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Bela Bartok, Antoni Wit, The National Polish Symphony Orchestra in Katowice
Bartók: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (5) - Disc #1
1. Violin Concerto No. 1 Sz. 36: Andante sostenuto
2. Violin Concerto No. 1 Sz. 36: Allegro giocoso
3. Violin Concerto No. 2 Sz. 112: Allegro non troppo
4. Violin Concerto No. 2 Sz. 112: Allegro tranquillo
5. Violin Concerto No. 2 Sz. 112: Allegro molto

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CD Details

All Artists: Bela Bartok, Antoni Wit, The National Polish Symphony Orchestra in Katowice
Title: Bartók: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Naxos
Release Date: 11/30/1999
Genre: Classical
Styles: Forms & Genres, Concertos, Instruments, Strings, Symphonies
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 636943432129

Synopsis

Amazon.com

We may never know why Bartók suppressed his First Violin Concerto and reused the two movements in other contexts. He may just have been dissatisfied with the piece, or it may have evoked painful memories of the violinist Stefi Geyer, for whom he wrote it when he was in love with her. It's fascinating early Bartók but not representative of the composer's best. The Second Concerto, on the other hand, is one of Bartók's masterpieces. It has seldom if ever been heard in better circumstances, with one of Hungary's best violinists giving a fervent and extremely sympathetic performance, very well backed up by the fine conductor and orchestra, in vividly recorded sound. Naxos's annotator doesn't seem to realize that the second movement of the Second Concerto is in theme-and-variations form, but otherwise this production could hardly be improved--a magnificent bargain for the price. --Leslie Gerber

CD Reviews

Colourful Bartok violin concerto performance

Gianluca La Villa | FERRARA, FE Italy | 12/12/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Gyorgy Pauk's performance of Bela Bartok Second Violin Concerto, under the direction of Antoni Wit and with the Polish National Orchestra, is one of the best I have listened to. No exaggerated, cold, intellectualism, but a charming sense of the color of violin phrasing, give to this Concerto a smooth reading, giving space to all shades of the popular origin of Bartok's music well conveyed by his fellow citizen, the violinist. Pauk's Massart Stradivari sings through all the work, covering the technical difficulties of it as if they were ordinary passages."

One of the best i've heard!

M. Grammar | Houston,Texas | 05/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"in terms of balance between soloist and orchestra i think this naxos cd is one of the best!tight performance and very transparent.i can heard parts in the orchestra that usally are muddied up.In terms of the soloist his sound is "silky" not "honkey" and his feel and exacution are as good as anyone.

thats my opinion anyway and i hope this helps."

Lovely

David Saemann | 04/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the first things you notice about this CD is that the violinist is not close miked. Instead, the excellent sound engineering places him in the orchestral context, while everything he does remains full toned and clear sounding. The performance of the first concerto might put you in mind of the Berg Concerto. It is full of yearning and late Romanticism, although these feelings are never overdone. The second concerto is served by a performance that brings out all the majesty of the work. I'm still very fond of Henryk Szeryng's recording and, on Hungaroton, Denes Kovacs's. Nevertheless, this CD documents an important Hungarian artist, Gyorgy Pauk, in essential works of his great countryman, and thus has important documentary value in addition to the musical pleasure it gives."