Bartok anyone?

[LeMartinPecheur]

Not so much about Bartok performances as non-performances.

My perception is that BB is rather fading away on the live performance front. Ages since I heard a quartet, and he seems not to be getting his previous (IMHO rightful) share of performances (orchestral, chamber or instrumental) on R3. Perhaps he's still hanging in there on the opera front with Duke Bluebeard's Castle but not a lot else.

Somebody tell me I'm wrong please! If not, does anyone have any ideas why it's happening? Has he become disreputable in academic circles?

THINKS I've never heard a Bartok str quartet at the Truro chamber music club of which I've been a member for 10+ years. As I'm now on the artist/ programming committee perhaps I should try to do something to reverse the trend?

PS Have checked my diary of live concerts and the only Bartok I've heard in the last 10 yrs is some performances of violin duos by members of the Dante 4tet (in some cases arr for 2 violas)

[Petrushka]

Just had a look at what Bartok is being programmed at the 2013 Proms.

Answer: none.

[teamsaint]

Just had a look at what Bartok is being programmed at the 2013 Proms.

Answer: none.

not sure there is that much in the South Bank "The rest is noise " year either, though I could be wrong.
Daft.

[DracoM]

Too taxing for the little pampered dears.

[pastoralguy]

Too taxing for the little pampered dears.

The last time I heard a Bartok composition was the 2nd violin concerto earlier in the year with the BBCSSSO in Glasgow. I forget who the soloist was but they were pretty fabulous. However, I do remember a couple of women tutting and making a remark about 'horrible modern music'! Oh well...

[Barbirollians]

In which case -a good excuse to wash away that Chaconne record and listen to Ida H's account on Hanssler Classics .

[Pabmusic]

It can be surprising to those who don't know much Bartok just what diversity there is. I programmed the Rumanian Dances, Dances of Transylvania and Hungarian Sketches and they were well within the technical and stylistic capability of a good amateur orchestra.

[salymap]

The violin concertos and 'Concerto for Orchestra' were almost overplayed years ago.I didn't realise it was happening.

One of my favourite composers.

[verismissimo]

Too taxing for the little pampered dears.

For sure our excellent local band here on the borders of Oxfordshire and Northants, the Adderbury Ensemble, have never played much Bartok in the belief that it will frighten the horses.

The last proper, sustained outing I noticed was put on by the Philharmonia at the RFH last year: http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/bartok/

I failed to attend.

[rauschwerk]

A good deal of Bartok was done at last year's Aldeburgh Festival:all the quartets, the sonata for 2 pianos and percussion, the Village Scenes and more besides. This year there was the Music for strings, percussion and celesta. A few months ago at the RFH I heard the Concerto for Orchestra.

I don't think Bartok's music is neglected here except by the BBC.

[Suffolkcoastal]

The amount of Bartok broadcast on R3 has fallen too. The Rumanian Dances always count for a fair number of what is broadcast (R3 these days seems to like to play most things that have the words Dance(s) or Waltz(es) in their title), the rest of what is broadcast seems to come in little bursts. I think his total so far this year is around 60 (I'll check when I get back later), which we show a decline of about 15% on last year so far and around 25-30% on 5 years ago. The Quartets seem to have suffered in particular as well as the piano music. I guess, as R3 seem to secretly read these postings, that we might get a little flurry of his works in the 2nd half of the year. Well here's hoping. Bartok is a great composer and let us hope the balance is soon redressed.

[pastoralguy]

In which case -a good excuse to wash away that Chaconne record and listen to Ida H's account on Hanssler Classics .

Oh boy! Doesn't she knock it into the middle of next week!?

[Howdenite]

A good deal of Bartok was done at last year's Aldeburgh Festival

Salonen and the Philharmonia did a 5 concert Bartok series (Infernal Dance) a couple of years ago that was played in Radio 3. I was able to go to 2 of them - fantastic concerts - Mandarin and Bluebeard. I, too, am surprised there is so little in the Rest Is Noise festival.

[salymap]

I see from the Proms Archive that the Concerto for Orchestra appeared 27 times and some of the violin/piano concerti are in double figures.

I've never found Bartok hard work/difficult except perhaps Bluebeard's Castle, in spite of Rob Cowan's emails to me, explaining it. Kind man

[Serial_Apologist]

I see from the Proms Archive that the Concerto for Orchestra appeared 27 times and some of the violin/piano concerti are in double figures.

I've never found Bartok hard work/difficult except perhaps Bluebeard's Castle, in spite of Rob Cowan's emails to me, explaining it. Kind man

Phew saly - hats off is all I can say! The language of Bluebeard's Castle is not much more advanced than those of Debussy's Pelleas and Strauss's Elektra even though the mood is darker than that of the former; but even a Schoenbergian like me finds the two violin and piano sonatas of 1921/22 pretty hard going!