of Bartok UNIKS

of Bartok UNIKS

Liszt, Bartok, Rachmaninov (CD)

Customer Review

Farnadi-Scherchen offer two unique interpretations of two concertos by Bartok. It was in July 1953 and there was little tradition of interpretation at that time. The recording was only the second ever produced two works: the second was recorded in the late 40's by Andor Foldes and Lamoureux Orchestra under the direction of Eugene Bigot (Bartok: Piano Concerto 2), and 3rd by the creators of the work, Gyorgy Sandor and Eugene Ormandy, in 1946, two months after creation (Bela Bartok). The 3rd lyrical Concerto proved to be one of the most popular works of Bartok, and from the same year recording Westminster was followed by those of Katchen with Ansermet for Decca (Bartok: Piano Concerto No. 3 / Concerto for Orchestra / Dance Suite / Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta / Dance Suite) and with Pennario Golschmann Capitol (Piano Cto 3 / Chout Ballet Suite / Piano Cto 3).

The first thing that strikes you is how the Westminster record in the transfer Tahra is sonically superior to those of Decca and Capitol, despite all the slogans galore catcher of these, Full Frequency Range Dynamics and Full Dimensional Sound. The sound levels are so detailed, the woods so present that almost looks like the stereo. In comparison, enregistremnets Decca and Capitol seem distant and fluffy, as if they had been made twenty years earlier. The bad thing Tahra seems to have his transfer to a diapson too low of a quarter to a half ton - which has no shortage of salt as it is known that many program notes Scherchen other reissues by the label the vituperates supposedly transfers to poor tone made by Westminster Japan.

And then inteprétations: unique, rarely imitated, which will not surprise with such a unique personality that was always Scherchen. It is today the idea of ​​the 3rd Concerto as an opera and "gracious" from the works of Bartok, his "4th piano concerto by Beethoven" somehow written (it is believed) for limited technical means of his wife Ditta. They forget that it is purely a matter of design and interpretation. Instead, all versions of the 50s (the most extreme being the remake of Sandor with Gielen, first stereo version at Vox in 1958, Gyorgy Sandor Plays Bartok) played the like Bartok: urgent, biting, muscular (ie d 'aileurs also the case with the 4th Beethoven, that almost all pianists until the early 50s played in the spirit of the Emperor instead of the Violin Concerto). It really is the famous version of Anda and Fricsay in 1959 (Bartok: Piano Concertos No. 1, 2 and 3), which installed the new paradigm (including the most extreme representatives were Barenboim and Boulez in 1967 Bartok: Piano Concertos 1 & 3). What is exciting in the version of Farnadi-Scherchen is that everything is already there, highly detailed tempos (which does not exclude the biting orchestral and pianistic muscularity, particularly in the first movement), the approach lyrical and graceful rather than urgent and nervous (typical is the slowdown "grazioso" the final at 2:49), and nowhere more than in the middle movement, which ever since has been played as slowly, but with a central section, however, itself full of verve and instrumental biting (great wood).

The same interpretative values ​​are at work in the first movement of the second, which is perhaps less appropriate. He acquires an inimitable character and playful enmity (delicate staccato piano, wood - so often covered even in stereo version - again racy), which sometimes made me think ... Poulenc, a composer I would never think closer to Bartok. However, it loses the motoric and explosive force if associated with the concerto. Whether it is a choice and not an interpretation dictated by any technical limitations in the pianist is given a final, full of pianistic power and propulsive energy - also at the expense of the discipline of ensembe, but who cares. Here again is the ultimate in slow motion, which was never played too slow, even by Richter-Maazel 69 (Brahms: Concerto N. 2 / Bartok: Concerto No.2) - Scherchen takes the orchestral introduction not to the tempo fast enough indicated by the metronome Bartok, but already at that, much slower, the entrance to the piano, and even slower than the metronome mark Bartok - but, again, a remarkable central section, lively, and especially that Farnadi maintains a ghostly pianissimo.

In short, two interpretations which, even today, after so much water had flowed under the bridges bartokiens, offer certainly eminently contestable vision but unqiue rarely imitated, rarely approached, the two works.

The charger works! Rank: 5/5
December 25
a two Rank: 2/5
September 28
Great product 3126 Rank: 4/5
September 23
... POWERFUL ... 30 Rank: 5/5
October 27

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