Bartok: Piano Concertos Nos 1 - 3 [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Album Details
Stephen Kovacevich's Accounts of the Bartok Piano Concertos have Long Set the Benchmark by which Others Are Measured. In their Gravity, Exploration of Colour and Explosion of Fury They Are Unmatched, and the Partnership with Davis is Febrile and Energetic.

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No.1 In D Flat, Op. 10: Allegro Brioso
Piano Concerto No.1 In D Flat, Op. 10: Andante Assai
Piano Concerto No.1 In D Flat, Op. 10: Allegro Scherzando
Piano Concerto No.3, Sz. 119: Allegretto
Piano Concerto No.3, Sz. 119: Allegro Religioso - (Poco Piso) - Tempo I
Piano Concerto No.3, Sz. 119: Allegro Vivace - (Presto)
Piano Concerto No.3 In C, Op.26: Andante - Allegro
Piano Concerto No.3 In C, Op.26: Tema (Andantino) And Variations
Piano Concerto No.3 In C, Op.26: Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Meno Messo - Allegro

Amazon.com

Martha Argerich first recorded the Prokofiev Third Concerto in the late '60s. Her fiery, hair-trigger playing, abetted by Claudio Abbado's incisive support with the Berlin Philharmonic in top form, set new standards for this warhorse. No one's come close to topping her extraordinary achievement, not even Argerich herself in this remake with Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. The recording quality, for one, is less well defined. Dutoit imparts less character to the orchestral tuttis than Abbado, and Argerich's fingerwork, remarkable by anyone else's standard, is a shade more casual (compare the extensive unison octave runs: stupefyingly perfect in the early version, brilliantly competent here.). By contrast, the pianist's scintillating, witty traversal of Prokofiev's brash First Concerto shines with youthful ardor. While one can easily admire the lyric fire she brings to Bartók's third Concerto, some of her agogic fussings pull focus from, rather than strengthen, the music's inherent classicism. Zoltán Koscis, András Schiff, and Annie Fischer (all Hungarian pianists, not uncoincidentally) imbue their phrasings with a more internalized, speech-like expression. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Unsurpassed Emotional Shading.......2006-06-16

Why is it that on long drives Piano Concerto No.1 is the piece that wins out among the CDs? Answer: Argerich's sublime shadings. This tightly-composed, wonderfully colored concerto gives Argerich the platform to alternate rapidly among boldness (her fingerwork needn't be defiant to be compelling), extraordinarily deft runs, episodes of darkness and reverie in turn and a well-paced close. For his part, Prokofiev deserves enormous credit for striking just the right balance between piano and orchestra, injecting appropriate touches of coloration without going overboard. And, in my opinion, Dutroit handles the balance between his soloist and his orchestra just fine. Truth be told, I haven't gotten around to listening to Concerto No.3 yet, so riveting is No.1.

Finally, thanks to the producers of NBC's late, lamented Sunday evening news program "First Camera", who had the audacity to use the opening of No.1 as their theme and made me want to hear more. "Sixty Minutes" ultimately buried the program but music lovers with no prior exposure to this wonderful work are the richer for it.

Martha Argerich..........2005-07-26

After reading the other interview, I've decided to "chime-in" with my own, simple review. Ms. Argerich's playing is simply top-rate! The recording, well, it could have used a little work. That's why the four-stars. I paid for this disc. I'd pay (good money) to see Ms. Argerich "do her thing" even at this stage of her life/career.

argerich is amazing.......2005-07-10

dutiot and argerich make a great team they blend very well together espesily in the 3rd concerto, very well played probeley the best 3rd iv every heard though i havent heard them all,though i still like argerich more when she was young but she still is a yellava pianist though her sound is more modern where as dutiot/montreal sound is more romantic but they still blend well together.decide for your self.i give it 4 stars mostly because of the sound,im glad they got john ducursly from london/label to do the engerniering for emi but the sound is kinda dark and a little blurry but wuy carp buy it for the preformence you wont regret it

Whoowhee........2004-06-09

Ms. Argerich has always given a smashing Prokofiev and on this CD you get that, twice. I owned her recording of Prokofiev's Toccata in C Major, Opus 11, before I bought this CD. Stunning. She has turned me on to Prokofiev an unbelievable amount. She plays his music with ease, complete comprehension, complete technique. There is absolutely nothing lacking in these two concertos.
The Bartok concerto, however, is definitely deserved of my highest acclaim. This performance takes absolutely nothing away from the CD. In fact, it has become one of my favorite concertos, and given Argerich a spot as one of my favorite pianists. (She wasn't previously on the list for her distasteful recording of Brahms' G Minor Rhapsody).

