Bal 24.01.15 - Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

1st player: Small side drum (with and without snares), 4 suspended cymbals ("two normal, 2 smaller with a very clear sound"), Tam tam, and Bass Drum.

Pedal Timpani
Xylophone
Celesta
Harp
Piano

Which recording captures them best?

That'll be discussed next week, presumably?

[Pulcinella]

The score (Philharmonia 201) has details of the separated orchestral groups, and an orchestral layout.
Group I is violin I/II, viola I, cello I, and db I.
Group II is violin III/IV, viola II, cello II, and db II.

The percussion is as follows. Odd mixture of languages!
Tamburo piccolo senza corda, tamburo piccolo con corda, piatti (2 normale, 2 kleinere (mit hoherem Klang)), and tam-tam, all ascribed to one player.
Gran cassa, Timpani (Maschinenpauke), with instructions on how to do the glissandi if not this sort of drum, xylofono, celesta (which also plays the second piano part), arpa, pianoforte.

As to which recording captures them best: that I hope to discover!

[Pulcinella]

And fhg got in first!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Semi-SNAP!

[LeMartinPecheur]

A previous BaL recommendation was the 1995 Vegh from Orfeo which I rushed to buy, supplementing my LSO/Solti on LP. Since then I've acquired a Decca Dorati.

So, next week's BaL will be confined to these 3 versions, OK?

[richardfinegold]

I listen to Reiner and Solti, both with Chicago.
I own a 3rd recording, Marin Alsop on a Naxos Blu Ray Audio disc. Ther performance needs more paprika but the multichannel presentation does wonders with the antiphonal effects.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Memory playing tricks again!
Though I certainly remember having the ASMF/Marriner LP, the recording was made in October 1969, according to the CD release, so it cannot have been the version we used at school, as this was the set work for summer 1969.

I still have the miniature score with the markings.

[Pulcinella]

I still have the miniature score with the markings.

Me too, with the school stamp in it.
Somehow I must have forgotten to hand it in.......

[HighlandDougie]

A Decca 10" LP of Ansermet's performance (in mono) was loaned to me more years ago than I care to remember (not quite 50 but almost): my introduction to this great work, my introduction to Bartok and my introduction to 20th century music. Alas, on re-hearing it recently (in stereo), it would not be my BaL choice. And, heresy of heresies, nor would Reiner - overdriven and in sound which betrays its age (both in SACD and in LP form). There are other more recent recordings which capture the originality, beauty and humour of this work rather better in my view - Zoltan Kocsis, Michael Gielen, Nikolaus Harnoncourt and, most recently of all, Ed Gardner. No doubt, Rob Cowan will choose none of them.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Glad you mentioned "humour", HighDoug - something I think is an important part of this score, but missing from many recordings. (I agree, too, that the Reiner can be a little too unremittingly ferocious; I admire it tremendously, but always balance listening to it with Karajan's DG recording - a little too unremittingly innig.)

I like Fischer's work, but haven't heard his recording of this piece - anybody heard it?

[Beef Oven!]

Reiner recording great, but surpassed yonks ago! I have it on a Mercury SACD.

Although there may be better recent recordings, I'm sticking with my Karajans - Philharmonia, 1949 & BPO 1960 & 1969 and Jansons Oslo PO.

[visualnickmos]

I share your grimace. I love this work but don't think I am prepared to listen through the Andrew and Rob show to gain any insight into available recordings. I will wait for the final outcome to see where my current recording rates.

But ultimately, it is how it rates with you that really matters.

[Don Petter]

Once we open that Pandora's box of downloads, there are even more recordings available. Just on one site I also find:

Concertgebouw, Ansermet
NY Phil, Cantelli
Detroit, Dorati
Montreal, Dutoit
Chamber Orch Europe, Harnoncourt
Oslo Phil, Jansons
Philadelphia, Ormandy
Boston SO, Ozawa
Budapest Phil, Rahbari
SW German RSO, Sacher
Los Angeles, Salonen
SWR, Somogyi

[visualnickmos]

Once we open that Pandora's box of downloads, there are even more recordings available. Just on one site I also find:

Concertgebouw, Ansermet
NY Phil, Cantelli
Detroit, Dorati
Montreal, Dutoit
Chamber Orch Europe, Harnoncourt
Oslo Phil, Jansons
Philadelphia, Ormandy
Boston SO, Ozawa
Budapest Phil, Rahbari
SW German RSO, Sacher
Los Angeles, Salonen
SWR, Somogyi

These are pretty good.

[makropulos]

Reiner recording great, but surpassed yonks ago! I have it on a Mercury SACD.

Although there may be better recent recordings, I'm sticking with my Karajans - Philharmonia, 1949 & BPO 1960 & 1969 and Jansons Oslo PO.

I think maybe you mean an RCA SACD for Reiner? On Mercury there's Kubelik/Chicago SO (mono) and Dorati/LSO (stereo).

Has anybody mentioned Bernstein/Bavarian Radio SO on Hungaroton? (HCD12631 - officially I think it's only available as a download, but there are real copies around).