Bartók Plays Bartók – Mikrokosmos, Contrasts, and Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta / Audio CD

UPC 8026726223402

Product Details

• Label: Urania – URN 22.340
• Format: CD, Album
• Country: Italy
• Released: 2007
• Genre: Classical
• Style: 20th Century, Modern
• Recording Dates: 1940, 1949
• Original Label: American Columbia, European Columbia

Overview

This exceptional release from Urania captures Béla Bartók performing his own works, showcasing his unique genius both as a composer and a pianist. The album features a selection of Mikrokosmos, a series of piano pieces that reflect Bartók's exploration of folk music and modernism, performed by Bartók himself.

Also included is Contrasts, a vibrant chamber work for violin, clarinet, and piano performed with violinist Joseph Szigeti and jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman. The album concludes with a historic 1949 recording of Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, conducted by Herbert von Karajan and performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra—a world premiere on record.

These recordings, restored with the advanced USD 24 Restoration System, offer an unparalleled glimpse into Bartók's artistry.

Track Listing

Mikrokosmos (Selection) – Béla Bartók

1. No. 113 – Ostinato
2. No. 129 – From the Diary of a Fly
3. No. 131 – Fox Dance
4. No. 128 – Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 4
5. No. 120 – Chromatic Invention
6. No. 109 – Diminished Fifth
7. No. 138 – New Hungarian Folk Song
8. No. 100 – Divided Arpeggios
9. No. 142 – Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 6
10. No. 133 – Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 2
11. No. 149 – Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 5
12. No. 148 – Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 1
13. No. 108 – Unison Melodies
14. No. 150 – Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 3
15. No. 151 – Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 7
16. No. 94 – Perpetuum Mobile
17. No. 152 – Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 8
18. No. 153 – Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 9

Contrasts for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano – Béla Bartók

1. Verbunkos (Recruiting Dance)
2. Pihenő (Relaxation)
3. Sebes (Fast Dance)

Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta – Béla Bartók

1. I. Andante tranquillo
2. II. Allegro
3. III. Adagio
4. IV. Allegro molto

Key Credits

• Composer & Pianist: Béla Bartók
• Violinist: Joseph Szigeti
• Clarinetist: Benny Goodman
• Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra
• Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
• Restoration & Production: Alessandro Nava