Bartok – Piano concerto n°3 – A discography

Praga Digitals has just released 3 live concertos by Annie Fischer.
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Mozart:
n° 21 – Philharmonia orchestra – Wolfgang Sawallisch – 02/1958
n° 23 – Philharmonia orchestra – Adrian Boult – 4/1959
Bartok n°3 – Symphonieorchester des Bayerische Rundfunks – Ferenc Fricsay – 11/24/1960

Annie Fischer (1914-1995) was an outstanding pianist, praised for her Beethoven interpretations. She was also a great Mozartian, evidenced by these 2 piano concertos (specially the 23rd with Boult).
I wanted to make a (very quick) survey of Bartok’s 3rd piano concerto. I despite both opinions about his music : the neo-reactionaries trying to emphasize the folk roots of his music and the ultra-modernists snubbing his last works (Boulez softened his positions and conducted the Concerto for orchestra, the 2nd Violin concerto and this 3rd Piano concerto [1970…]).

The 3rd piano concerto is a chef d’œuvre but hasn’t been too much recorded, only 6 times since 2000. It was premiered in Philadelphia on February 8, 1946 under Eugene Ormandy with György Sándor as piano soloist.

Allegretto

Dinu Lipatti – Paul Sacher – Orchester des Südwestdeutschen Rundfunks – 1948
Sounds old, many faults at the orchestra, provincial like. 6

Monique Haas – Ferenc Fricsay – Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin – 1955
Fricsay recorded it already with Louis Kentner in 1950. It is more lively, a little dull though, better at the end of the movement. 7,5

György Sandor – Eugene Ormandy – Philadelphia Orchestra – 1959
The creators of the work. It sounds limping, figures don’t come out. 6,5

György Sandor – Michael Gielen – Pro Musica Orchester Wien – 1959
Still not really convinced by the pianist, but the sound is clearer. 7

Edith Farnadi – Hermann Scherchen – Vienna State Opera orchestra – 1959
Good pianist, rather badly captured, lively orchestra. 7,5

Geza Anda – Ferenc Fricsay – Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin – 1960
Having been disappointed by older versions, finally a must, rhythms, colors in the orchestra, the ruffling pianist. 8,5

Annie Fischer – Igor Markevitch – London Symphony Orchestra – 1960
Affectionate and colorful playing from Annie Fischer. She seems clearly to be the leader in this lively recording. Rather dull sound. 8

Annie Fischer – Ferenc Fricsay – Symphonieorchester des Bayerische Rundfunks – 1960 – Live
Same qualities here. The best player up to here with Anda, the best conductor up to here and the best orchestra. Difficult to admit it’s a live recording… 8,5

Julius Katchen – Ernest Ansermet – Orchestre de la Suisse romande 1962
Precise and decided conducting, maybe the pianist isn’t enough aerial. 7,5

Julius Katchen – Istvan Kertesz – London Symphony Orchestra – 1966
Superb – and big – sound, the orchestra sounds better than with Markevitch. Moderate tempo, Katchen still a little bit earthy. It’s not really Allegretto, an eloquent lecture anyway. 7,5

Philippe Entremont – Leonard Bernstein – New York Philharmonic 1968
One doesn’t recall the great carrier of the pianist (specially in the US), still active as a conductor at 81yo. Again a rather slow tempo, elegant piano, vivid lecture, missing a little of “bartokian style”. 7

Samson François – David Zinman – Orchestre National de l’ O.R.T.F. – 1969 – Live
Surely the less known recording by David Zinman…  A live recording, but we got only 1mn of it…

Daniel Barenboïm – Pierre Boulez – New Philharmonia Orchestra – 1970
A very vivid lecture, joyful, Allegretto. 8

Stephen Kovacevich – Colin Davis – London Symphony Orchestra – 1976
A good lecture from the pianist a little placid at the orchestra. 7

Vladimir Ashkenazy – Georg Solti – London Philharmonic Orchestra – 1980
Nervous and idiosyncratic lecture from Solti, Ashkenazy’s piano is a little too much faraway, thus not totally convincing. 7,5

Bogdan Czapiewski – Alfred Walter – Orchestre symphonique de la RTBF – 1985

A Polish pianist, now piano teacher at Gdansk, with the Austrian conductor Alfred Walter (1929-2005). One of the slowest tempi. Nice singing piano playing, dull orchestra, overall uneven. 5,5

Zoltan Kocsis – Iván Fischer – Budapest Festival Orchestra – 1987
The first 100% hungarian recording.  Piano a little faraway, a rather rhapsodic lecture. 7

Russell Sherman – Michael Gielen – SWF Symphony Orchestra – 1989
Russell Sherman is an American pianist (1930*). Clear piano, rather heavy orchestra, but altogether a lively version. 7,5

György Sandor – Adam Fischer – Hungarian State Orchestra – 1989
Creator of the work, Sandor (1912-2005) said the first edition was a very poor one, the correct one having just been issued in the 80s. Superb agility from this already old pianist. A playful lecture, natural phrases at the orchestra, a little too much ‘studio’. 8

