Bartók:The Three Piano Concertos

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
György Sándor gave the world premiere of this concerto in 1946, just a few months after Bartök's death. His deep knowledge of the composer's works and special insights into the style make this account indispensable, even if it is not as brilliantly played as some. The pianist is quite free with rhythm and accent in his approach, conveying not the dreamlike, otherworldly atmosphere more than a few interpreters have found in the piece, but something very much of the moment and of this world. There is an astringent joy to the performance that is both refreshing and quite in keeping with the mood of the composer's other essays from the last years of his life. Ádám Fischer and the Hungarian State Orchestra do a superb job on their end, and the recording, while slightly distant and diffuse, is well balanced and satisfying. --Ted Libbey

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2: I. Allegro
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2: II. Adagio - Presto - Adagio
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2: III. Allegro molto
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 3: I. Allegretto
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 3: II. Adagio religioso - Poco piu mosso - Tempo I
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 3: III. Allegro vivace
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 1: I. Allegro moderato - Allegro - Allegro moderato
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 1: II. Andante
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 1: III. Allegro molto

Amazon.com essential recording

This is the recording of Bartók's piano concertos the world has been waiting for. Yefim Bronfman conquers not only the tremendous technical difficulties of the music, but also the widely varying moods, from the violence of the First Concerto through the otherworldly calm of the Third. Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic through the extremely difficult orchestral writing without a misstep, contributing his own powerful impulse to the music while seconding Bronfman's ideas. The recording is nearly ideal in its clarity, balance, and dynamics. It's hard to find a more satisfying CD of any music in the current catalogs. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

A raucous run-through without much to enjoy.......2007-02-21

As someone who knows and loves these three works, I expected a great deal from an avowed modernist like Salonen and the Russian emigre virtuoso Yefim Bronfman. But what we get here is raucous and disorganized readings--it's literally as if Bronfman just sat down and banged out the notes. Nor does Salonen offer much help; he has no overall conception of any of the three concertos--there's a good deal of detailed twiddling but very little in the way of atmosphere or emotion. YOu would think that Bartok wrote strings of difficult keyboard music with not much intention except to make a noise, along with some striking incidental effects. I will stick with individual favorites like Argerich/Dutoit in the First, Pollini/Abbado in the Second, and Ashkenazy/Solti in the Third, with backups such as the brilliant partial set from Barenboim and Boulez on EMI--buy that disc if you want to hear what color, emotion, and inner vitality are all about.

Total Involvement for Bartók's Progression of Concerti.......2005-10-02

Having recently praised the beauties of the Pierre Boulez recording of the three Bartók piano concertos each with a different orchestra and soloist (Zimmerman, Grimaud, Andsnes), returning to this wholly satisfying CD with Yefim Bronfman at the keyboard and Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic traversing these miraculous concerti is grounding. No hype here, just brilliant music making.

Bronfman has these three works so melded into his psyche that he makes the challenges sound simple and pulls the angst and romance of the slow movements into such pure and clear resonance with the orchestra that the result is transcendent. Salonen doesn't just conduct this fine orchestra: he collaborates with not only the soloist but also with each first desk player who has solo lines and then with the lush tutti sounds for which this orchestra is known.

In short, this is as fine a performance of I, II, and III of Bartók as any coupling on record. Indispensable Bartók! Grady Harp, October 05

powerful piano and rich orchestral playing........2001-02-12

4.5 stars! This record is worth getting just for the interesting things, possibly by accident, that happen on the recording. First of all, the LA phil is really improving...the brass and wind playing is excellent and Sallonen's leadership over the group is proving itself to be top-notch. Bronfmann's playing is strong, confident, and amazingly clear...the Second Piano COncerto has an energy to it that sounds completely original and unabashed. But interestingly, there are moments when Bronfmann lifts the pedal or holds on to his notes a little too long--but it is a great effect....and undoubtedly intentional. Just listen to the second movement of the Second Concerto and you will know what I mean. Too hard to explain here. You could buy the record just for this reason! Hats off to Bronfmann.