5 out of 5. This was a very easy decision, and it should be the same for you to buy it.

A Marriage of Wizardry and Mysticism.......2003-08-25

Martha Argerich has sustained a brilliant career and just seems to become more eloquent with the passing years, adding a rich mysticism to her volcanic energy. And what better concerti to demonstrate these approaches than those on this stunning CD: Prokofiev #1,3 and Bartok #3. Technical perfection would seem an unexplainable bedfellow with a pianist who has always stressed passion and comunication in her idiomatic performances both on the concert stage and on the recorded realm. But that is one of the reasons Argerich has reigned the keyboard for so long. Her ability to dash off the Prokofiev 3rd with such apparent ease allows her to serve the composer's brittle, biting cynicism while retaining the eloquence of the langorous second movement. Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Orchestra are fine companions, if not the sonic splendor source of other better orchestras. It simply works here. This is most definitely a "Desert Isle" must for the CD collection.

Average customer rating:

Mostly Magnificent Menuhin, with a Few Reservations

The Violinist
Yehudi Menuhin , Johann Sebastian Bach , Bela Bartok , Ludwig van Beethoven , Alban Berg , Johannes Brahms , Max Bruch , Arcangelo Corelli , Edward Elgar , Franz Joseph Haydn , Edouard Lalo , Felix Mendelssohn , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Carl Nielsen , Niccolo Paganini , Camille Saint-Saens , Jean Sibelius , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Michael Tippett , Henri Vieuxtemps , Antonio Vivaldi , William Walton , Alberto Lysy , Anatole Fistoulari , Antal Dorati , Anthony Bernard , Gaston Poulet , John Pitchard , Mogens Woldike , Pierre Boulez , and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos
Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet
Bach: Orchestral Suites & Concertos
The Glory of Rostropovich: 80th Birthday Tribute
Schubert: 8 Symphonies

ASIN: B0000BWTKJ
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Affettuoso
III. Allegro
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro Assai
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro Assai
I. Vivace
II. Largo Ma Non Tanto
III. Allegro

Tracks:

Rhapsody No. 2 (Lassu [Moderato] - Friss [Allegro Moderato])
I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Andante Tranquillo
III. Allegro Molto
I. Andante
I. Allegretto (Scherzando)
II. Allegro
II. Adagio

Tracks:

Romance No. 1 In G Major
I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo (Cadenza: Kreisler)
II. Larghetto
III. Rondo (Allegro) (Cadenza: Kreisler)
I. Allegro Moderato
II. Adagio
III. Finale (Allegro Energico)

Tracks:

Romance No. 2 In F Major, Op. 50
I. Allegro Non Troppo (Cadenza: Kreisler)
II. Adagio
III. Allegro Giocoso, Ma Non Troppo Vivace - Poco Piu Presto
I. Allegro Molto Appassionato
II. Andante
III. Allegretto Non Troppo - Allegro Molto Vivace

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro Molto
I. Andante Tranquillo
II. Presto Capriccioso Alla Napolitana & Trio (Canzonetta)
III. Vivace

Tracks:

I. Allegro Moderato (Cadenza: Menuhin)
II. Adagio Molto
III. Finale (Presto) (Cadenza: Menuhin)
I. Allegro
II. Andante Cantabile
III. Rondo (Andante Grazioso - Allegro Ma Non Troppo)
I. Allegro Maestoso
II. Andante
III. Presto

Tracks:

