Bartok Violin Concerto No 2 - a stunning discovery for me anyway

[HighlandDougie]

Re: the Kelemen performance on Hungaroton. ' "An Exceptional disc" RC says.' - hmm. I've just downloaded this - at "better-than-CD quality" i.e. lossless - from Qobuz. Performances are very good but the drawback for me is the recording quality. Very clear, yes, but with no great depth to the sound - a bit Barbican-like. Maybe it would sound better as a multi-channel SACD played back through 5 speakers so if anyone can report favourably on it in that format, I'd be happy to re-purchase it. Or maybe I've been overdosing on the Concertgebouw Volume 6.

[visualnickmos]

Yes Chris Newman - the Naxos is very good indeed -one of my fav. versions - along with Chung and - (maybe surprisingly to some on here) - Stern.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I see James EHNES' recording of the First Concerto is CDReview's Disc of the Week on Saturday. With any luck, the whole Disc consists of the excellent performances of the two Violin Concertos (and, pushing my luck, the Viola Concerto: they'd fit onto a well-filled single CD) that were broadcast earlier in the year.

I only know the first Menuhin/Dorati recording by reputation (I had their later EMI version on LP), but it's closer to the time when Bartok himself told Menuhin that he thought that composers had to be dead a long time before their Music was performed as well as Menuhin had just played one of his works. The Fürtwängler disc is also remarkably good (a few moments of erratic intonation aside) with an especially moving account of the Second movement. As WF isn't readily associated with this composer (did he record/perform anything else by Bartok?) I can't help feeling that his commitment to this work is at least in part a tribute to Menuhin's advocacy and dedication.

[Bryn]

I see James EHNES' recording of the First Concerto is CDReview's Disc of the Week on Saturday. With any luck, the whole Disc consists of the excellent performances of the two Violin Concertos (and, pushing my luck, the Viola Concerto: they'd fit onto a well-filled single CD) that were broadcast earlier in the year.

I only know the first Menuhin/Dorati recording by reputation (I had their later EMI version on LP), but it's closer to the time when Bartok himself told Menuhin that he thought that composers had to be dead a long time before their Music was performed as well as Menuhin had just played one of his works. The Fürtwängler disc is also remarkably good (a few moments of erratic intonation aside) with an especially moving account of the Second movement. As WF isn't readily associated with this composer (did he record/perform anything else by Bartok?) I can't help feeling that his commitment to this work is at least in part a tribute to Menuhin's advocacy and dedication.

I am currently listening to the Ehnes recording of the Second Concerto, and very fine it is. The version of the Viola Concerto included on the disc is that edited and completed by Serly, rather than the more recent edition in which Peter Bartok had a hand. My own current favourite recording of the Second Concerto is that with Thomas Zehetmair and Ivan Fischer (Berlin Classics).

[jayne lee wilson]

HighlandDougie, "lossless" should actually indicate "CD-quality", though the bitrate offered by some sites in this format ( whether FLAC, WAV or AIFF) may in fact be less than the nominal 1411 kbps of a physical CD. "Better than CD-quality" is usually referred to ( e.g. on Linn or Classicalshop) as "Studio Master" i.e 24 bit, at 48/88.2/96 khz - true high-resolution; or should be - some of these aren't quite what they seem!

Later...
disappointingly, Qobuz don't appear to offer Hungaroton or Pentatone SACDs as Studio Master downloads. Chandos, they do - but you can get these from Classicalshop of course, including the Ehnes/Noseda at 24/96.

Anyway, expecting the Kelemen/Kocsis tomorrow - will report back soon.

Re: the Kelemen performance on Hungaroton. ' "An Exceptional disc" RC says.' - hmm. I've just downloaded this - at "better-than-CD quality" i.e. lossless - from Qobuz. Performances are very good but the drawback for me is the recording quality. Very clear, yes, but with no great depth to the sound - a bit Barbican-like. Maybe it would sound better as a multi-channel SACD played back through 5 speakers so if anyone can report favourably on it in that format, I'd be happy to re-purchase it. Or maybe I've been overdosing on the Concertgebouw Volume 6.

[HighlandDougie]

Jayne

My mistake. On going back to the Qobuz site, I see that 16 bit (the rate at which I downloaded it) is described as CD quality. As you say, it's a shame that Qobuz don't offer Hungaroton/Pentatone at Studio Master quality, although a download of that size would take forever here in my French village as, to the great shame of Monsieur le Maire, we have by far the slowest ADSL speed in the area. I'll be very interested in your views on the recording quality which I still find rather uningratiating. Not a patch on the Hungaroton SACD of Kocsis in the Concerto for Orchestra. Fizzing performances, though, especially I thought of the Violin Rhapsodies.

HD

[Barbirollians]

I see the reviewer in IRR preferred Steinbacher in Bartok 2 but raved about Ehnes other performances on the disc .

[jayne lee wilson]

Hungaroton still not here... naughty Amazon. Patience now. I'll, er, be back.

Jayne

My mistake. On going back to the Qobuz site, I see that 16 bit (the rate at which I downloaded it) is described as CD quality. As you say, it's a shame that Qobuz don't offer Hungaroton/Pentatone at Studio Master quality, although a download of that size would take forever here in my French village as, to the great shame of Monsieur le Maire, we have by far the slowest ADSL speed in the area. I'll be very interested in your views on the recording quality which I still find rather uningratiating. Not a patch on the Hungaroton SACD of Kocsis in the Concerto for Orchestra. Fizzing performances, though, especially I thought of the Violin Rhapsodies.

HD

[Keybawd]

I got to know the work 40 years ago from Isaac Stern's recording so that still has a very special place in my affections. The alternative last movement is in fact only the last couple of pages. In the original version the work ended quietly but Bartok was persuaded to rewrite the ending with a bit of flash. The two endings are printed in the score.

[Barbirollians]

Any report yet jayne ?