I think brilliant dose'nt quite describe it........................2000-07-30

I was just expecting a normal piano concerto, you know cool relaxed smooth sailing, but, what I was in for just could not be explained. As usual I was relaxing on my bed ready to hear my new cd, when the 1 concerto started.....no sooner did it start than I was up on my feet, stunned, astonished and completely daised. The piano concertos were anything but, smooth and easy to digest, instead they were full of technique and bomb blasting orchestrial music. Bronfman was playing like a man possessed hammering the piano for all that it was worth and salonen gaving him a brilliant backup. Together they completely changed my perspective of what a piano concerto should be or what it was............. Hats off to you Bela, he lived a life of a begger, but was always RICH in his music, I can't even begin to imagine of another cd that is better than these guys and the pumped up LA Philharmonic is just superb. For me there can be no greater piano concerto than this, aaaaa...well...accept for....brahms 1st piano concerto. As usual you will never live long enough to regret this cd..... I'll be honest this is the first time I've listened to Bartok's piano concertos and this cd is not even rated in the penguin guide........however, for the clarity and balance of recording, this cd is well due in the guide. But, don't wait for that buy it now. OH! Yes if you have a heart condition stay away form it alltogether.........(You have been warned)

Superb technique, beautiful music.......2000-06-30

Yefim Bronfman is certainly one of the greatest living pianists, and the results here are magical. The three Bartok concertos are known as among the most technically difficult piano concertos ever written, yet Bronfman has everything in control here. The toccata-like movements gleam with precision and the slow movements have just the right kind of beauty. Forget Rachmaninoff. These are the great piano concertos of the 20th century.

Average customer rating:

In memoriam of Gyorgy Sandor (1912 / 2005)

Bartók:The Three Piano Concertos

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000002700
Release Date: 1991-01-14

Tracks:

Concerto No. 1 For Piano & Orchestra: Allegro moderato; Allegro
Concerto No. 1 For Piano & Orchestra: Andante
Concerto No. 1 For Piano & Orchestra: Allegro molto
Concerto No. 1 For Piano & Orchestra: Allegro
Concerto No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Adagio; Presto; Adagio
Concerto No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra: Allegro molto
Concerto No. 3 For Piano & Orchestra: Allegretto
Concerto No. 3 For Piano & Orchestra: Adagio religioso
Concerto No. 3 For Piano & Orchestra: Allegro vivace

Amazon.com

György Sándor gave the world premiere of this concerto in 1946, just a few months after Bartök's death. His deep knowledge of the composer's works and special insights into the style make this account indispensable, even if it is not as brilliantly played as some. The pianist is quite free with rhythm and accent in his approach, conveying not the dreamlike, otherworldly atmosphere more than a few interpreters have found in the piece, but something very much of the moment and of this world. There is an astringent joy to the performance that is both refreshing and quite in keeping with the mood of the composer's other essays from the last years of his life. Ádám Fischer and the Hungarian State Orchestra do a superb job on their end, and the recording, while slightly distant and diffuse, is well balanced and satisfying. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

In memoriam of Gyorgy Sandor (1912 / 2005).......2006-10-20

The generation of pianists who were born between 1870 and 1940, were gifted (apart of the basic technical training) of a wholeness of vision around the score to play. Many of them grew up and even had the privilege to meet and gather with the composers of those ages; the musical nationalism was disseminated through Europe and molded in good measure the musical evolution in emerging musical potencies. According your temperament you might choose the right place to culminate your formation.

In the particular case of Hungary, the figure of Bela Bartok was an inspiration's source for many other composers in the rest of Europe. If Stravinsky and Prokoviev inflamed the Dionysian imagination through his amazing ballets, Debussy, Ravel and Respighi notably contributed to nourish the spectral sounds through the musical Impressionism; but Bartok had in Gyorgy Sandor not only a voice but an effective presence in the international stages.

The egregious pianism of Sandor emerged then from a particular necessity to express those dark dissonances and refulgent canvas of lights and shades that illustrate the essential core of the Hungarian Folk music.

Sandor left us on December 9th, 2005, but to my mind his powerful presence will be enhancing exponentially day after day. How I would wish our actual generation of pianists thought and felt the played material, and not a simple set of efficient machine players without soul and nothing to say.

This set is absolutely a gem, but the final product of a human being who made of Bartok his own flag along his lifetime.

In memoriam!

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Mind,Body & Soul [Import]

Pomp & Circumstance: Organ Favorites

Proud Like a God [Extra tracks]