Search - Bela Bartok, Gideon Klein, Bohuslav Martinu :: Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Martinu: Memorial to Lidice; Klein: Partita for Strings [Hybrid SACD]

Bela Bartok, Gideon Klein, Bohuslav Martinu
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Martinu: Memorial to Lidice; Klein: Partita for Strings [Hybrid SACD]
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (9) - Disc #1
1. Memorial To Lidice, H.296
2. I. Allegro Spiccato
3. II. Lento (Variations On A Moravian Folksong)
4. III. Molto Vivace
5. I. Introduzione: Andante Non Troppo/Allegro Vivace/Tempo I
6. II. Giuoco Delle Coppie: Allegretto Scherzando
7. III. Elegia: Andante Non Troppo
8. IV. Intermezzo Interotto: Allegretto
9. V. Finale: Pesante/Presto

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CD Details

All Artists: Bela Bartok, Gideon Klein, Bohuslav Martinu, Christoph Eschenbach, Philadelphia Orchestra
Title: Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Martinu: Memorial to Lidice; Klein: Partita for Strings [Hybrid SACD]
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Ondine
Original Release Date: 1/1/2005
Re-Release Date: 11/15/2005
Album Type: Hybrid SACD - DSD
Genre: Classical
Styles: Forms & Genres, Concertos, Historical Periods, Modern, 20th, & 21st Century, Symphonies
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 761195107256

Synopsis

Amazon.com

These new recordings by the Philadelphia Orchestra are stunners. The Bartok is presented as the centerpiece it is; each of the orchestra's sections plays like virtuosi, and conductor Eschenbach infuses it all with great forward propulsion, with every note and phrase clearly articulated. The Martinu is a memorial to a town destroyed by the Nazis, and again Eschenbach is a master of detail and tension; the climax is heart-rending. The Klein Partita is unfamiliar and certainly worth hearing. It is a folk-infused work that has great charm, and the Philadelphia Orchestra sounds simply luscious. Highly recommended. --Robert Levine

CD Reviews

Exemplary Martinu, interesting Bartok

Kostas A. Lavdas | Boston, MA USA | 02/02/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ondine's recent Philadelphia recordings under Christoph Eschenbach have been, on balance, superb if at times somewhat idiosyncratic. This CD is no exception. Bohuslav Martinu's moving elegy is given here its best reading on disc. The sound colors are just right and the atmosphere more than convincing. I was not familiar with Klein's piece before and I wouldn't have much to say. When it comes to Bartok, however, things get more complicated. The Concerto for Orchestra is, of course, easier to assess in a comparative perspective given the great number of recordings. I've always considered Chicago/Solti and Berliner/Karajan to be my favorite readings, for different reasons each. Eschenbach's approach seems uneven in comparison. It lacks the refinement of Karajan's reading without offering as much original insight as the Chicago/Solti disc. This is somewhat paradoxical if we consider other recent Phil/Eschenbach recordings. In contrast to their Saint Saëns 3rd, for example, which gets a brilliant reading, the Concerto for Orchestra is approached in a restrained manner, bordering occasionally on the understated. There is much that is of interest here, of course. Playing is taut and rich in tone without a hint of roughness, there are some wonderful woodwind passages and - predictably - the Philadelphia strings are just wonderful. Overall, I would strongly recommend this disc to collectors. Still, for those who just want to purchase their first Bartok, I think Chicago/Solti (Decca) might be a better idea.

"

Great performance - OK recording

Mark Knox | 02/12/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The performance is outstanding (would one expect any less from the Philly Orchestra?) But, the recording is just a bit on the dark side. Can't put my finger on it, but something about it sounds "muted." Nontheless, I'm glad to have purchased this CD and hoping for more new recordings from one of the best orchestras on the planet."