BARTÓK Suite No. 1 for Orchestra. 2 Pictures. Transylvanian Dances. Hungarian Peasant Songs • Zoltán Kocsís, cond; Hungarian Nat Ph O • HUNGAROTON 32505 (SACD: 64:24)

Suite 1/Two Pictures & Other Work
Audio CD; Super Audio CD - DSD

Buy now from Amazon

Zoltán Kocsís has been the music director of the Hungarian National Philharmonic (previously the Hungarian State Symphony Orcehstra, probably best known as Janos Ferencsik’s orchestra for more than 30 years) since 1997. Their concerts are the most eagerly attended of several state- and regionally-funded orchestras in Hungary, and they keep to a very active schedule. I’ve seen them twice, live: the first time in an excellent La Damnation de Faust four years ago, notable for its pacing, articulation, and energy; the second, an inhibited, deadly dull version of Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 two years ago, where everything was fast, clipped, and by-the-bar. Judging from their numerous records together, I take the latter to be the aberration. Certainly this compilation of early Bartók—for early it is; the latest piece, the 1931 Transylvanian Dances , is actually a transcription of the 1915 Sonatina—shows off both conductor and orchestra to excellent advantage. The playing is excellent. Rhythms are elastic, yet perfectly defined. Tempos are uniformly well chosen. Sectional blending is strong, while individual soloists, such as the clarinet in the Transylvanian Dances , have a great deal of “face.” This is a strongly characterized, non-apologetic presentation of a master’s music before he came into his full strength.

There is some fine competition out there, however. The best of it in my opinion comes from a 1978 recording of the Suite No. 1 and the Two Pictures . The Detroit Symphony Orchestra reached one of its notable peaks under the leadership of Antal Doráti, and his versions of these two works, now on London Double Decker 448276, are warm and energetic. Not everything else on that set is of equal value, however, and I could do in particular without Weller/LSO in the Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra. In the Transylvanian Dances and the Hungarian Peasant Songs , Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra (Philips 454430) offer strong competition, though I think Kocsís finds more color and slightly more verve in both works. Kocsís himself offers the strongest competition in the Hungarian Peasant Songs , thanks to this same version appearing previously on Hungaroton 32187, along with fine readings of the Concerto for Orchestra and the Dance Suite . However, there are many excellent recordings of both those compositions available, while most of the music on this release hasn’t been attempted as often, or as successfully. Definitely a thumbs-up on this one. Barry Brenesal