Composer: Béla Bartók
Performer: Tzimon Barto, Christoph Eschenbach
Orchestra: Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Conductor: Christoph Eschenbach
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Capriccio
Catalogue: C5537
Release: 2024
Size: 782 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
CD 01
Piano Concerto No. 1, BB 91, Sz. 83
01. I. Allegro moderato – Allegro
02. II. Andante
03. III. Allegro molto
Piano Concerto No. 2, BB 101, Sz. 95
04. I. Allegro
05. II. Adagio – Presto – Più adagio
06. III. Allegro molto
CD 02
Piano Concerto No. 3, BB 127, Sz. 119
01. I. Allegretto
02. II. Adagio religioso
03. III. Allegro vivace
Béla Bartók is one of the unquestionably ‘great’ composers and one of the few of a more recent age to succeed in establishing themselves in the repertoire. His three piano concertos are central to his biography and musical output, but only No. 3, with some generosity, could be considered ‘popular’. Although well represented on disc, the first two are rarely performed in concert. Tzimon Barto sees a problem in adopting an overly mechanical approach to these two percussive works: “Even Bartók needs a supple touch. If you bang away at it, without rhythmical buoyancy, of course it will become tedious.” These recordings reflect how he does justice to this approach.