I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Scherzando (Allegro Molto)
III. Intermezzo (Allegretto Non Troppo)
IV. Andante
V. Rondo (Allegro)
I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Andantino Quasi Allegretto
III. Molto Moderato E Maestoso - Allegro Non Troppo
Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28
Havanaise, Op. 83

Tracks:

I. Allegro Maestoso (Cadenza: Emile Sauret)
II. Adagio Espressivo
III. Rondo (Allegro Spiritoso)
I. Andante - Moderato - Cadenza
II. Adagio Religioso
III. Scherzo (Vivace) & Trio
IV. Finale (Allegro)
I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Cadenza
III. Adagio
IV. Allegro Con Fuoco

Tracks:

Serenade Melancolique
I. Allegro Moderato
II. Adagio Di Molto
III. Allegro Ma Non Tanto
I. Praeludium (Largo)
I. Allegro Cavalleresco
II. Intermezzo (Poco Adagio)
II. Rondo (Allegretto Scherzando)

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Largo
III. Allegro
I. Allegro Non Molto
II. Adagio
III. Presto
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro
I. Allegro Non Molto
II. Largo
III. Allegro
I. Vivace - Allegro - Adagio - Vivace - Allegro - Largo Andante
II. Allegro
III. Grave - Andante Largo - Allegro
Fantasia Concertante On A Theme Of Corelli

Customer Reviews:

Mostly Magnificent Menuhin, with a Few Reservations.......2004-01-06

The recent trend toward classical box sets focusing on the performer instead of the composer (see my reviews of the various DG/Decca "Original Masters" sets) continues with EMI's new "Yehudi Menuhin - The Violinist." Sure EMI's past sets have showcased individual performances by Samson Francois, Eugen Jochum and Rudolf Kempe to name a few, but it was always under the heading of a given composer's works, and in the cases mentioned above, to Chopin's piano pieces, Bruckner's Symphonies and Strauss' Orchestral Works respectively. Therefore, this Menuhin collection is the first of EMI's "Budget Box Sets" to showcase a performer playing the works of a variety of composers.

As Menuhin was an EMI recording artist for an incredible 68 years (1931-99), his performances for the label number in the hundreds. With so much music from which to choose, this 10-disc set aims "to highlight some of those alternative versions, including recordings that have not been easily available since the days of LP and others that have never previously appeared on CD." Therefore, the obvious mainstream, easily attainable recordings are omitted here -- for example, the Beethoven/Mendelssohn VCs with Furtwangler, the Elgar VC with the composer conducting, and the Bruch/Mendelssohn VCs with Susskind and Kurtz.

However, a lot of this material has been on disc before on titles which the serious collector most likely already owns. Most of the Bach is currently available as part of the Bach "Budget Box Series" title. The Bruch, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Vivaldi VCs were all available in the now out-of-print 2CD EMI Seraphim series. The Elgar and the Walton are still available in the "British Composers" series. And perhaps most annoyingly, the previously unpublished Beethoven VC and Tchaikovsky "Serenade melancolique" (available as a single disc), and the Beethoven Romance No. 2 (available on an EMI Encore title) were both reissued just a few months back.

But let's focus on the positive, which are the other rare performances, the most significant being the never before reissued 1954 performance of Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 4 with John Pritchard and the Philharmonia. Other elusive recordings include Viuextemps and Paganini VCs with Fistoulari, Lalo and Saint-Saens works with Goossens, and excellent Berg and Bartok accounts with Boulez. Though I'm delighted at their inclusion, of lesser importance is a 1965 Bartok VC No. 2 with Dorati -- his mono EMI with Furtwangler and an earlier account with Dorati on Mercury Living Presence are far superior. Also, neither the Sibelius (Boult, 1955) nor Nielsen (Woldike, 1952) Concertos are truly Menuhin's cups of tea.

My last complaint has to do with the packaging. I know I'm being rather trite but it seems that EMI has taken the "slim" out of slim, paper-sleeved box sets with their latest batch of releases. Both this title and the new box of Liszt Orchestral Works by Masur are noticeably thicker than previous EMI sets featuring a similar number of discs. A minor point, but us serious classical collectors need every centimeter of space on our increasingly crowded CD shelves, not to mention the amount of wasted packaging.