Boris Krajný – Jiri Belohlavek – Czech Philharmonic Orchestra – 1991
A Czech recording. A very slow tempo.  Sounds like having been written by Kodaly… 6,5

Peter Donohoe – Simon Rattle – City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra – 1993
A very light version, orchestra faraway, curious tempi variations. 6,5

Jeno Jando – Andras Ligeti – Orchestre Symphonique de Budapest – 1994
Another Hungarian version. Sounds rather dull, good pianist (with whom you distinct clearly the two hands), but I listened to it till the end, since there is an immersive atmosphere. 7,5

Yefim Bronfman – Esa-Pekka Salonen – Los Angeles Philharmonic – 1995
Rather romantic playing from the pianist. A placid version. 6,5

Andras Schiff – Iván Fischer – Budapest Festival Orchestra – 1996
A remake by Iván Fischer. Eloquence from the pianist, great sound. Superb balance piano / orchestra, good sound recording. Just a little slow for my taste. 8

Martha Argerich – Charles Dutoit – Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal – 1998
Superb phrasings. Beautiful things, but lacks of some insight. 7,5

Hélène Grimaud – Pierre Boulez – London Symphony Orchestra – 2005
Boulez had redone the piano concertos for DG with Zimerman (1), Andsnes (2) & Grimaud here.  Everything is technically superb and boring at the same time. 6,5

Martha Argerich – Alexander Vedernikov – Orchestra Della Svizzera Italiana – 2007
Will it be as extraordinary as the Schumann concerto with Rabinovitch? Almost, a furia at the piano, sometimes with some liberties withe the score, but its joyful, playful, in right tempo, with a responding orchestra. 8

Jane Coop – Mario Bernardi – Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra – 2008
A Canadian CD with two local artists. Good things, a little cautious and a common orchestra (strings). 6,5

Klára Würtz – Theodore Kuchar – Janácek Philharmonic Orchestra – 2009
Klára Würtz (965*) is an hungarian-born pianist, married to Brillant Classics’s director. This CD is edited by Brillant Classics. Theodore Kuchar (1963*) is an American conductor who has made numerous recordings for Naxos. And it’s a very good version. Maybe a bit too much serious. 7,5

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet – Gianandrea Noseda – BBC Philharmonic – 2010
Another good version, very good pianism, average orchestra, reading a bit dispersed. 7

So we will stick with 7 versions :

• Geza Anda – Ferenc Fricsay – Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin – 1960
• Annie Fischer – Igor Markevitch – London Symphony Orchestra – 1960
• Annie Fischer – Ferenc Fricsay – Symphonieorchester des Bayerische Rundfunks – 1960
• Daniel Barenboïm – Pierre Boulez – New Philharmonia Orchestra – 1970
• György Sandor – Adam Fischer – Hungarian State Orchestra – 1989
• Andras Schiff – Iván Fischer – Budapest Festival Orchestra – 1996
• Martha Argerich – Alexander Vedernikov – Orchestra Della Svizzera Italiana – 2007

Adagio religioso

Anda / Fricsay: some liberties at the piano with the score, but altogether splendid. A.  Fischer / Markevitch is a little more placid for the orchestra, more refined and more atmosphere with Fricsay and the SOBR – religious piano playing… Barenboïm / Boulez (46y ago…): sounds curiously slower, superb atmosphere, impressive piano. Sandor / A. Fischer: Orchestra a little bit too soft, piano alike, religioso went sleepy here at the beginning, but a coherent vision, superb ‘nocturnal birds’.  Schiff / I. Fischer:  orchestral introduction less appealing, great pianist, a little autere. Argerich / Vedernikov:  a good lecture, Argerich’s piano sounding like a cymbalum by the end.

Remaining versions :

• Geza Anda – Ferenc Fricsay – Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin – 1960
• Annie Fischer – Ferenc Fricsay – Symphonieorchester des Bayerische Rundfunks – 1960
• Daniel Barenboïm – Pierre Boulez – New Philharmonia Orchestra – 1970
• György Sandor – Adam Fischer – Hungarian State Orchestra – 1989
• Martha Argerich – Alexander Vedernikov – Orchestra Della Svizzera Italiana – 2007

Allegro vivace

A last joyful movement defying death… Anda / Fricsay are just amazing, hardly less A. Fischer / Fricsay (superb timpanist), Barenboïm / Boulez are clear and vivid, Sandor / A. Fischer: maybe lacking of some vista which is not of course the case for Argerich!

These 5 versions should satisfy any music lover. Since it has not been available for a long time, try the recent reissue Annie Fischer / SOBR / Fricsay, with 2 great accounts of Mozart’s concertos. Here

Funny, a quick discography of Schumann’s piano concerto praised Argerich / Rabinovitch and A. Fischer / Keiberth along with Arrau / Kubelík…

Bartok - Piano concerto 3

2285312_20th CENTRY CLASSICS-PROKOFIEV/BARTOK_BL.qxd:cdq301e CD

2285312_20th CENTRY CLASSICS-PROKOFIEV/BARTOK_BL.qxd:cdq301e CD