lot of noise. But this is good for me, so I ordered. I got a little Stravinsky in Flute for Relaxation. Maybe the unfamiliar is better when the familiar has too many memories and auditorial reactions. I may revisit more Twentieth Century musicians.

Nicely Done.......2000-04-01

An all around great collection of important 20th century stuff. She really has a unique take on the Bartok...

Great collections of modern music by fine musician........1999-12-16

This is certainly one of the great collections of modern music, and it's much to Mutter's credit that she plays this music. She's not just a babe, though that's frequently how she's packaged on CD covers (why do they do that?). She can really play, with tremendous fire, for instance, on the great Bartok 2d, or subtlety and nuance on the Berg. The two Lutoslawski's call for rapid changes in style, perhaps Mutter's greatest strength. The lesser known works on this set are really worth it, too--the Moret is dazzling, the Rihm mysterious and beautiful. In all this is an excellent buy.

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Let's Dance

Manufacturer: Analekta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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Passion
Infernal Violins

ASIN: B00003OSWL
Release Date: 2007-04-06

Tracks:

Airs Et Danses Anitques: Suite No. 1 (Orch. L.A. Baril)/ Antique Airs And Dances
St Paul's Suite Op. 29 No. 2
Danses Populaires Roumaines/ Romanian Folkdances
Czardas (Orch. L.A. Baril)
Tango, Op. 54 No. 2
Danse Espagnole/ Country Dance
Danse Paysanne/ Country Dance
Hoe-Down
Souvenir D'amerique Op. 17
Let's Dance

Average customer rating:

Great Classical Piano

Panorama: Passion for Piano

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004YMTL
Release Date: 2001-01-23

Tracks:

Tango, Op.165 No.2 - Shura Cherkassky
Iberia (Exc): El Corpus Christi En Sevilla - Alicia De Larrocha
Goldberg Vars: Aria - Rosalyn Tureck
Das Wohltemperierte Klavier I: Prld & Fugue in C, BWV 846: Prld in C - Wilhelm Kempff
Das Wohltemperierte Klavier I: Prld & Fugue in C, BWV 846: Fugue - Wilhelm Kempff
Islamey - Julius Katchen
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: 1. Stick Dance - Zoltan Kocsis
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: 2. Sash Dance - Zoltan Kocsis
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: 3. Stamping Dance - Zoltan Kocsis
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: 4. Hn Dance - Zoltan Kocsis
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: 5. Romanian Polka - Zoltan Kocsis
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: 6. Fast Dance - Zoltan Kocsis
Rondo in G, Op.51 No.2 - Wilhelm Kempff
Fur Elise, WoO 59 - Wilhelm Kempff
Capriccio in b, Op.76 No.2 - John Lill
Intermezzo in E flat, Op.117 No.1 - Wilhelm Kempff
Intermezzo in C, Op.119 No.3 - Wilhelm Kempff
Waltz in A, Op.39 No.15 - Andor Foldes
Etude in G flat, Op.10 No.5 - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Etude in G flat, Op.25 No.9 - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Etude in c, Op.10 No.12 - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Etude in A flat, Op.25 No.1 - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Etude in E, Op.10 No.3 - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Fant-Impromptu in c#, Op. Posth.66 - Roberto Szidon
Waltz in D flat, Op.64 No.1 - Jean-Marc Luisada
Nocturne in E flat, Op.9 No.2 - Daniel Barenboim

Tracks:

