4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice mix of 20th century compositions, July 4, 2001
This review is from: Music for String, Percussion & Celesta (Audio CD)
These are wonderful recordings. It's my favorite rendition of Bartok's masterful Music for Strings, Percussion & Celeste (oddly described by the liner note writer as "abstract" - I would say intensely melodic...). The Clevelanders perform marvelously, and Dohnanyi's conducting leadership is on-target. It's too bad that he has not recorded more of Bartok's works - and this will probably be "it" considering the scope of Boulez's project with the CSO and the general collapse of the orchestral CD market. London/Decca's engineers capture all of the nuances of the piece with outstanding balance and clarity.
I was not familiar with the Martinu piece, so I can only report that it is an eminently listenable and enjoyable composition. The Janacek "Defiance" concerto is an illuminating "surprise" ending to the CD. I would have trouble playing this with two hands - to think that it is a left hand only piece (written for Otakar Hollmann, who lost his right arm in World War I) is mind-boggling. The performance by pianist Joela Jones and members of the CO is outstanding.
This CD is valuable for the Bartok alone - the Martinu and Janecek recordings make it an outstanding 20th century compilation. You may be able to find a copy used or on one of the auction sites. It's definitely worth a listen if you enjoy 20th century orchestral music.
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