Bartók: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-3 [Original recording remastered]

Bela Bartok (Composer), Esa-Pekka Salonen (Conductor), Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Yefim Bronfman (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Yefim Bronfman
• Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Esa-Pekka Salonen
• Composer: Bela Bartok
• Audio CD (September 11, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00005NWO0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #180,254 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an essential classic indeed -- Bartok's piano magic!, November 5, 2001

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R. Hutchinson "autonomeus" (a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bartók: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-3 (Audio CD)

Yes, this is the same set of Bronfman/Salonen/LAP performances still available at mid-price from 1995 -- Sony has now released the disc as part of its "Essential Classics" series, for a nice budget price, perfect for a recession. Gorgeous music, played suberbly! Bartok combines Bach, Beethoven and Debussy with elfin wit, Hungarian folk music, and a modern attitude. With that modern attitude comes the occasional dash of dissonance, but this is music that is easily accomodated by any Romantic listener. Bartok was a great pianist, like Beethoven, and Bronfman makes me laugh with pure joy throughout this recording -- it's hard to imagine a more perfect version of these early 20th century classics.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding value, March 28, 2002

By 

Robert L. Estes (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bartók: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-3 (Audio CD)

Summary for busy individuals: Pro - outstanding performances by soloist and orchestra; tough to beat for 8 bucks. Con - sub-par sound engineering.

Details: These are truly wonderful performances of Bartok's great piano concertos; but if you have other recordings of these pieces, you may be disappointed with the overall sound balance. Bartok's orchestral works require a high level of virtuosity from the soloist and orchestra. I enjoy these works more when the often-delicate interplay between the pianist and individual orchestra members is more clearly captured.

To appreciate the difference, you will need to spend a few more dollars to purchase the Peter Donohue/Simon Rattle digital recording (EMI 7 54871 2) where you will easily hear details which are oft-times rather muddled on the Sony disc, particularly during more frantic segments of "Allegro" movements in the first and second concertos. Following along with a copy of the score will help even more. They did a bit better during the slower-paced, lower level second movements; but it's not what I would expect from "24-bit technology...used to maximize sound recording" (as described in the liner credits).

My guess is that they didn't do their homework analyzing the acoustics of the chosen recording sites. They wisely chose to avoid the sonically questionable Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, heading to Long Beach for 1 & 3 and UCLA's Royce Hall for #2. Of these, the second concerto (which starts the disc) sounds best to me. Maybe they let interns set up the mikes and run the mixer - hard to say, but the rather distant sound doesn't do justice to these remarkable performances. Makes you wish they would have sub-contracted recording to a crew from Telarc, EMI or London.

Another alternative, still a benchmark after 40 years, is Geza Anda's award-winning DGG recording from 1960 (447 399-2 - another Amazon "Most Popular" choice), now digitally re-mastered and available for only a couple of dollars more. If you love this music, you will want this one anyway - it still sounds fresh and exciting, a tribute to Deutsche Grammophon's cutting-edge analog technology from those days. Bronfman's performance is actually quite reminiscent of Anda's, appropriately percussive and energetic for the allegros, delicate and refined for the adagios; and the orchestra plays splendidly at all times.

Again, probably not worth quibbling about details given the price; but you should know that it could have sounded better with more attentive engineering.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Benefits of Camaraderie, January 13, 2006

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Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bartók: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-3 (Audio CD)

Esa-Pekka Salonen is one of the finest collaborators with concerto soloists on the podium today. His intense musicality, his gentlemanly respect for the soloist, and his penchant for keeping an astute eye on the overall architecture of a work make him a soloist's dream. Couple that with the grandeur of playing of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the results are almost guaranteed.

This very fine recording of the three Bartók piano concerti with brilliant pianist Yefim Bronfman is a case in point. The three concerti each have particular demands and not every pianist is successful in interpreting all three (Boulez' recent superb recording used three separate pianists and orchestras; Zimerman and Chicago, Andsnes and Berlin, Grimaud and London). But there is a magic that occurs here with the consistency of forces that makes this recording indeed one of the finest. Bronfman is equally at home with the ferociously percussive sections as he is with the almost inaudibly gentle musings of the slow movements. Salonen partners him with his usual inimitable stature of collaboration. The CD is a must for anyone's collection.

At a recent performance of the LA Phil, Salonen brought Lang Lang to the stage for the Bartók #2, apparently for the purpose of recording the work live for DGG, the first recordings to be made in Disney Hall. While this may seem an interesting venture on paper, in the hall Lang Lang seemed out of place, glued to the musical score that captured more of his attention than the passion of the work. But the recorded performance without the visual distraction of seeing him rely on a score may prove better to the ear than the performance.

While the Boulez traversal of these three concerti is hard to beat, this recording is very strong and at this exceptional value it is a perfect introduction to those unfamiliar with these great works superbly played. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, January 06