Overall though, despite the fact that "Yehudi Menuhin - The Violinist" is not as essential a reissue as its counterparts in the "Original Masters" series, it is a delightful set that most collectors will thoroughly enjoy.

Average customer rating:

A good one, but not The One
Finally he reveals his true ability

Bartók: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-3

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000000S91
Release Date: 1997-02-18

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No.1, Sz 83: Allegro moderato - Allegro
Piano Concerto No.1, Sz 83: Andante
Piano Concerto No.1, Sz 83: Allegro - Allegro molto
Piano Concerto No.2, Sz 95: Allegro
Piano Concerto No.2, Sz 95: Adagio - Presto - Adagio
Piano Concerto No.2, Sz 95: Allegro molto
Piano Concerto No.3, Sz 119: Allegretto
Piano Concerto No.3, Sz 119: Adagio religioso
Piano Concerto No.3, Sz 119: (Allegro vivace)

Customer Reviews:

A good one, but not The One.......2001-05-24

Schiff is an excellent pianist. Emotional and incredibly musical with a perfect technique. Nevertheless, this is not his finest recording. In my reading, Bartok's piano concertos are much harder, much more elemental than the soft interpretation of Andras Schiff. This certainly does not make this CD a bad buy, it is an interesting approach, just not the perfect one, in my view. (Have you heard the one with Kocsis, for instance?)

Finally he reveals his true ability.......1998-12-01

Always his recordings do not sound as good as his live performances. Before I went to his recital, I thought that he was just one of the boring pianists just judging by his rather-detached performances of Bach on Decca label. So I was truly astonished by his tone richness when I had an opportunity to go to his concert. At that time he played works for 2 pianos with Peter Serkin (in Minneapolis). Sorry for Serkin, a son of the great pianist in 20th century, but Schiff's sounds was always sticking out and truly dominated that performance. In this anticipated Bartok's concertos, recordings finally caught his true ability with piano. His hands never make too much harsh sounds as can be heard in most of Bartok's performances. I am amazed that Bartok's concertos can sound like this, exquisite, elegant, refined, and colorful. If you are tired of too much aggressive performances of Bartok, then you must listen to this CD. Strongly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Bronfman's Bartok is joyless, disorgnized, and raucous
Three Masterpieces Superbly Performed by Pianist and Orchestra.
The Benefits of Camaraderie
maybe not best choice
Outstanding value

Bartók: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-3

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3
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Béla Bartók: Divertimento / Dance Suite / Hungarian Sketches / Two Pictures - Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Pierre Boulez

ASIN: B00005NWO0
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Tracks:

Con No.2: I. Allegro
Con No.2: II. Adagio - Presto - Adagio
Con No.2: III. Allegro Molto
Con No.3: I. Allegretto
Con No.3: II. Adagio Religioso - Poco Piu Mosso - Tempo I
Con No.3: III. Allegro Vivace
Con No.1: I. Allegro Moderato - Allegro - Allegro Moderato
Con No.1: II. Andante
Con No.1: III. Allegro Molto

Customer Reviews:

Bronfman's Bartok is joyless, disorgnized, and raucous.......2007-02-21

As someone who knows and loves these three works, I expected a great deal from an avowed modernist like Salonen and the Russian emigre virtuoso Yefim Bronfman. But what we get here is raucous and disorganized readings--it's literally as if Bronfman just sat down and banged out the notes. Nor does Salonen offer much help; he has no overall conception of any of the three concertos--there's a good deal of detailed twiddling but very little in the way of atmosphere or emotion. YOu would think that Bartok wrote strings of difficult keyboard music with not much intention except to make a noise, along with some striking incidental effects. I will stick with individual favorites like Argerich/Dutoit in the First, Pollini/Abbado in the Second, and Ashkenazy/Solti in the Third, with backups such as the brilliant partial set from Barenboim and Boulez on EMI--buy that disc if you want to hear what color, emotion, and inner vitality are all about.

