Customer Reviews

Brahms: Hungarian Dances Nos. 1-21

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

SHORT REVIEW: This 1988 recording of all 21 Hungarian Dances by Brahms is probably the best integral set available. Istvan Bogar leads a Hungarian ensemble (the Budapest Symphony) in playing that is idiomatic, if a little short on real zest or imagination. Although this Naxos CD has a rather stingy timing of just 49 minutes, the performances are well-recorded and constitute an easy choice for any Brahmsian who wants a complete set of these marvels in their orchestral versions.

LONGER REVIEW: Brahms wrote his 21 Hungarian Dances originally for piano four-hands, and he later orchestrated only #1, #3 and #10. #2 here is in a version by a Swedish conductor named Hallen, #4 is in an arrangement by composer Paul Juon, #5-7 are as transcribed by Schmeling, #8-9 were arranged by Gal, the bandmaster Parlow did #11-16, and Dvorak orchestrated #17-21. In general, the first 10 dances have the most Hungarian flavor and are the most frequently performed.

Having just listened through integral sets by Abbado (DG), Dorati (Mercury), Fischer (Philips) and this one by Bogar, I wonder if performing these lovely works with real zest and imagination has become a lost art. I am keeping this Bogar and eliminating the Abbado (too straight, and DG's sound is harsh), the Dorati (near equal to Bogar, but I prefer the sound of the latter's Hungarian ensemble), and the Fischer (kitschy and too clever by half, and rather listless to boot). To damn with faint praise, I feel that Bogar's set is the LEAST dull of this bunch.

Alternatives? Most of the great ones will require some searching, but the rewards are certainly worth it. Of course, there are the original piano 4-hand accounts, the best to my mind being all 21 by Tal/Groethuysen (Sony) and, for #11-21, the Katchen/Marty (Decca). Brahms's good friend Joseph Joachim arranged them for violin and piano, and there are superlative recordings of individual dances by Eugene Ysaye (Sony - extraordinary playing!), Bronislaw Huberman (Biddulph - even more extraordinary!), Albert Spalding (on a Remington LP that fetches about $100 in the collector's market!), David Oistrakh (Melodiya), Joseph Szigeti (Andante), and Tossy Spivakovsky (Pearl). All of these are played with a zeal and conviction only barely hinted at by Bogar and his ensemble.

There are some wonderful orchestral versions among historic CDs. Furtwangler did #1, 3, & 10 with the Vienna Phil. (EMI), Clemens Kraus recorded #1 & 3 with the London Symphony (Arlecchino), and Constantin Silvestri's virtuosic accounts of #5 & 6 are in a 10-CD set (Disky). But my favorites of all are those recorded in the 1950's by Gyorgy Lehel and the Hungarian Radio Symphony. Lehel's accounts of #1-8 and #10 are played with real abandon and a great sense of fun. These were on a Parliament LP that deserves to be reincarnated on a Supraphon CD.

Finally, if you want to REALLY hear the true Hungarian roots that inspired Brahms, try to find a copy of Arlecchino CD 109. That contains a SUPERB account of Bartok's "Bluebeard" (see my review) and, as a bonus, there are some thrilling Hungarian folk tunes played by the Toki Horvat Hungarian Putzsta Band. The latter performs a czardas used in one of Brahms's Hungarian Dances. This ensemble, led by the very gypsy-style violinist Toki Horvat, also has a cimbalon and what sounds like a tarogato (midway between a clarinet and a soprano sax). Everybody plays with a virtuosity that is simply staggering.

To have all 21 of these delightful dances with Bogar on an inexpensive Naxos CD definitely fills a niche. But if you want to hear how uninhibitedly this music CAN be played, consider finding some of the individual alternatives cited above.

