Béla Bartók – Works for Piano Solo 3 (Philips Digital Classics, 1995) - Audio CD

Product Information

• Title: Béla Bartók – Works for Piano Solo 3
• Performer: Zoltán Kocsis (piano)
• Label: Philips – 442 146-2
• Format: Audio CD, Album
• Country: Germany (MADE IN GERMANY)
• Released: 1995
• Genre: Classical
• Total Time: 74:31
• UPC: 028944214628
• Recording Location/Date: Recorded at Friedrich-Ebert-Halle, Hamburg, April 1994

Overview

Béla Bartók’s piano miniatures for children, catalogued as Bb 53, Sz.42, come to life in this definitive Philips Digital Classics release performed by the celebrated pianist Zoltán Kocsis. Spanning a total duration of 74 minutes and 31 seconds, the album is organized into four “volumes,” each presenting a collection of succinct, exquisitely crafted pieces that both challenge and delight the performer. These works, originally composed to capture the spontaneous spirit and folk roots of Hungarian musical tradition, epitomize Bartók’s ability to transform simple themes into rich, expressive musical narratives.

Hungarian Translation – Overview (Áttekintés)

Bartók Béla zongorára írt gyermekművei (Bb 53, Sz.42) új életre kelnek ebben a Philips Digital Classics kiadásban, melyet a híres zongoraművész, Kocsis Zoltán ad elő. A 74 perc 31 másodperces összidő alatt négy „kötetben” rendezett alkotásokat tartalmaz, melyek rövid, mégis mesterien megformált darabok, egyszerre állítva kihívást és örömöt nyújtva az előadónak. Ezek a művek – melyek Bartók azon képességét demonstrálják, hogy az egyszerű, népies motívumokat gazdag, kifejező zenei narratívává varázsolja – tökéletes példái a magyar zenei hagyományból merített spontán szépségnek.

Product Features

Format & Technical Details

• Digital Recording Excellence:
  Captured at the Friedrich-Ebert-Halle in Hamburg during April 1994, the performance is presented in pristine digital quality, ensuring every nuance of Kocsis’s interpretation is faithfully reproduced.
• Album Organization:
  The CD is structured into four distinct volumes under the umbrella of Bartók’s “For Children” collection, presenting a total of 27 individual miniatures grouped by character and mood.
• Performance Mastery:
  Zoltán Kocsis’s virtuosic and sensitive playing illuminates the playful as well as introspective aspects of these pieces, making the music accessible to both students and connoisseurs.

Key Musical Content

• Volume 1 – Works for Children (Tracks 1-7):
  Featuring lively and contrasting tempos ranging from the bright Allegro passages to more reflective Andante and Adagio movements.
• Volume 2 – Works for Children (Tracks 8-11):
  Offering further variety with pieces that balance delicate lyricism and vivacious, rhythmic drive.
• Volume 3 – Works for Children (Tracks 14-20):
  Presenting a continuation of Bartók’s signature fusion of folk-inspired simplicity and modern harmonic complexity.
• Volume 4 – Works for Children (Tracks 21-27):
  Concluding the set with pieces that encapsulate Bartók’s unique approach to thematic development and variation.

Each volume contributes to an overarching narrative that showcases Bartók’s dual commitment to both educational clarity and artistic depth.

Educational and Performance Value

• Pedagogical Resource:
  The compact miniatures offer a perfect repertoire for developing pianistic technique and interpretative insight, making them invaluable for both students and professional performers.
• Insight into Bartók’s Musical Language:
  These works provide deep insight into Bartók’s method of integrating folk elements with modern tonalities—a subject of enduring interest in both music history and performance practice.
• Expressive Versatility:
  The recordings highlight the singular ability of these pieces to oscillate between simplicity and complexity, fun and introspection, thereby serving as an inspirational guide for nuanced musical expression.

Track Listing

Bartók: For Children, Bb 53, Sz.42 – Volume 1

1. No.1 Allegro – No.2 Andante – No.3 Quasi adagio – 2:16
2. No.4 Allegro – No.5 Allegretto – No.6 Allegro – 2:58
3. No.7 Andante grazioso – No.8 Allegretto – 2:08
4. No.9 Adagio – No.10 Allegro molto – No.11 Lento – No.12 Allegro – 4:16
5. No.13 Andante – No.14 Allegretto – No.15 Allegro Moderato – 1:52
6. No.16 Andante rubato – No.17 Lento – 1:42
7. No.18 Andante non troppo – No.19 Allegretto – No.20 Allegro – No.21 Allegro robusto – 2:56

Bartók: For Children, Bb 53, Sz.42 – Volume 2

1. No.22 Allegretto – No.23 Allegro Grazioso – No.24 Andante Sostenuto – No.25 Parlando – 3:13
2. No.26 Moderato – No.27 Allegramente – No.28 Andante – No.29 Allegro Scherzando – 3:47
3. No.30 Allegro Ironico – No.31 Andante Tranquillo – No.32 Andante – No.33 Allegro Non Troppo – 4:17
4. No.34 Allegretto – No.35 Con Moto – No.36 Vivace – No. [Allegro] – 2:01
5. No.38 Molto Vivace – No.39 Allegro Moderato – 2:59
6. No.40 Allegro vivace – 1:39

Bartók: For Children, Bb 53, Sz.42 – Volume 3

1. No.1 Allegro – No.2 Andante – No.3 Allegretto – No.4 Andante – 2:09
2. No.5 Molto andante – No.6 Allegro – No.7 Andante – No.8 Allegro non troppo – 4:33
3. No.9 Andante – No.10 Largo – 1:58
4. No.11 Lento – No.12 Andante Rubato – No.13 Allegro – 2:19
5. No.14 Moderato – No.15 Molto Tranquillo – No.16 Lento – No.17 Andante – No.18 Sostenuto – 3:43
6. No.19 Assai Lento – No.20 Presto – 1:52
7. No.21 Allegro Moderato – No.22 Molto Allegro – 1:48

Bartók: For Children, Bb 53, Sz.42 – Volume 4

1. No.23 Andante tranquillo – No.24 Andante – No.25 Allegretto – 2:18
2. No.26 Andante Molto Rubato – No.27 Allegro – 2:00
3. No.28 Andante, Molto Rubato – No.29 Allegro Non Troppo – No.30 Vivace – 2:51
4. No.31 Allegro – No.32 Pesante – No.33 Andante Tranquillo – 2:24
5. No.34 Adagio – No.35 Moderato – 3:06
6. No.36-37 Parlando, Molto Rubato, Allegro Moderato – 2:48
7. No.38 Lento – No.39 Lento – 3:34

Publishers

Issued by Philips Digital Classics, this 1995 release stands as an authoritative document of Bartók’s pedagogical and artistic legacy. Recorded in the acoustically celebrated Friedrich-Ebert-Halle in Hamburg, it beautifully captures Zoltán Kocsis’s masterful interpretation of these timeless piano works.

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Hashtags

English:

#BartókPianoWorks #ZoltanKocsis #WorksForPianoSolo3 #PhilipsDigitalClassics #ClassicalPiano #ForChildrenBartók

Hungarian (Címkék):

#BartókZongoráraÍrt #KocsisZoltán #Zongorakotta3 #PhilipsDigitalClassics #KlasszikusZongora #BartókGyermekművek