Three Masterpieces Superbly Performed by Pianist and Orchestra........2006-07-29

As Harris Goldsmith states in the 4-page essay that accompanies this CD, "Bela Bartok's works for piano and orchestra have an authority and individuality that bespeak first-hand knowledge and experience. Present-day musicians tend to forget that the Hungarian master was one of this century's greatest pianists - a keyboard virtuoso of incandescent brilliance as well as a unique, creative genius. Most of what he composed for the piano was tailored to fit his own persona and larger-than-life instrumental gifts."

There are a number of excellent recordings of these three great piano concertos, made by some of the most talented pianists in the world, from the benchmark 1961 recording by Bartok's Hungarian compatriot, Geza Anda, to more recent releases by other Hungarian pianists, Zoltan Kocsis, Jeno Jando, and Andras Schiff, to recordings by Martha Argerich and Sviatoslav Richter among others. In the end, selecting a favorite interpretation is ultimately a matter of nuances and individual preference.

Regarding the comments by the reviewer, Robert Estes, about the sound engineering on this CD, perhaps if a Telarc-like crystal-clear bright sound had been attempted on these three dynamic and powerful concertos, it might have yielded a sonic impression that would not necessarily be "front-row-center" but rather "in-your-face," with the listener rushing to adjust the volume control with each change from an allegro to an adagio movement, and back again. In fact, that is essentially the experience I had after following Mr. Estes' recommendation and ordering the recording of these concertos by Peter Donohoe, with Simon Rattle conducting. The sound was somewhat more clear and bright, but with the downside that on some sections, particularly those featuring percussion or horn instruments, the sound quality went beyond being clear to being, at least for me, uncomfortably sharp. Of course, someone else with a different sound system, and making their own adjustments to their graphic equalizer, might have a better listening experience with the Donohoe/Rattle recording. However, in addition, while I found the Donohoe/Rattle performance to be very good, even excellent, something about it, at least for me, lacked the inspirational, magnificent quality of this Bronfman/Salonen recording. These are admittedly subjective impressions, probably influenced by the type of stereo system, including graphic equalizer and type of speakers, and perhaps even by the acoustics of the room where one is listening to these performances. Nevertheless, having listened to each of these performances not once but several times, on my stereo systems at home, in the office, and in my car, I still prefer this version, by Bronfman/Salonen.

On the Bronfman/Salonen recording, the sound engineers have provided a sonic picture that places the listener not at front-row-center, but at about 20th-row-center, which is still a very good place to be. What may be lost in terms of a feeling of immediacy of the instruments is gained by an impression of the concert hall's spaciousness. As for the clarity of the recording, I was quite pleased. Every note in this inspired performance is captured, from the loudest, most percussive, rapid-fire fff fortissimo measures, resounding with earth-shaking power, to the softest, most gentle and slow ppp pianisimo measures, sounding like an aural impression of the touch of the softest silk.

Having recently bought Yefim Bronfman's recording of Beethoven's 3rd and 4th Piano Concertos, with David Zinman, and now his recording of Bartok's three piano concertos, have made me a Bronfman fan.

His performance of these Bartok concertos is stunning. Bronfman sails through the most technically challenging rapid passages, playing machine-gun-rapid successions of staccato chords and octaves with complete mastery and passion, and plays the adagio passages with the utmost finesse and beautiful sensitivity. Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic are also in top form, with the pianist and the orchestra in perfect balance and harmony.

Bronfman's fantastic pianistic pyrotechnics illuminate the beauty and energy of Bartok's music. He is a gifted pianist who gives a brilliant performance of these three concertos, evoking the whole spectrum of human emotion, from the power and exuberance of the allegro passages to the tender, romantic, wistful feeling of the adagio passage of the third piano concerto, written in the final year of Bartok's life, when he knew he was dying of leukemia and wanted to leave something to his wife, through this concerto, that would bring her some financial support after his death. The third piano concerto, especially the adagio passage, is a very moving musical statement of a dying man's love for his wife. Bronfman's performance of this movement, as of all the other movements of this and the two other piano concertos, is sublime. Very highly recommended. Total Playing Time = 75:40.