Jeff Lipscomb

With my five-star evaluation of this disc I am not saying that there could be no better recording of this music, but I am saying that I think the whole CD is very well done indeed, particularly in view of its status as a budget-priced recording. A good deal of opprobrium has been poured on Naxos founder Klaus Heymann for his use of Eastern European orchestras, but with this 1988 recording from Budapest in Hungary he cocks a snook at his critics with a version of Brahms' 'Hungarian Dances' (orchestrated by various composers and conductors; Brahms originally wrote these pieces for piano duet) that would do many more 'exclusive' record labels proud. The various csardas, verbunkos etc. are played by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra with great zest and aplomb, the musicians obviously not only having a good time but also being inspired by the music (and by conductor István Bogár) to produce a version that is filled with Gypsy spirit and will get your foot tapping and your heart beating just that little bit faster. The recorded sound may not be perfect, but it, too, is of a very good standard, with plenty of detail to be heard; there is a good deal more presence than in some other early Naxos recordings, and the listener is placed right in front of the orchestra and not halfway down the hall (as sometimes happens with Naxos). This is sheer, bouncy good fun!

For those like me who tend to think of Johannes Brahms' music as as always sounding very serious, this collection of his "Hungarian Dances" may come as a bit of a surprise. Here we see Brahms at his warmest, happiest, and most relaxed. The Budapest Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Istvan Bogar, plays with warmth, freshness, vigor, and a wonderfully idiomatic rhythmic quality. The CD's sound quality is excellent.

This CD was awarded a rosette by the Penguin Guide to Compact Discs. (The rosette is the Penguin Guide's the highest accolade, given to a recording of special distinction) It is also one of my personal favorites. I listen to it very frequently, and always come away with a lift. I'm sure all lovers of Brahms' music will find this a most entertaining listening experience!

This recording is full of verve, excitement, and truly Hungarian zeal. Just listen to the middle section of the very First dance and you will be hooked. Some of the reviewers have complained that the Budapest Symphony sounds "light" and this comes across as dance music. Well, much of it IS dance music - at least I would guess so from the name "Hungarian Dances". It isn't like Brahms' weighty symphonies. Those Dances which DO possess gravitas are given dutifully serious treatment.

But overall it's the sheer excitement and dancing joy of this disc which makes it the best. The Penguin Guide was quite right to give it a Rosette for "distinguished recording". I can't imagine a better, more exciting, more git-down-and-DANCE fun, more Hungarian performance of this masterful set.

If you're unconvinced or skeptical, go to Naxos.com and get a free username, which will enable you to listen to the first 25% of each track. Listen to a few - and while you're there read some more reviews on the right-hand side.

"One of the bargains of the decade." -Melbourne Sun Herald

They're right - at $7 you can acquire the best, funnest Brahms CD money can buy for less than you might pay for dinner tonight.

Istvan Bogar may not be a household name to Classical music lovers in the US, but he leads spirited, dashing accounts of Brahms "Hungarian Dances" with a Budapest orchestra which plays very well for him. Tempos are often on the fast side, but always under control, and never breathless. The woodwinds play especially well in their solo licks, and there's always a certain joie de vivre (Joy of living) to these recordings.

The recorded sound is very clear and balanced, in line with Naxos' best recordings offered to the public.

This disc is a bargain: I heartily recommend it.

I fully agree with my colleague from Germany with his positive review of this recording. I just want to add, that in my opinion, you have to be a Hungarian to play these dances best. The variable tempos, rubatos, sudden accelerandos and decelerandos are in the Hungarian blood and cannot be easily imitated by a foreigner. There is a lot of fire here, but also gentleness,sophistication and Istvan Bogar has all what it takes. His performances are truly in the Hungarian spirit,stirring,sensitive,and thoroughly musical. The Budapest orchestra with its famous string section is what is required here.
The Naxos sound is excellent and the price cannot be resisted. A most entertaining disc. Much recommended.

I feel as if I'm in the minority here when I say that this recording is a little bland.

While the price is a definite bonus (and you won't feel too bad in losing $7 for the CD if it turns that you don't like it), the recordings just don't do it for me even though I can tell that Bogar and the Budapest Symphony Orchestra play with gusto and the sonics are quite good and balanced.

