BaL 22.01.22 - Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30
Building a Library: Emily MacGregor recommends a her favourite recording of Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra.

For Bartók, the circumstances surrounding the composition of his Concerto for Orchestra could hardly have been more miserable. In 1940 he fled his native Hungary to escape the Nazis and spent the remaining five years of his life in the United States, those years blighted by despair, painful illness and abject poverty. But unknown to Bartók, two fellow Hungarians, violinist Joseph Szigeti and conductor Fritz Reiner, conspired to persuade Serge Koussevitzky to offer a generous commission. In 1943, the glamorous conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra visited Bartók in his New York hospital, and flamboyantly presented the composer, not only with a commission for an orchestral work but also a $500 down payment. Bartók began work in August and finished the Concerto for Orchestra just under three moths later. It spotlights, often with brilliance and playfulness, all the sections of the orchestra and perhaps only its central Elegy, which Bartók called a ‘lugubrious death-song’, reflects the circumstances of its composition. The work’s recorded history begins at the beginning in 1944 with Koussevitzky and the Boston SO and has been much recorded ever since, a 20th-century classic by one of the century’s greatest composers.

Available versions:-

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Eduard van Beinum
Prague Symphony Orchestra, Jirí Belohlávek
Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, David Bernard *
New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein *
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Herbert Blomstedt
Berliner Philharmoniker, Pierre Boulez (DVD/Blu-ray)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Boulez
New York Philharmonic, Pierre Boulez (SACD)
American Symphony Orchestra, Leon Botstein *
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Guido Cantelli
Münchner Philharmoniker, Sergiu Celibidache
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly *
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard
Cleveland Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnanyi
Hungarian State Orchestra, Antal Doráti *
London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati
Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati *
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Antal Doráti *
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel
Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Charles Dutoit *
Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, Peter Eötvös *
Philadelphia Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach *
Hungarian State Orchestra, János Ferencsik *
Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra, Adam Fischer
Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ferenc Fricsay
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner (SACD)
Members of the Georg Solti Accademia & World Orchestra for Peace, Valery Gergiev (DVD/Blu-ray)
SWR Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks, Michael Gielen
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink *
Münchner Philharmoniker, Pablo Heras-Casado *
French National Radio Orchestra, Jascha Horenstein *
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Jakub Hru�a (SACD)
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Hiroyuki Iwaki *
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons
Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Järvi
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
Berliner Philharmoniker, István Kertész
Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, Zoltán Kocsis *
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Serge Koussevitzky
Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Emmanuel Krivine
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Kubelik
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Kubelik (SACD)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Rafael Kubelik
Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rafael Kubelik
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, James Levine
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Susanna Mälkki (SACD)
Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner *
Berliner Philharmoniker, Zubin Mehta
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta (DVD/Blu-ray)
ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien, Cornelius Meister (SACD)
Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, Uwe Mund *
Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Kent Nagano
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo *
Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa *
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa
Saito Kinen Festival Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa *
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, André Previn *
Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra, Alexander Rahbari
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle *
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen *
Texas All-State Symphony Orchestra, Donald Schleicher *
Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz
Minnesota Orchestra, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Georg Solti
Cologne Radio Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Georg Solti (DVD)
Oberlin Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Robert Spano *
Houston Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski *
Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell *

(* = download only)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The obvious question springs to mind...

[Barbirollians]

It does but the second obvious is why this work again so soon.

[Lordgeous]

Sorry but what was the first obvious question??

[Darloboy]

Last covered by BaL 5 minutes ago (December 2012) when Rob Cowan chose Iván Fischer. As it was only available as a download at the time, he made Kocsis his CD choice. Ironically, it now appears from Alpie's list that Kocsis is only available as a download whereas Fischer is currently available on CD. Prior to that, Jeremy J Beadle chose Reiner with the Chicago SO in October 95. This is by far the most popular Bartók work with BaL's producers. I think that this will be the 9th time the Concerto has been covered by the programme.

[Petrushka]

I've got a few more versions since the last BaL in 2012 but, as I recall saying before, I associate Sir Georg Solti with this work. I saw him conduct it with the Chicago SO and LPO and as soon as I hear any of it the man himself comes into my mind's eye. My first choice would therefore be Chicago SO/Solti.

Karajan's EMI recording was actually my first when I bought the LP in 1975 and I instantly loved the piece. Other ones I like are Chicago SO/Reiner and Haitink with the RCO in one of his very earliest recordings.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Sorry but what was the first obvious question??