Polonaise in A flat, Op.53 - Martha Argerich
Prld in A, Op.28 No.7 - Martha Argerich
Prld in D flat, Op.28 No.15 - Martha Argerich
Waltz in A flat, Op. 42 - Jean-Marc Luisada
Waltz in c#, Op.64 No.2 - Jean-Marc Luisada
Grande Valse Brilliante in E flat, Op.18 - Jean-Marc Luisada
Ste Bergamasque: Clair De Lune - Alexis Weissenberg
Children's Corner: Golliwogg's Cakewalk - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Estampes: Jardins Sous La Pluie - Alexis Weissenberg
Prlds I: La Cathedrale Engloutie - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Prlds I: La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
3 Prlds: 1. Allegro Ben Ritmato E Deciso - Werner Haas
3 Prlds: 2. Andante Con Moto E Poco Rubato - Werner Haas
3 Prlds: 3. Allegro Ben Ritmato E Deciso - Werner Haas
Souvenir De Porto Rico - Ivan Davis
Goyescas: Quejas A La Maja Y El Ruisenor - Alicia De Larrocha
Butterfly, Op.43 No.1 - Emil Gilels
Wedding Day At Troldhaugen, Op.65 No.6 - Andrei Gavrilov
Ste No.5 in E: Air Con Vars 'The Harmonious Blacksmith' - Alicia De Larrocha

Amazon.com

Anything that starts off with Shura Cherkassky's delicious account of a Tango by Albéniz has got to have something going for it, and this set seems to score over and over again. It's an interesting piece of programming, since having got off to a Spanish start, we are led through Bach (traditionally the starter), Balakirev (his famously unplayable Islamey thrown off coolly by Julius Katchen), Bartók, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Debussy, Gershwin, Gottschalk, Granados, Grieg, and Handel. One thing they certainly all have in common is the passion of the title, and they are well served by our guides, who include Tureck, Kempff, Kocsis, Lill, Barenboim, Argerich, Michelangeli, De Larrocha, Gilels, and Gavrilov. It is worth mentioning so many, since these are top names in their respective fields and it gives an indication of what you can expect from this set. And while you would rightly expect veteran Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha to give us the full treatment in Albéniz and Granados, listen to her delightful piece of Handel, which concludes the set. Recordings range in time from 1955 to 1998, and the freshness of the playing transcends changes in recording technology during those years. --Keith Clarke

Customer Reviews:

Great Classical Piano.......2005-08-04

I picked up this CD because it had some of my favorite piano pieces of Bach, Brahms and Bartok on it.

The renditions on these discs are terrific. And every single selection is really worth listening to- this is some of the best classical piano out there. If you're like me and aren't really concerned about owning the complete Bach, Brahms, Chopin, etc, this is the disc to pick up for a good sampling of it all.

And it's a good value too. Two discs for the price of one!

Average customer rating:

Fun Side of Bartok

Contrasts: Bartók Violin Works

Manufacturer: Endeavour Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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French Portraits
Archduke Rudolph: Sonata for Clarinet and Piano; Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano
French Clarinet Art
20th Century Music For Unaccompanied Clarinet

ASIN: B000F9RL8A
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Album Description

"Wood's open luminous tones, seamless lines and impeccable technique charmed the ears, conjuring almost vocal sounds from music he shaped with seductive tenderness." - TORONTO STAR

"Encores there must be wherever Wood and Riley play: theirs is a beautiful collaboration…Wood is always a joy to hear…" - GRAMOPHONE

"Jasper Wood plays with a firm, rich tone and he's excellently balanced against David Riley's sparkling piano accompaniments." - DAVID HURWITZ, CLASSICS TODAY

Violinist Jasper Wood has garnered international critical acclaim for his solo performances with orchestras and chamber music concerts. Known for his intimate and dazzling recitals, Wood is sought after as a musician with his own personal voice. He can be heard frequently on NPR in the United States, and on the CBC in Canada. Pianist David Riley gave more than 50 concerts the past season, including two at the National Art Gallery in Washington DC and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. He has been heard on dozens of radio broadcasts on WQXR and WNYC in New York, Canada's CBC, and NPR's Performance Today. Wolfgang Sawallisch appointed Ricardo Morales Principal Clarinet of the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2002. Prior to this, he was Principal Clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; a position he assumed at the age of 21 under the direction of James Levine. Bartók's two Rhapsodies were originally written with orchestral accompaniment in 1928. Contrasts was written at the suggestion of Benny Goodman and premiered in 1940. All three works were written for violinist Joseph Szigeti, who arranged several of Bartók's piano pieces For Children into the Hungarian Folk Tunes. The Sonatina is based on Transylvanian folk tunes as arranged by Endre Gertler. Zoltán Székely did the arrangements for the Rumanian Folk Dances. Recorded in Toronto, 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Fun Side of Bartok.......2006-08-05

