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Monday, October 15, 2018

Béla Bartók - Piano Concertos (Various Artists; Pierre Boulez)


Information

Composer: Béla Bartók
  1. Piano Concerto No. 1, Sz. 83: 1. Allegro moderato - Allegro
  2. Piano Concerto No. 1, Sz. 83: 2. Andante - Allegro -
  3. Piano Concerto No. 1, Sz. 83: 3. Allegro molto
  4. Piano Concerto No. 2, Sz. 95: 1. Allegro
  5. Piano Concerto No. 2, Sz. 95: 2. Adagio - Più adagio - Presto
  6. Piano Concerto No. 2, Sz. 95: 3. Allegro molto
  7. Piano Concerto No. 3, Sz. 119 (completed by Tibor Serly): 1. Allegretto
  8. Piano Concerto No. 3, Sz. 119 (completed by Tibor Serly): 2. Adagio religioso
  9. Piano Concerto No. 3, Sz. 119 (completed by Tibor Serly): 3. Allegro vivace

(01-03) Krystian Zimerman, piano
             Chicago Symphony Orchestra
(04-06) Leif Ove Andsnes, piano
             Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
(07-09) Hélène Grimaud, piano
             London Symphony Orchestra

Pierre Boulez, conductor

Date: 2005
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4775330


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Review

ARTISTIC QUALITY: 9 / SOUND QUALITY: 9

Three concertos, three orchestras, three soloists, one conductor–an interesting concept, and it works. These are very fine performances by any standard. The First Concerto at first seems not to have quite as much rhythmic heft as say, Kocsis or Ashkenazy, but a glance at the score reveals Pierre Boulez and Krystian Zimerman to be exceptionally attentive to Bartók’s dynamic markings. The first fortissimo arrives five bars after figure 11, exactly as written, but it would be a mistake to typify this reading in any way as soft-edged. Bartók himself, as a pianist, was noteworthy for stressing his music’s lyricism and folk-orientation. So does Zimerman, and the combination of this quality with Boulez’s typical clarity makes for an unusually probing reading.

The Second Concerto goes even better. Leif Ove Andsnes attacks the outer movements with exceptional gusto. The Chicago Symphony’s virtuosity in the First Concerto may have been expected, but the response of the Berliners is no less remarkable, especially in the finale, where they really pull out all the stops. Excellent balances between soloist and orchestra ensure a characterful interplay of melodies and textures, especially in the haunted second movement (here taken quite slowly, comparatively speaking). Hélène Grimaud’s contribution to the Third Concerto may be the most controversial: she’s quite free and Romantic in her phrasing, and in the central Adagio religioso her more overt sentimentality could be seen as working against the grain of the music (at least when compared to the simpler, more inward approach of Kocsis). Nor is the playing of the LSO quite on a par with that of Chicago, and especially Berlin–but then the Third Concerto really does inhabit a different world from the first two, and some listeners surely will find Grimaud’s approach convincing. She certainly plays extremely well.

Given the different recording venues, the sonics are surprisingly well equalized from one performance to the next, and while my reference edition remains Kocsis on Philips, this disc does full justice to the music and provides an excellent showcase for three of today’s most interesting and exciting pianists. It’s a keeper, for sure.

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday

More reviews:
https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/bart%C3%B3k-piano-concertos-0
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Mar05/Bartok_concertos_Boulez.htm
http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_cd_review.php?id=2383
https://www.allmusic.com/album/bartok-the-piano-concertos-mw0001422147
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bartk-Piano-Concertos-Pierre-Boulez/dp/B0006OS5YS
https://www.amazon.com/Bartok-Piano-Concertos-1-3-Bela/dp/B0006OS5YS

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Béla Bartók (March 25, 1881 – September 26, 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist and an ethnomusicologist. Bartók is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Liszt are regarded as Hungary's greatest composers. Through his collection and analytical study of folk music, he was one of the founders of comparative musicology, which later became ethnomusicology. Bartók's music reflects two trends that dramatically changed the sound of music in the 20th century: the breakdown of the diatonic system of harmony, and the revival of nationalism as a source for musical inspiration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9la_Bart%C3%B3k

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Krystian Zimerman (born December 5, 1956 in Zabrze) is a Polish pianist who has been hailed as one of the finest living pianists. He studied at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music under Andrzej Jasiński. His career was launched when he won the 1975 International Chopin Competition. Zimerman is best known for his interpretations of Romantic music, but has performed a wide variety of classical pieces as well. He has also been a supporter of contemporary music. Zimerman has toured widely and made a number of recordings. Since 1996, he has taught piano at the Academy of Music in Basel, Switzerland.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krystian_Zimerman

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Leif Ove Andsnes (born 7 April 1970 in Karmøy) is a Norwegian pianist. Andsnes studied with Jiří Hlinka at the Bergen Music Conservatory, making his debut in Oslo in 1987. He is known as a champion of the works of Edvard Grieg. Andsnes has made recordings for Virgin, EMI and Sony Classical. He held the position of Artistic Director of the Risør Festival of Chamber Music from 1991 to 2010. Andsnes has won many awards, including six Gramophone Awards, and was inducted into the Gramophone Hall of Fame in 2013. He has also been nominated for the Grammy Awards on eight occasions, but has not won any.
http://www.andsnes.com/

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Hélène Grimaud (born 7 November 1969 in Aix-en-Provence, France) is a French classical pianist. In 1982, she was accepted into the Paris Conservatoire and won first prize in piano performance three years later. She continued to study with György Sándor and Leon Fleisher until her debut recital in Tokyo in 1987. Since then, Grimaud has given concerts with most of the world’s major orchestras and many celebrated conductors. Her recordings have been critically acclaimed and awarded numerous accolades. She is also a wildlife conservationist, a human rights activist, and a writer with three published books.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A9l%C3%A8ne_Grimaud
http://helenegrimaud.com/

***

Pierre Boulez (26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor, writer and organiser of institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of the post-war classical music world. His compositions include pieces regarded by many as landmarks of twentieth-century music, such as Le Marteau sans maîtrePli selon pli and Répons. In a long conducting career Boulez held the posts at the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, and was guest conductor with the Chicago Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra. He was particularly known for his performances of the music of the first half of the twentieth-century.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Boulez

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