Are the two MacGregors related?

[ardcarp]

Nepotism in the BBC? Never.

[cloughie]

Are the two MacGregors related?

And will you find Peter Rabbit in their garden?

However away from the trivia - I can’t believe the Ancerl Supraphon recording is no longer available.

[Edgy 2]

The obvious question springs to mind...

Is it 'what is the point of BaL these days ? '

[Cockney Sparrow]

And will you find Peter Rabbit in their garden?

However away from the trivia - I can’t believe the Ancerl Supraphon recording is no longer available.

Sorry to add to the trivia (I've never indulged before) - on locking the gate leaving the allotment one day, spade in hand, a very young child said something and then buried her face in her mother's coat. I assumed she was shy, and asked what she had said. Her mother said she'd asked if I was Mr McGregor! I assured her not only was I not Mr Macgregor (although my children bear that Clan name in theirs, and when passing we always visit Rob Roy's grave) but we had no rabbits on the allotment so had no reason to look for them......

[jayne lee wilson]

The Kocsis, a top-choice for me from when I began collecting the Bartok New Series which followed it, is still out there, albeit expensive...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0001HOXU0/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_image_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But the newest kid on the block (G-Review, 12/21, ES), Helsinki PO/Mälkki (BIS), goes straight into (and near the top of) any shortlist, and you know its special within a few bars of any movement... try the intermezzo, so haunting in the strings' swaying song but just wait for those rasps and snarls from the trombone! As relishably comical as any, but more than most.

With BIS sound at its vintage, airy best - a classic record.

I also love the Luxembourg PO/Krivine (Alpha), despite its close-set sound and a tendency to fierce upper strings, not least because the c/w is an exceptional 2nd Violin Concerto with Tedi Papavrami. The instinctive feel for the idiom and marvellously vivid characterisation; effortless range of expression from tender, to evocative to witty, that sense of atmosphere and landscape; all quite exceptional.
I adore this album, but note the sonic caveat (which may not be a problem to all systems or all ears; this doesn't apply to the VC2, more generously placed).
Utterly different in sound from the BIS all-stands-revealed spaciousness, The Krivine has some of the wildest, most savage climaxes on record. Take it on if you dare.....
(G-Review, 9/2015, RC).

(Ancerl Gold? Still available as the physical disc quite cheaply, so If you want it... ready, steady.....)

[Barbirollians]

The Kocsis, a top-choice for me from when I began collecting the Bartok New Series which followed it, is still out there, albeit expensive...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0001HOXU0/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_image_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But the newest kid on the block (G-Review, 12/21, ES), Helsinki PO/Mälkki (BIS), goes straight into (and near the top of) any shortlist, and you know its special within a few bars of any movement... try the intermezzo, so haunting in the strings' swaying song but just wait for those rasps and snarls from the trombone! As relishably comical as any, but more than most.

With BIS sound at its vintage, airy best - a classic record.

I also love the Luxembourg PO/Krivine (Alpha), despite its close-set sound and a tendency to fierce upper strings, not least because the c/w is an exceptional 2nd Violin Concerto with Tedi Papravami. The instinctive feel for the idiom and marvellously vivid characterisation; effortless range of expression from tender, to evocative to witty, that sense of atmosphere and landscape; all quite exceptional.
I adore this album, but note the sonic caveat (which may not be a problem to all systems or all ears; this doesn't apply to the VC2, more generously placed).
Utterly different in sound from the BIS all-stands-revealed spaciousness, The Krivine has some of the wildest, most savage climaxes on record. Take it on if you dare.....
(G-Review, 9/2015, RC).

(Ancerl Gold? Still available as the physical disc quite cheaply, so If you want it... ready, steady.....)

Have Fischer,Reiner ,Fricsay and LSO/Solti - enough for me.

[RichardB]

This is far from being my favourite piece by Bartók. It has some beautiful things in it but doesn't stay with them for long enough, and I'm not sure what the whole thing adds up to. (These unfortunately are aspects of Bartók that strongly influenced Ligeti especially in his late works!) I have Mälkki's recording lined up for listening, maybe tomorrow. It's not that I don't like it (apart from the Intermezzo which I really wish he had thought better of), I just find it unsatisfying as a whole.

[Goon525]

Although I haven’t listened enough to the work for some time to make valid comparisons, I did hear the new Mälkki recently, and can thoroughly agree with Jayne’s enthusiasm for it. Some very good Bartok coming from Finland at the moment.