This is an excellent recording of many of Bartok's shorter, less-often recorded works, many of which are based on the folk songs he collected. The performers are energetic and Ricardo Morales does a superb job on Contrastes. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Bartok & Kodaly Piano Music

Manufacturer: Classical Diamonds
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Canons | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Improvisation | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005SR4
Release Date: 1996-01-30

Tracks:

Szekely lament Op. 11-2: Rubato parlando
Szekely tune Op. 11-6: Poco rubato
Three Hungarian Folksongs From Csik: I.
Three Hungarian Folksongs From Csik: II.
Three Hungarian Folksongs From Csik: III.
Szonatina Sz. 55: Bagpipers. Allegretto - Allegro
Szonatina Sz. 55: Bear Dance. Moderato
Szonatina Sz. 55: Finale. Alegro vivace
For Children Sz. 42: No. 26 Peasant's Flute. Andante molto rubato
For Children Sz. 42: No. 29 Canon. Allegro non troppo
For Children Sz. 42: No. 39 Mourning Song. Lento
Robato Op.11-7 (1917)
Petite Suite Sz. 105: Slow Tune
Petite Suite Sz. 105: Whirling Dance
Petite Suite Sz. 105: Quasi pizzicato
Petite Suite Sz. 105: Ruthenian
Petite Suite Sz. 105: Bagpipes
Piano Music Op. 3: II. Andante poco rubato
Piano Music Op. 3: V. Furioso
Piano Music Op. 3: III. Lento . Andante - Agitato - Tempo I.
Piano Music Op. 3: VII. Allegro giocoso - Plu lento
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: I. Four Old Tunes
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: II. Four Old Tunes
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: III. Four Old Tunes
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: IV. Four Old Tunes
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: V. Scherzo
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: VI. Ballada - Ballade
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: VII. Old Dance Tunes
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: VIII. Old Dance Tunes
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: IX. Old Dance Tunes
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: X. Old Dance Tunes
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: XI. Old Dance Tunes
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: XII. Old Dance Tunes
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: XIII. Old Dance Tunes
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: XIV. Old Dance Tunes
Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs: XV. Old Dance Tunes
Piano Music Op. 3: VIII. Allegretto grazioso
Piano Music No. 3: IX. Allegro commodo, burlesco - Allegretto - Tempo I.
Mikrokosmos Sz. 107: No. 148
Mikrokosmos Sz. 107: No. 149
Mikrokosmos Sz. 107: No. 150
Mikrokosmos Sz. 107: No. 151
Mikrokosmos Sz. 107: No. 152
Mikrokosmos Sz. 107: No. 153

Enescu, Bartók, Szymanowski: Works for Violin & Piano

Average customer rating:

A sensation nonetheless
Frolicking with Ida and Vladimir
Wow

Enescu, Bartók, Szymanowski: Works for Violin & Piano

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Polish | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004DTQT
Release Date: 2000-06-13

Tracks:

Mythes, Op.30: I La Fontaine d'Arethuse
Mythes, Op.30: II Narcisse
Mythes, Op.30: III Dryades et Pan
Violin Sonata No.3, Op.25: I Moderato malinconico
Violin Sonata No.3, Op.25: II Andante sostenuto e misterioso
Violin Sonata No.3, Op.25: III Allegro con brio, ma non troppo mosso
First Rhapsody: I Moderato
First Rhapsody: OO Allegretto moderato
Romanian Folkdances: I Stick Dance
Romanian Folkdances: II Sash Dance
Romanian Folkdances: III In One Spot
Romanian Folkdances: IV Dance Of Buchumi
Romanian Folkdances: V Romanian Dance
Romanian Folkdances: VI Fast Dance

Tracks:

Sonata In G Major, Op.30 No.3: I Allegro assai
Sonata In G Major, Op.30 No.3: II Tempo di minuetto
Sonata In G Major, Op.30 No.3: III Allegro vivace
Sonatina In G Minor, D408: I Allegro giusto
Sonatina In G Minor, D408: II Andante
Sonatina In G Minor, D408: III Allegro vivace
Sonatina In G Minor, D408: IV Allegro moderato
Waltz, Op.39 No.15
Tambourin chinois, Op.3
Schon Rosmarin
Zapateado, Op.23, No.2
Hebrew Melody
Scherzo tarantelle, Op.16
Malaguena, Op.71 No.6
Danza No.1 From la vida breve
Notturno e Tarantella, Op.28: Notturno
Notturno e Tarantella, Op.28: Tarantella
Roxane's Song From King Roger
Romanian Folkdances: I Joc cu bata
Romanian Folkdances: II Braul
Romanian Folkdances: III Pe loc
Romanian Folkdances: IV Buciumeana
Romanian Folkdances: V Poarga romanesca
Romanian Folkdances: VI Maruntel

Amazon.com

The new CD was recorded and issued to celebrate the 75th birthday of a legendary violinist who has never become a mainstream superstar. As Haendel's early recordings--like the ones on the bonus CD included here, or the concerto recordings on Testament--demonstrate, she has long been a patrician interpreter of the highest musical and technical standards. In fact, she may be a shade too patrician for some of the repertoire on this recording. With Ashkenazy in uncommonly vigorous and assertive form, Haendel, although always in command of the music and her instrument, doesn't play these mostly folk-based Eastern European showpieces with the kind of flair they invite. She is always sensible and never exactly sleepy, but her Enescu, for example, is much more polite than Menuhin's. The bonus CD, though, despite showing its age and mild lingering effects of Decca's noisy 78s pressings, gives us a more powerful, exciting Haendel, and it's worth more than the asking price of the set. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

A sensation nonetheless.......2003-12-07

Dependent upon what "mainstream" in the editorial review stands for - if that means Elman, Oistrakh, Perlman: the most selling violinists in the biggest market, Haendel is indeed off the mainstream. Otherwise, the more selling, the more they are off the mainstream instead, as most of the cases turn out to be.

But Haendel in this case did make it clear that she herself was not happy with the record. The causes? There are quite a number of them. Ashkenazy is a celebrity and he is selling. But is he the right partner for her for this repertiore? Could Eschenbach or even Zimmermann be a better choice? Would we have something quite different if this record comes out a decade or two ( or even three) earlier...?

In any event, not many of us are equally familiar with these pieces and so to many of us, they are fresh and appealing like nothing else. Haendel is still deservingly the Queen of the Violin, and hopefully Ashkensazy is as selling as ever.

Recommended for those who relish either Eastern Europe music or the drama and lyricism of Haendel's playing, or both.

Frolicking with Ida and Vladimir.......2000-08-04

Nearly a generation before Glenn Gould's towering 1955 recording of the Goldberg variations, Ida Haendel had recorded Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Kreisler and others on Decca. About a generation after Gould's 1982 swansong reprise of the Goldbergs, Ida Haendel was still firing on all eight cylinders (or was it four? Her birth year is variously reported as 1928 and 1924). This 2-CD set captures important fragments from both the early and more recent stages of this remarkable career.

Ida Haendel was wisked out of Poland by her parents in 1939, landed in London, studied with Carl Flesch and Henryk Szering and others, and by Henry Roth's count produced 83 phonograph records. On the first disk here, Ms. Haendel is graciously accompanied by superstar Vladimir Ashkenazy, who is especially exuberant and in top form technically as well. The two quite obviously had a fine old time frolicking together through Eastern European music by Enescu, Bartok and Szymanowski. The second disk, an extraordinary bonus, is a bit scratchy at times, but Haendel's youthful virtuousity is clearly revealed through the haze.

Wow.......2000-07-30

I just got this CD yesterday and am still listening and absorbing, but it has to be said that the bonus CD is truly remarkable, while the Haendel/Ashkenazy coupling in Szymanovsi's "Mythes" is stunning...very heroic and convincing music making done by both artists.

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