The Benefits of Camaraderie.......2006-01-14

Esa-Pekka Salonen is one of the finest collaborators with concerto soloists on the podium today. His intense musicality, his gentlemanly respect for the soloist, and his penchant for keeping an astute eye on the overall architecture of a work make him a soloist's dream. Couple that with the grandeur of playing of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the results are almost guaranteed.

This very fine recording of the three Bartók piano concerti with brilliant pianist Yefim Bronfman is a case in point. The three concerti each have particular demands and not every pianist is successful in interpreting all three (Boulez' recent superb recording used three separate pianists and orchestras; Zimerman and Chicago, Andsnes and Berlin, Grimaud and London). But there is a magic that occurs here with the consistency of forces that makes this recording indeed one of the finest. Bronfman is equally at home with the ferociously percussive sections as he is with the almost inaudibly gentle musings of the slow movements. Salonen partners him with his usual inimitable stature of collaboration. The CD is a must for anyone's collection.

At a recent performance of the LA Phil, Salonen brought Lang Lang to the stage for the Bartók #2, apparently for the purpose of recording the work live for DGG, the first recordings to be made in Disney Hall. While this may seem an interesting venture on paper, in the hall Lang Lang seemed out of place, glued to the musical score that captured more of his attention than the passion of the work. But the recorded performance without the visual distraction of seeing him rely on a score may prove better to the ear than the performance.

While the Boulez traversal of these three concerti is hard to beat, this recording is very strong and at this exceptional value it is a perfect introduction to those unfamiliar with these great works superbly played. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, January 06

maybe not best choice.......2002-08-10

This is a pretty good recording and probably worth the money, but not the one I'd recommend. Maybe just the fault of the sound engineer, but the piano does not come through strongly enough. Instead go for Andras Schiff with Ivan Fisher and Budapest Festival Orchestra.

Outstanding value.......2002-03-29

Summary for busy individuals: Pro - outstanding performances by soloist and orchestra; tough to beat for 8 bucks. Con - sub-par sound engineering.

Details: These are truly wonderful performances of Bartok's great piano concertos; but if you have other recordings of these pieces, you may be disappointed with the overall sound balance. Bartok's orchestral works require a high level of virtuosity from the soloist and orchestra. I enjoy these works more when the often-delicate interplay between the pianist and individual orchestra members is more clearly captured.

To appreciate the difference, you will need to spend a few more dollars to purchase the Peter Donohue/Simon Rattle digital recording (EMI 7 54871 2) where you will easily hear details which are oft-times rather muddled on the Sony disc, particularly during more frantic segments of "Allegro" movements in the first and second concertos. Following along with a copy of the score will help even more. They did a bit better during the slower-paced, lower level second movements; but it's not what I would expect from "24-bit technology...used to maximize sound recording" (as described in the liner credits).

My guess is that they didn't do their homework analyzing the acoustics of the chosen recording sites. They wisely chose to avoid the sonically questionable Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, heading to Long Beach for 1 & 3 and UCLA's Royce Hall for #2. Of these, the second concerto (which starts the disc) sounds best to me. Maybe they let interns set up the mikes and run the mixer - hard to say, but the rather distant sound doesn't do justice to these remarkable performances. Makes you wish they would have sub-contracted recording to a crew from Telarc, EMI or London.

Another alternative, still a benchmark after 40 years, is Geza Anda's award-winning DGG recording from 1960 (447 399-2 - another Amazon "Most Popular" choice), now digitally re-mastered and available for only a couple of dollars more. If you love this music, you will want this one anyway - it still sounds fresh and exciting, a tribute to Deutsche Grammophon's cutting-edge analog technology from those days. Bronfman's performance is actually quite reminiscent of Anda's, appropriately percussive and energetic for the allegros, delicate and refined for the adagios; and the orchestra plays splendidly at all times.

