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

[Pabmusic]

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 ?

I have this recording as a .wav download. I absolutely agree with you.

[Barbirollians]

I think - judging by the review I read on the old gramophone archive - that it was the first recording of the work - or maybe the first recording in the West.

Menuhin was in superb form in the 1940s judging by that recording, the Lucerne recordings with Furtwangler and that 1943 BBC Brahms with Boult that was a cover disc on BBCMM some years ago.

[Bryn]

I think - judging by the review I read on the old gramophone archive - that it was the first recording of the work - or maybe the first recording in the West.

Not quite the first in the West (if one considers The Netherlands to fall into that category). The March 23, 1939 premier was recorded, has been issued on CD at least twice, and is available on YouTube:

[Pabmusic]

Not quite the first in the West (if one considers The Netherlands to fall into that category). The March 23, 1939 premier was recorded, has been issued on CD at least twice, and is available on YouTube...

Fascinating. But who might not consider the Netherlands to be in the West?

[Bryn]

Fascinating. But who might not consider the Netherlands to be in the West?

Well it's east of Lowestoft Ness.

[eighthobstruction]

....gave this a listen [via Bryns link], but I kept hearing RVW(who I like)....and found it off putting....[I like Bartok too]

[Pabmusic]

Well it's east of Lowestoft Ness.

[Barbirollians]

The first studio recording then rather than a live performance that happened to be recorded.

[Hornspieler]

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 ?

A stunning discovery for me at this late stage. I have just discovered on my shelves (I do dust them occasionally) a splendid recording by André Gertler with the Bournemoiuth Orchestra conducted by Silvestri.

What a performance! And what a find!

HS

[amateur51]

A stunning discovery for me at this late stage. I have just discovered on my shelves (I do dust them occasionally) a splendid recording by André Gertler with the Bournemoiuth Orchestra conducted by Silvestri.

What a performance! And what a find!

HS

Is that recording commercially available or an HS-special?

[Hornspieler]

Is that recording commercially available or an HS-special?

It is from a Radio 3 broadcast in which André Gertler also played the Hindemith Violin concerto. Tod und Verklarung was the other work in the programme. Broadcast was from Bournemouth Winter Gardens in 1965.

An unusual programme with the Strauss Tone Poem at the beginning. Then the Hindemith and finally the Bartok. There are announcer's links (Douglas Vaughan) between the three items.

Sorry I can't be more helpful than that.

HS

Urgent correction: The Hindemith and Bartok concertos were performed on the same broadcast, but the Strauss tone poem (Tod und Verklarung) was from another BBC broadcast, but I had them both on the same CD.

Sorry about that. I should have realised, because I remember well playing the Strauss - at the RFH as well for a BBC broadcast, but I have no memory at all of the Hindemith concerto.

NB I said remembered well playing and not remembered playing well. It's for others to judge that.

[amateur51]

It is from a Radio 3 broadcast in which André Gertler also played the Hindemith Violin concerto. Tod und Verklarung was the other work in the programme. Broadcast was from Bournemouth Winter Gardens in 1965.

An unusual programme with the Strauss Tone Poem at the beginning. Then the Hindemith and finally the Bartok. There are announcer's links (Douglas Vaughan) between the three items.

Sorry I can't be more helpful than that.

HS

Urgent correction: The Hindemith and Bartok concertos were performed on the same broadcast, but the Strauss tone poem (Tod und Verklarung) was from another BBC broadcast, but I had them both on the same CD.

Sorry about that. I should have realised, because I remember well playing the Strauss - at the RFH as well for a BBC broadcast, but I have no memory at all of the Hindemith concerto.

NB I said remembered well playing and not remembered playing well. It's for others to judge that.

Fascinating stuff, many thanks HS

[richardfinegold]

Scanning my shelves I discovered that I had Dorati/Menuhin on Mercury. I played it and still the piece just doesn't do much for me.

[DublinJimbo]

Good lord! I saw this thread pop up some time ago and thought it was new. Now I see it dates back to 2011.

I have to say I am not a great fan of Bartok 2. In fact, Bartok tends to lose more often than he involves me. I've already said here that I much prefer Lutoslawski's Concerto for Orchestra to Bartok's, and there are other comparisons which I could make which leave Bartok in the ha'penny place.

I'll tell you what: I'll go off now and listen to my Bartok 2's and report back. Let's see if this thread leads to a change of mind.

[Roehre]

Good lord! I saw this thread pop up some time ago and thought it was new. Now I see it dates back to 2011......

Time is flying, and the rest is history (as they say)