Bartók: Piano Concertos 1 & 2

Bela Bartok (Composer), Claudio Abbado (Conductor), Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra), London Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra), Maurizio Pollini (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Maurizio Pollini
• Orchestra: Chicago Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Claudio Abbado
• Composer: Bela Bartok
• Audio CD (June 12, 2007)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000N4SJJW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #137,180 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

POLLINI / ABBADO / CHICAGO S. O. BARTOK: PIANO CONCERTOS N. 1 & 2

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not the best., July 24, 2009

By 

A. F. S. Mui "Mui" (HK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bartók: Piano Concertos 1 & 2 (Audio CD)

This recording was made in 1977 in Chicago.
The digitised sound of the original release isn't the best around and you would not be offered a fully satisfactory set of sonics of these works. In comparison, the Original Series' version of 1960 and 1961 by Anda and Fricsay fare much better both in terms of sound and performance.
Furthermore, this recording, on CD, is of rather short measure by comparison to the stellar version of Anda/Fricsay, which included also the No. 3 concerto.
The view that Pollini is better in modern repertoire is disproofed here. Indeed, he and Abbado do not own the same league of insight in these works as did the two Hungarians, who were none other than students of Bartok himself. The rhythmic sense as well as the highly percussive effects of the pianoforte are mainly missing in the outer movenments, especially the No. 2 Concerto, and the wild and passionate Magyar folk melodies underplayed.
As regards virtuosic abilities, the two pianists are on par. The orchestra in this recordings are competent but not specacular as the BPO.
Performance technique 4 stars; musical style 3.
3.5 STARS.