Tracks:

Allegro Moderato
Andante
Allegro Molto
Allegro
Adagio - Piu Adagio - Presto
Allegro Molto
Allegretto
Adagio Religioso
Allegro Vivace

Amazon.com

Here is another great deal courtesy of Naxos, the budget label that has the full-priced competition running for cover. Here are Bartók's three spectacular piano concertos, played to a fare-thee-well by accomplished Hungarian artists who know the music as if they were born listening to it (which they probably were). Jenö Jandó has been the "house pianist" for Naxos, recording everything from the complete Beethoven piano sonatas to all of the Mozart piano concertos--and generally very well too. Here, however, he's on home ground. You expect these performances to be special, and Jandó doesn't let us down. The recording is quite fine, too. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Definitive.......2005-03-18

I say definitive not only because the performances are stellar and the sound quality is wonderful, but also because you could not get closer to the culture of Hungary, from which Bartok took so much influence, than with the Hungarian pianist Jeno Jando and the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. Highly recommended.

I Gave This FIVE Stars, Not Four!.......2004-02-21

(I don't know why Amazon printed my review showing only four stars instead of five! And I hope my apostrophes don't turn into question marks. Why does that happen?)

I've been trying to find a CD that competes with the recordings by Vladimir Ashkenazy and The London Philharmonic (which are admittedly not perfect).

I wish the recordings by Zoltan Kocsis were still available.

This disc, featuring Jeno Jando and the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, is very good.

At first I was reluctant to give it five stars because there were several parts which disappointed me, and there are so many other Bartok piano concerto CD's on the market. After buying every one of those other compact discs, this turned out to be the best overall.

The weaknesses I perceived had to do with the balance of the orchestra, specifically on portions of concertos #3 and #1.

I've discovered that if you play this disc at high volume, those weaknesses will be obscured.

Jeno Jando's performance is excellent,
and all three finales are played up-tempo.
That is a rare occurrence.

I disagree with reviewers who don't appreciate Bartok's third concerto. Although it is certainly much lighter and more traditional than the previous two, it is actually my favorite. Composed while Bela Bartok was dying, I like to think that he wrote it with one foot in paradise.

What, only one other review for this CD?.......2002-04-11

This CD is a very exciting account of all Bartok's 3 concertos for piano. The first two seem to share the most in common in terms of the musical language, and both are of the highest quality in my opinion (I tend to agree with Karl Henzy about the 3rd). Actually, I think the 1st and 2nd are even better than the Concerto for Orchestra, but then I am a piano addict. There is a very raw energy behind all the play between instruments that is quite unlike any other composer. The sudden transitions into formal-sounding counterpoint are very striking, maybe even a bit humorous, although the concertos overall certainly are not. Anyway, easily two of the best piano concertos I own, so don't hesitate to buy this.

Great Concertos, well played, great price........1999-12-19

It's tough to beat Naxos, considering how inexpensive their discs are. And there generally is no sacrifice in quality of performance--certainly not on this disc. Bartok has to be considered one of the great revolutionaries in writing for the piano. More than anyone, he makes it into a fantastic percussion instrument. In the 1st Concerto, where this is most evident, the Piano sounds like the warlord leader, and the orchestra like his supporting gang. The slow movement in the 1st is a great example of B's "Night Music," some of the most compelling slow music ever. The 2d Concerto is Bartok's response to neo-classicism, starting off with Baroque-sounding trumpets, then gradually breaking apart into his usual madhouse. The 3d Concerto, from my point of view, is a disappointment. He was tired and dying (and yet the unfinished Viola Concerto has energy). Fans of this disc should also try Bartok's Piano Sonata, his suite for Piano "Out of Doors," and his Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion.

Bela Bartok: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Miraculous Mandarin [Hybrid SACD]

Average customer rating:

Bela Bartok: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Miraculous Mandarin [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Capriccio
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000BJ7DAK
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Average customer rating:

Riveting Bartok from Barenboim and Boulez, in great sound

Bartók: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000CG8EJ
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Tracks:

Piano Concerto/Klavierkonzert/Concerto Pour Piano No. 1 (1926)- I: Allegro Moderato- Allegro
Piano Concerto/Klavierkonzert/Concerto Pour Piano No. 1 (1926)-II: Andante- Allegro
Piano Concerto/Klavierkonzert/Concerto Pour Piano No. 1 (1926)- III: Allegro Molto
Rhapsody/Rhapsodie No. 1 (1928)
Rhapsody/Rhapsodie No. 2 (1928 rev. 1944)
Piano Concerto/Klavierkonzert/Concerto Pour Piano No. 3 (1945)- I: Allegretto
Piano Concerto/Klavierkonzert/Concerto Pour Piano No. 3 (1945)- II: Adagio Religioso
Piano Concerto/Klavierkonzert/Concerto Pour Piano No. 3 (1945)- III: Allegro Vivace

Customer Reviews:

Riveting Bartok from Barenboim and Boulez, in great sound.......2006-01-17

It's easy to forget that Daniel Barenbim was once a supreme piano virtuoso, now that his career is dominated by his conducting ambitions. This incredibly dramatic set of the Bartok piano concertos #1 and #3 makes up for a lot of miserable stints on the podium.

Barenboim chooses a warm, grand style that would seem to conflict with Boulez's cool detachment, but somehw they mesh perfectly. The secret is that Boulez isn't analytical or cool here--this is the most passionate account of the orchestral accompaniments I've ever heard. Both pieces have a depth of expression almost never heard from them. Barenboim provides the kind of hair-raising virtuosity that even Argerich cannot match. EMI's remastering is very successful--the close-up sonics are detailed and dramatic. In all, a top contender in these great pieces.

Bartók: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Stravinsky: 3 Movements from Petrushka

Average customer rating:

The same old Pollini with no new twists
still the best

Bartók: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Stravinsky: 3 Movements from Petrushka

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00005RRXY
Release Date: 2003-01-14

Customer Reviews:

The same old Pollini with no new twists.......2007-03-01

Pollini plays everything the same way. It is done with impeccable computer-like precision, and a coldness that makes me wonder where his heart is, if he has one. Regardless, Pollini holds onto his minimalist style offering no new steps forward in the artistic realm.

The orchestra accompaniment is well-done but it is cold, cold, playing with no heart or feeling. I realize that Bartok himself was accused of being "inhuman" in his day, but still Pollini has to recreate himself or improve his aesthetic sensibility to hold my attention. He holds onto an *outdated aesthetic* that was created in the 60s and 70s. Is it International style or Minimalist? I dont know. Regardless. He bores me a little.

still the best.......2004-05-13

This disc is a re-packaging of the original DG release that did not include the Stravinsky as filler. I am not sure if it has been remastered, but this is still one of the best classical analog recordings I have ever heard, and a pretty good case for analog recording loyalty.

That said, in comparison with other versions of these concertos (Frisay, Ashkenazy), these are far and away the best, most powerful Bartok concerto performances, and Pollini seems to be *the* modern master, here at the peak of his powers.

In Concerto #2, pay special attention to the cadenza near the end of the first movement, which shows Pollini displaying an astounding level of digital control; a veritable X-ray of the piano part, where I can clearly hear the strettos and cross-rhythms. The cadenza contains a joking false start, then a build up of a four-note fragment passed hand to hand; at its peak point there is a pause where Pollini can be heard emitting a clearly audible exhaling grunt, then he dives into a statement of the main theme with such reckless virtuosity and feeling that I often feel compelled to listen to this one moment over and over before I can get my fill of its sheer ecstatic joy. For anyone who thinks Bartok's music is too heavy on abstraction, this moment is overflowing with the human element.

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2: Allegro
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2: Adagio - Presto - Adagio
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2: Allegro molto
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 3: Allegretto
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 3: Adagio religioso
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 3: Attacca: Allegro vivace
Rumanian Folkdances For Piano

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Bartok: Piano Concertos Nos 1 - 3
Kovacevich , Davis , and London Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: Eloquence/Universal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004Z339
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Album Details

Stephen Kovacevich's Accounts of the Bartok Piano Concertos have Long Set the Benchmark by which Others Are Measured. In their Gravity, Exploration of Colour and Explosion of Fury They Are Unmatched, and the Partnership with Davis is Febrile and Energetic.

Music Track:

Music Track

music track

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