I'm a certifiable 20th Century music nut. And within this broad corpus of music, I am particularly fond of Bartok - and Prokofiev, Schulhoff, Shostakovich, Korngold, . . . - but for this post, I'll focus on just Bartok, and just his Concerto for Orchestra.
It would be hard to argue that the Concerto is not one of the great orchestral works of the last hundred years, rivaled only by such titanic works as Mahler's 9th (I can hear the groans and bile brewing), Shostakovich's 8th, Prokofiev's 5th, Messiaen's Turangalila Symphonie, Stravinsky's ballet triptych (I'll treat them as one for my purposes) and a few others. Of all the great works of the last hundred years, though, it's the Concerto that I repeatedly return to time and again for musical satisfaction.
This leads me to my concern: what versions of the work should I own? I currently own four versions - Reiner's '55 recording on RCA, Dorati's '62 recording on Mercury, Inbal's '89 version on Denon, and Boulez's '92(?) version on DG. All are good, but the Reiner and Dorati are undeniably great. I prefer Dorati to Reiner, the overall presentation of the music less foreboding and more humorous where necessary. These two I cannot live without. I can't live without the Boulez because it includes the outstanding Four Orchestral Pieces. The Concerto’s a little, um, boring.
Given these versions, are there any worthwhile ones I’ve missed? I’m specifically interested in getting a modern version so I can revel in SOTA sound. I’m thinking maybe Fischer’s version? Any other suggestions for modern takes? And what about Fricsay’s ’52 recording. I’ll live with mono sound if the performance is worth it. Please, I need more interpretations of this work, and I can’t do it without your help.
[This message was edited by Todd on WEDNESDAY 27 September 2000 at 17:41.]
Posted on: 16 May 2001 by Todd A
I finally went out and bought a new, or rather old, recording of the work: Ferenc Fricsay's 1957 mono account on DG. (My initial statement that it was recorded in 1952 was woefully wrong.)
Anyway, why is this so great? Well, upon listening to it the second time - having been in near rapture the first run through - it occurred to me that this is what Bartok most likely intended the work to sound like. Fricsay is quite flexible with his tempi within certain movements, including some wonderful fast moments in the finale, and presents the critical fourth movement better than all comers. The humor is both pronounced and subtle; the folk element is presented wonderfully; the carival-esque portion more striking than even Dorati's. The opening movement urges pure silence while listening; the ominous tone coupled perfectly to wit, the presentation crisp and convincing. Overall, a performance of the first order. I hereby proclaim it Greatest Interpretation Ever.
But wait, there's more! How about the Greatest Interpretation Ever of the Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste? Well, there's that, too! Tempi are faster than any others I have heard and the whole thing just makes more sense. The tension in the opening movement relegates all others to mere second-best status. The second movement moves along with such energy that one simply must sit a listen intently, allowing nothing to interrupt. And the second half is, if anything, even better! Truly astonishing music making.
Of course, it's in mono, so some may not like the sound, but I find it quite remarkable. Excellent clarity and detail are on offer, though the recording is tilted up and the low frequencies are undernourished. Overall, this is an absolute must have for Bartok fans or for fans of these two masterpieces.
Posted on: 16 May 2001 by Todd A
quote:
[T]he division of the string sections by Bartok which was clearly part of how Bartok wanted this music to sound. So listening to it in mono is kind of an "inauthentic" way of listening to it.
I concede this point, though I'm willing to overlook the aural effect in search of a performance that knocks my proverbial socks off.
And I fully understand your preference for Reiner - I consider him one of the "super-elite" conductors in this repetoire, along with Dorati and Fricsay. Had I not heard Fricsay, I would definitely rank Reiner's as the best version of the Music, though I do still prefer Dorati for the Concerto.
Posted on: 25 May 2001 by Sproggle
I have several versions of Bartok's
Concerto for Orchestra on vinyl. I've never heard Reiner's version, but I'm not surprised that others say it's their favourite.
My favourites include:
Boulez / NY Phil (1972). I read somewhere that Boulez now dislikes his earlier work, so it might well be radically different from the 1992 version mentioned above. It makes the structure of the music much more explicit than other versions - without sounding robotic or clinical. It's quite different from any other performance I've heard, without being quirky.
Georg Solti / LSO (1965) is excellent, and is probably my favourite of the ones I have - it has the intensity of all the Solti recordings that I've heard. If I had to keep just one of these records, this would probably be the one.
Pritchard / LPO is also one that I like but I can't remember enough about it to say anything much - I might listen to it this weekend...
--Jeremy
"Time is an illusion - lunch-time doubly so."
