Bela Bartok, Michael Gielen, Christian Ostertag, Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freibu

Four Pieces for Orchestra op. 12 & Concert for Violin and Orchestra No. 1

Music for Strings, Percussions and Celesta

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CD/ Track	Title		Duration
1.1	Four Pieces for Orchestra op. 12 Preludio (Moderato)
1.2	Four Pieces for Orchestra op. 12 Scherzo (Allegro)
1.3	Four Pieces for Orchestra op. 12 Intermezzo (Moderato)
1.4	Four Pieces for Orchestra op. 12 Marcia funebre (Maestoso)
1.5	Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 Andante sostenuto
1.6	Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 Allegro gioscoso
1.7	Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta Andante tranquillo
1.8	Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta Allegro
1.9	Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta Adagio
1.10	Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta Allegro molto

available

18,95 EUR

: SCM Hänssler
Art.-No.:: 093.127.000
: Compact Disc
Duration:: 1:19 hrs.
: September 2005
: *recommended retail price

"Michael Gielen's reading of Four Pieces for Orchestra is notably different from those of Pierre Boulez, Leon Botstein, and David Robertson. Whereas they emphasize the beauties of Bartók's orchestration, Gielen probes deeply, uncovering awesome dramatic power. Connections to Bartók's stage works become obvious: The second movement Scherzo could be inserted into The Miraculous Mandarin with nary a hiccup (Four Pieces was written prior to The Mandarin, but orchestrated after it), and the finale, Marcia funebre, an epilogue to Bluebeard's Castle. Suddenly Four Pieces, usually considered a Romantic early effort, becomes pure Bartók.
After which, the 1908 First Violin Concerto seems a treacly mess, youthful indulgence in romantic excess. Not even Gielen can rescue the opening Andante sostenuto. He does make a case for the Allegro giocoso, finding a certain sincerity and dignity in its calmer moments and wallowing in the few explosive outbursts. Christian Ostertag fiddles to perfection throughout.
The SWR orchestra is accurate and clean in the Four Pieces; this radio ensemble sounds larger and fuller then it did in decades past. These three recordings were made over a 14-month period in 2003 and 2004, at the Freiburg Concert House. Hänssler's recorded sound is clean and bright.
This Hänssler Classic disc is indispensable for Four Pieces for Orchestra, realized as never before." James H. North, Fanfare

"The recording ... is outstandingly vivid, the balance most truthfully judged." Andrew Achenbach on classicalsource.com