All recordingsPrices shown exclude VAT. (UK tax is not payable for deliveries to United States.)
See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | DivertimentoWorks by Mozart, Klein and Bartok
| 
| | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
|
|
| |  |
“Mackerras's close rapport with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the superb expertise of the Linn recording makes this an outstanding disc.” Sunday Telegraph “Charles Mackerras and the orchestra manage to be both expansive and rhythmically acute in the early pages of the Dances. The particular interest of this performance of Bartók's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta is that the body of strings, smaller than the normal symphony orchestra, is close to that of Paul Sacher's Basel Chamber Orchestra at the premiere. The playing in this and the Divertimento is alert and full of enthusiasm...” BBC Music Magazine, November 2004 *** “Sir Charles Mackerras emphasises the dance elements in these three scores, and in doing so, creates a most appealing programme. He paints the Bartók score with rich colours and draws forth some splendidly rhythmic energy.” Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2005 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
|
|
| |  | Bartók: Orchestral Works
| | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
|
|
| |  | Bela Bartók: The Orchestral Masterpieces
Bartók: | Concerto for Orchestra, BB 123, Sz.116 Dance Suite, BB 86, Sz. 77 Hungarian Sketches, BB 103, Sz. 97 Romanian Folk Dances for orchestra, Sz. 68, BB 76 Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta, BB 114, Sz. 106 Divertimento for Strings, Sz. 113 The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19, Sz. 73 (suite) |
“A self-recommending collection of Solti's digital recordings which has special individuality and distinction. Solti had a great and natural affinity with Bartok...the extra warmth of the music-making brings out the lyrical qualities of the music. The Concerto for Orchestra has great zest and bold colouring” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
|
|
| |  |
| | | (also available to download from $10.50) | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
|
|
| |  | Music for Strings
| | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
|
|
| |  | Musique funèbre
Dennis Russell Davies has had a long-running and highly productive association with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra – documented on exceptional ECM recordings of repertoire from Mozart via Stravinsky and Pärt to Kancheli – and is currently the orchestra’s Conductor Laureate. Here he leads them through spirited performances of Bartók’s Divertimento, the ever popular Romanian Folk Dances, and Seven Songs (for which the orchestra is joined by the Hungarian Radio Children’s Choir). This selection of lively Bartók pieces is viewed through the prism of Witold Lutoslawski’s Musique funèbre, written in memory of the great Hungarian composer, and first performed on the 10th anniversary of Bartók’s death. It’s an important, and moving, piece - and one which also led to international recognition for Lutoslawski, Bartók’s Polish kindred spirit. The Divertimento for strings was Bartók’s last composition in Europe before emigrating to the US. It adapts Hungarian local colour in a manner that documents his despondency and can still cause shivers in listeners today. He was probably aware that with this work in 1939 he was not only taking leave of Europe and his traditions. He must also have sensed that Europe as he knew it was about to disappear into the darkness of history. The least known works here are undoubtedly the Seven Songs, taken from a collection of 27 by Bartók. These choruses on folk texts were created for Kodály’s educational programme. Like the Romanian Folk Dances of 1915 (which were orchestrated a couple of years later), they are not folksong arrangements but rather original compositions “in the style of folk music”. Wolfgang Sandner comments in his booklet notes: “They reveal a personality trait that one rarely comes across to such an extent in his other compositions: serenity; one is tempted to call it a sunny disposition, not clouded by social adversity. “Hey, life, glorious life, / This is the life, the glorious life!” are the last lines of the wooing song Csujogató, and that is how Bartók’s original music sounds: joyous, beautiful and pure.” “Russell Davies gives both pieces with the intensity they demand, the sound of the Stuttgart Kammerorchester warm and heard in a generously resonant acoustic.” Sunday Times, 20th May 2012 “Bringing together three Bartók suites with the funeral music composed in his memory by his admirer Witold Lutoslawski, Dennis Russell Davies here offers convincing confirmation of the former's influence on the latter. The “Romanian Folk Dances” are by turns impishly ebullient and wistfully nostalgic” The Independent, 19th May 2012 *** “Pairing these composers always makes good sense. Bartók’s brilliant absorption of Hungarian folk idioms into a radical modernist style is one of 20th-century music’s greatest achievements, and it’s surprising how few great composers followed his lead – an exception being Lutosławski..Predictably [Musique Funebre is] not a joyous listening experience but still a compelling, impressive one.” The Arts Desk, 16th June 2012 “a programme infused with nostalgia...the Hungarian Radio Children's Choir joins the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester for a selection of seven choruses, sheer and vibrant of sound.” The Independent on Sunday, 8th July 2012 **** “Dennis Russell Davies elicits finely judged and very refined performances from the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra. Their measured account of Lutoslawski's Funeral Music is deeply felt and, while not displacing the composer's own, gets to the heart of the matter. Ensemble is slick in the Romanian Folk Dances...Well worth investigating.” Gramophone Magazine, September 2012 “This intelligent and satisfying programme features three contrasting miniature masterpieces by Bartok...[Lutoslawski's tone-row] is appealingly earthy, and the 12-note chords at the climax have a powerful scrunch, especially in this searing performance from the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra under Dennis Russell Davies.” BBC Music Magazine, September 2012 **** “Superbly performed and recorded on this CD, Lutosławski’s Musique funèbre builds in counterpoint and concentration with startling clarity and needle-sharp accuracy under Dennis Russell Davies’s directorship.” MusicWeb International, July 2012 | | | (Sorry, download not available in your country) | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
|
|
| |  | 20 Jahre: Arpeggione Live
Arpeggione Kammerorchester This release celebrates 20 years of the outstanding Arpeggione Kammerorchester, which is based in Hohenems, Austria. The orchestra has performed all over the world with some of the greatest conductors and soloists. This collection includes Respighi’s Ancient Dances, Bach’s Violin Concerto in E and Bartók’s Divertimento for Strings. | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
|
|
| |  | Veress, Bartók & Dutilleux: Works for Piano
The conductor and patron Paul Sacher influenced the course of twentieth – century music as did few other figures, and we owe a whole host of works by masters great and minor to his astute art of commissioning the right works at the right time. While Varess and Dutilleux, both represented on this wonderful collected works disc, owed much to him, the most famous artistic relationship was with Bartok, whose Divertimento for strings was composed at Sacher’s holiday house. | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
|
|
| |  | 25th Year of the Deutsches Musikschulorchester (1998)
Deutsches Musikschulorchester, Hanns-Martin Schneidt | |
|
| |
|
Penguin Guide