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

[Barbirollians]

Thanks for your thoughts PG. Your assessment sounds right. I'll deffo try to hear PK's version...sounds like heaven........

She is certainly the girl for this repertoire...saw her playing the Stravinsky last year......nice.

(it was a £2 charity shop buy, right in the middle of vast piles of cheap classical "best ofs" !!)

Edit: That disc PG was mentioning is in the naxos library, and includes, IIRC, a much favoured version of the Ligeti VC.

I cannot recommend too highly the Menuhin performance in the OP - absolutely marvellous and now my favourite of all the versions I own . I wonder was it the premiere recording of the piece ?

[HighlandDougie]

I wonder was it the premiere recording of the piece ?

I think that the Mehuhin/Dallas/Dorati was the first commercial recording but a live recording of an earlier performance by the dedicatee, Zoltán Székely, with the Concertgebouw conducted by Mengelberg given on 23 March 1939 has been available for a long time (and is currently to be found in the big KCO 125 box and, rather more cheaply, in the Universal Italy Mengelberg box).

For myself, I cannot imagine a better performance than that given by Ms Kopatchinskaja - it simply blows all the performances I have on record, including the Menuhins away, (and it is by some way the best recorded, too).

[Roehre]

I think that the Mehuhin/Dallas/Dorati was the first commercial recording but a live recording of an earlier performance by the dedicatee, Zoltán Székely, with the Concertgebouw conducted by Mengelberg given on 23 March 1939 has been available for a long time (and is currently to be found in the big KCO 125 box and, rather more cheaply, in the Universal Italy Mengelberg box)....

the recording of the work's premiere

[Barbirollians]

This recording has just been announced as Gramophone's overall disc of the year (as well as winning the concerto section), so you are in good company. I'll be keeping an eye open to see if it becomes available at a price within my (considerably less than eye-watering) budget! As you say later, it sounds like her approach may be more effective in Bartok than in Beethoven.

Now down to £8 on Amazon which prompted me to get it after some more highly enthusiastic reports here .

I am still in two minds after two hearings- in parts it is jaw droppingly beautiful in others there is a look at me drawing attention to itself quality to her playing that I liked much less - boring it isn't !!!

[Ferretfancy]

the recording of the work's premiere

It seems to be a received view that in the years after a work's first performance, a performing tradition gradually emerges. To me, the great thing about the Szekely / Mengelberg premiere is that it is such a completely finished performance. I know that Szekely worked with Bartok before the composer left for America, how sad that he wasn't there to witness the premiere.
In fact we would not have this recording but for a lucky chance when somebody at Hilversum decided to record it off air.

[Rolmill]

Now down to £8 on Amazon which prompted me to get it after some more highly enthusiastic reports here .

I am still in two minds after two hearings- in parts it is jaw droppingly beautiful in others there is a look at me drawing attention to itself quality to her playing that I liked much less - boring it isn't !!!

Yes, I bought the Kopachinskaya disc last year and like it very much: magnetic playing, though I agree that it is sometimes rather "in your face". The Ligeti coupling is even better IMO.

[Barbirollians]

Indeed she seems more at home in the Eotvos and Ligeti . Perhaps that may simply be that I do not know them znydhere near as well as the Bartok and have nothing to compare them with .

I suspect they could sound a lot less interesting in other hands though .

[Barbirollians]

Digging this out again - I came across a cheap and bizarre coupling of the Perlman/Previn Bartok 2 today with none other than the Conus Concerto ( still don't really get why this piece was once so popular -lovely slow movement but the rest rather forgettable ) and the charming Sinding Suite - too works much less like the Bartok I cannot imagine .

Very impressive performances across the board but the Bartok was a bit of a surprise - No smoothing over from Perlman he digs in deep to the first movement mind you when beauty is called for one gets it in spades . The vintage LSO/Previn combination do him proud too . Amazing it was thought appropriate to release it without a coupling in the 1970s .

Highly recommended .

[mikealdren]

Yes, I have that LP and remember it fondly, must give it a spin! Thanks for the reminder.
Mike

[Barbirollians]

Perlman has finally made me understand why the Conus was once so popular he invests it with so much more charm than Heifetz and Ostrovsky - Heifetz is dazzling but Perlman makes it seem much more musically interesting .

[Barbirollians]

The praise for the Tetzlaff/Lintu recording has been unstinting I think RC suggested it may be the best of all .

I know Tom McKinney played only the finale of the Bartok 2 today but I was rather underwhelmed - the accompaniment in particular sounded very clean but rather dull . Tetzlaff immensely accurate and musicianly as ever but I wasn't very moved or excited.

Menuhin/Minneapolis /Dorati now playing here and seems to show what is missing .

[BBMmk2]

Perlman has finally made me understand why the Conus was once so popular he invests it with so much more charm than Heifetz and Ostrovsky - Heifetz is dazzling but Perlman makes it seem much more musically interesting .

Strange how Heifetz seems to be like this in his recordings.

[mikealdren]

The praise for the Tetzlaff/Lintu recording has been unstinting I think RC suggested it may be the best of all .

I know Tom McKinney played only the finale of the Bartok 2 today but I was rather underwhelmed - the accompaniment in particular sounded very clean but rather dull . Tetzlaff immensely accurate and musicianly as ever but I wasn't very moved or excited.

Completely agree, glad it wasn't just me.

Mike