When I first listened to this CD, I was feeling as if I were listening to a non-descript Western European or North American orchestra playing the dances a little more quickly than usual. Nothing more, nothing less.

My overall favourite recording of these dances is the one issued in 1985 by Hungaroton involving Ivan Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. (N.B. This recording by Hungaroton is different from the one made by the same performers for Phillips in 1999. To my surprise, the older recording from Hungaroton sounds better than the newer one by Phillips. Who would have thought that 14 years would make a difference?)

The recording for Phillips (now issued by Eloquence) of the Hungarian Dances with Kurt Masur and the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester is surprisingly good and it's my favourite recording of the dances by a non-Hungarian orchestra.

This is one of my favorite classical CD's. Considering the amout of quality music for the price why wait? This CD is the best one if you want all 21 of his dances.The music is warm and beautifully played. All of the pieces are great. Brahms would be proud of this recording of his work. They say don't judge a book by its cover; here don't judge a great CD by its price.

Brahms wrote a great amount of music, including the Hungarian Dances, for piano four-hands. This music was composed for amateur music-lovers to play at home, and it included many reductions of Brahms's orchestral and chamber works as well as original compositions. In its original format, the Hungarian Dances became extremely popular and contributed more than any other work to Brahms's financial success during his lifetime. The music was quickly transposed for other instruments, including violin and piano by Brahms's friend Joachim, and orchestra, by a variety of hands. For those interested, the original four-hand piano version of the Hungarian Dances is available on Naxos in a recording by Kohn and Mathies in volume 2 of an extensive series of Brahms's four-hand piano music. The piano-violin arrangement of the dances is available in a Naxos recording by Bisengaliev and Lenehan. But the subject of this review is the orchestral version.

For modern listeners, the orchestral version of the Hungarian Dances is the most familiar, and this 1988 recording by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra conducted by Istvan Bogar is a classic. This is a relatively early Naxos release which deserves the many accolades it has received. It continues to attract many fine reviewers on this site. The playing is lively and spirited, joyous and melancholy in turn. It captures the gypsy spirit of the Hungarian Dances. For those listeners who need to be convinced that classical music can be lively and fun, this CD is an ideal place to start.

As a young man, Brahms toured briefly with a Hungarian violinist named Remenyi who gave Brahms a lifelong passion for Hungarian and gypsy music. This passion comes through in Brahms's longer and more somber works as well as in these dances. The earlier sets of these dances are based upon authentic Hungarian themes. In the latter dances, Brahms wrote the themes himself, in Hungarian style. The orchestrations were done by Brahms himself, by his friend Dvorak, and by a number of other composers. These are short delighful works, which will make your blood flow and your feet dance. They also are filled with tinges of melancholy and sadness. My own favorite of these works is No. 16, with its slow, melancholy opening and lively conclusion. Every listener will develop his or her own favorites from this set.

This CD of Brahms's Hungarian Dances is an excellent way to get to know a popular and enchanting style of classical music.

Robin Friedman

Elegant, sly, invigorating and amusing by turns these dances represent some of the most uplifting and sheerly joyful music ever. Perhaps mindful of how these gypsy tunes can turn schmaltzy, Bogar and his Budapest orchestra are occasionally just a little too restrained when I would have liked a tad more passion, but by and large they are alive to every nuance, particularly in matters of rubato and rhythmic contrast. This sounds like a live concert by musicians enjoying themselves rather than a studio recording but the musicians have managed to combine the discipline of studio work with the spontaneity of performance - and to my ears the playing is of a very high technical standard, too.

I defy you to listen without feeling swept along by the brilliance and élan of the playing on this super-bargain disc, now available on Marketplace for silly prices, less than the cost of the postage, having been recorded over twenty years ago and been awarded a Penguin Guide Rosette. Those dances orchestrated by Dvorak are marginally less inspired; the real gems come earlier in the programme amongst the first ten but they are all worth having and hearing.