Customer Reviews

Bartok: Pno Cto. No 3/Cto for Orch/Dance Ste

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Of all my recent Australian Eloquence Decca Ansermet Legacy purchases, this two-fer featuring the music of Bartok was the one I most anticipated. Despite the fact that I already owned this version of the Piano Concerto No. 3 with soloist Julius Katchen -- it is the 1953 mono account first made available by Testament as Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3; Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 3; Mikrokosmos (excerpts), then it was collected on the box set Julius Katchen: Decca Recordings 1949-1968 [Germany] (see my reviews of both) -- the remainder of the music is so rare that I simply had to get it regardless of duplication. In contrast, the Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta is making its debut on CD, and it is incredible. A friend who once saw Ansermet perform this piece in concert said it was an amazing experience and I can see/hear why! All of disc one was new to me as well, though apparently it has been available on CD previously (but I've never seen it). Terrific accounts of the Concerto for Orchestra (though it takes a back seat to Reiner), Dance Suite, Two Portraits and the lesser performed Romanian Folk Dances for Orchestra are captured in that legendary OSR-Decca sound, another real treat for Ansermet devotees like myself. Collectors do yourself a favor, pick this import up in the Marketplace while the equation is still A + B = C(heap).