Bartok Violin Concerto No 2 - a stunning discovery for me anyway

[Barbirollians]

This is probably my favourite work of Bartok's . I have a number of recordings and particular favourites are Chung/Rattle and the Mercury Menuhin/Dorati but I have just bought second-hand a RCA Artistes Repertoires set that includes Menuhin's first recording with Dorati and the Dallas Symphony which I think dates from about 1946 . It is spellbinding and Menuhin is in stunning form .

Anyone else got this recording ? Or any other favourites in the piece ?

[verismissimo]

For me too, Barb. I have had Gertler/Czech PO/Ancerl for decades and Chung/LPO/Solti more recently. I'll review both!

[Ferretfancy]

Perlman / Ashkenazy is another fine version, which was a very short running time LP, but was reissued on CD in the Perlman collection. We should not overlook Szekely / Mengelberg with the Concertgebouw, which is an off air recording of the 1939 premiere, excellent playing which in many ways defines how it should go. Sadly, Bartok was already in America at the time of this performance.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I know the Chung/ Solti best but have also been pleased with the Menuhin/PO/Furtwangler on Naxos.

[Barbirollians]

I am fond of all Menuhin's later three recordings - two more with Dorati and the Furtwangler but he is in superb form in the Dallas recording .

Is there a later Perlman with Ashkenazy ? I had heard of the one with Previn but that is deleted .

[makropulos]

For me too, Barb. I have had Gertler/Czech PO/Ancerl for decades and Chung/LPO/Solti more recently. I'll review both!

Szekely/Mengelberg (the first performance), Perlman/Previn, and more recently Steinbacher/anowski are my personal favourites. Chung is very fine too.

[Roslynmuse]

I got to know it via Chung/ Solti which is still my favourite; for something rather different try Ivry Gitlis - it's available in a horrible-sounding transfer but the magnetism of the playing shines through (even if he can be musically wilful at times...)

[jayne lee wilson]

Wait a minute, what's this?..

In October Gramophone Rob Cowan gives the highest acclaim to a new reading on Hungaroton from Kocsis, Kelemen and the Hungarian NPO. I'm keenly awaiting its arrival! It even includes an alternative version of the finale (who knew?) and couples the 2 Rhapsodies, also with alternative versions. "An Exceptional disc" RC says.

I lived for ages with Chung/Solti and Menuhin/Dorati/Minneapolis, and whilst my latest aquisition, Steinbacher/Janowski/Suisse Romande doesn't always have the bite of the Mercury Menuhin in the finale, it's still excellent, very rewarding to live with, and gloriously recorded in Victoria Hall, superbly rich, full and deep. Barbirollians, if you love it, get it! (See RC's review for comparisons with the Hungaroton).

If any of you have the Concertgebouw anthology of Bernard Haitink's Live Radio Recordings... remember there's a marvellous live Bartok 2 from 1968 with Isaac Stern in there, it's quite stunning! One of the very best. (If you don't have it, don't look at the prices now! Sorry...)

[Chris Newman]

I have a lovely recording (paired with the Khachaturian) with Ida Haendel conducted by Hans Muller-Kray and the Stuttgart Radio Orchestra on Hanssler Classics. It has dated sound but I like it as I do Naxos's fine version with Georgy Pauk and the Polish NRSO (Katowice) under Antoni Wit.

[Barbirollians]

Yes how could I leave Ida out - that is a cracker of a performance .

[HighlandDougie]

Re: the Kelemen performance on Hungaroton. ' "An Exceptional disc" RC says.' - hmm. I've just downloaded this - at "better-than-CD quality" i.e. lossless - from Qobuz. Performances are very good but the drawback for me is the recording quality. Very clear, yes, but with no great depth to the sound - a bit Barbican-like. Maybe it would sound better as a multi-channel SACD played back through 5 speakers so if anyone can report favourably on it in that format, I'd be happy to re-purchase it. Or maybe I've been overdosing on the Concertgebouw Volume 6.

[visualnickmos]

Yes Chris Newman - the Naxos is very good indeed -one of my fav. versions - along with Chung and - (maybe surprisingly to some on here) - Stern.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I see James EHNES' recording of the First Concerto is CDReview's Disc of the Week on Saturday. With any luck, the whole Disc consists of the excellent performances of the two Violin Concertos (and, pushing my luck, the Viola Concerto: they'd fit onto a well-filled single CD) that were broadcast earlier in the year.

I only know the first Menuhin/Dorati recording by reputation (I had their later EMI version on LP), but it's closer to the time when Bartok himself told Menuhin that he thought that composers had to be dead a long time before their Music was performed as well as Menuhin had just played one of his works. The Fürtwängler disc is also remarkably good (a few moments of erratic intonation aside) with an especially moving account of the Second movement. As WF isn't readily associated with this composer (did he record/perform anything else by Bartok?) I can't help feeling that his commitment to this work is at least in part a tribute to Menuhin's advocacy and dedication.

[Bryn]

I see James EHNES' recording of the First Concerto is CDReview's Disc of the Week on Saturday. With any luck, the whole Disc consists of the excellent performances of the two Violin Concertos (and, pushing my luck, the Viola Concerto: they'd fit onto a well-filled single CD) that were broadcast earlier in the year.

I only know the first Menuhin/Dorati recording by reputation (I had their later EMI version on LP), but it's closer to the time when Bartok himself told Menuhin that he thought that composers had to be dead a long time before their Music was performed as well as Menuhin had just played one of his works. The Fürtwängler disc is also remarkably good (a few moments of erratic intonation aside) with an especially moving account of the Second movement. As WF isn't readily associated with this composer (did he record/perform anything else by Bartok?) I can't help feeling that his commitment to this work is at least in part a tribute to Menuhin's advocacy and dedication.

I am currently listening to the Ehnes recording of the Second Concerto, and very fine it is. The version of the Viola Concerto included on the disc is that edited and completed by Serly, rather than the more recent edition in which Peter Bartok had a hand. My own current favourite recording of the Second Concerto is that with Thomas Zehetmair and Ivan Fischer (Berlin Classics).

[jayne lee wilson]

HighlandDougie, "lossless" should actually indicate "CD-quality", though the bitrate offered by some sites in this format ( whether FLAC, WAV or AIFF) may in fact be less than the nominal 1411 kbps of a physical CD. "Better than CD-quality" is usually referred to ( e.g. on Linn or Classicalshop) as "Studio Master" i.e 24 bit, at 48/88.2/96 khz - true high-resolution; or should be - some of these aren't quite what they seem!

Later...
disappointingly, Qobuz don't appear to offer Hungaroton or Pentatone SACDs as Studio Master downloads. Chandos, they do - but you can get these from Classicalshop of course, including the Ehnes/Noseda at 24/96.

Anyway, expecting the Kelemen/Kocsis tomorrow - will report back soon.

Re: the Kelemen performance on Hungaroton. ' "An Exceptional disc" RC says.' - hmm. I've just downloaded this - at "better-than-CD quality" i.e. lossless - from Qobuz. Performances are very good but the drawback for me is the recording quality. Very clear, yes, but with no great depth to the sound - a bit Barbican-like. Maybe it would sound better as a multi-channel SACD played back through 5 speakers so if anyone can report favourably on it in that format, I'd be happy to re-purchase it. Or maybe I've been overdosing on the Concertgebouw Volume 6.