Béla Bartók - Concerto For Orchestra (2004)

Fritz Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, recorded 1955 & 1958

It's a landmark day here at blog headquarters as we feature our very first Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD). Just so you know what you're getting into, I'm predicting this post will run long and hardly mention Bartók. To begin, here's the lowdown on the SACD format straight from from Sony Corp. and Philips Electronics in the year 2000:

For more (somewhat dated) info: livingstereo-sacd.com

And, of course, the new format demanded a new and improved jewel case, given the name "Super Jewel Box." It was designed to be more durable than the traditional CD jewel case, incorporating such features as rounded corners, stronger hinges, a locking clasp, and thicker material. They are definitely more sturdy, and for what it's worth, I prefer them to the larger cases used for rival surround sound formats such as DVD-Audio.

I inherited this Bartók SACD from my father and when I play one of his CDs, I always wonder how it came into his possession. He didn't have a SACD player, he never spoke of the format, and he never mentioned a love of Bartók or any 20th century classical work. Did he buy it or was it a gift and, if so, from whom? Questions that can no longer be answered but that doesn't keep me from asking them. In any case, SACD players have become quite pricey as the format has waned but I wanted to hear the full range of the disc. After searching for a bit, I discovered that certain older Sony Blu-ray players support the format. A quick trip to eBay and $28 later, I was in possession of a Sony BDP-S570 (with remote!), manufactured in 2010.

And I was in business! Now let's spin this thing.

Recordings of three works by Bartók:

1. Concerto For Orchestra (1945 revision)
2. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta (1936)
3. Hungarian Sketches (1931)

Although I was using a multiple speaker set-up, I hardly consider myself an audiophile, but the difference in sound is readily apparent to my aged ears. This particular recording of Concerto For Orchestra has been praised since the get-go and rightly so:

Stereo Review, November 1958, p. 81

Everything is crisp and clean - hard to believe this was recorded in the '50s. I've stated before that I'm not wild about the first piece, writing "this is the kind of music which is more fun to analyze than to perform and more fun to perform than to listen to." I will admit that the 4th movement caught my ear this time 'round, though. The Hungarian Sketches were new to me and I greatly enjoyed the brief, folk-like melodies; reminded me a great deal of Liszt.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: See above. Next side quest: Dolby Atmos.

Bartók - Concerto for Orchestra (1996)

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Recorded in The Todd-AO Scoring Studio, Los Angeles, January 1996.

The NPR Guide to Building a Classical
CD Collection, 2nd ed., 1999

I purchased this disc because a good friend from college plays percussion with the LA Phil and this was one of his first recordings with that group. As such, he recommended that I buy it. The recording of these works received stellar reviews and the sound/production is top-notch, but the works themselves just aren't my bag. For me, this is the kind of music which is more fun to analyze than to perform and more fun to perform than to listen to.

Tracks:Concerto for Orchestra (1943) followed by Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (1936). Cinema buffs may recognize the latter piece from the movies The Shining and Being John Malkovich.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None