Kodály - Psalmus Hungaricus, Peacock Variations / József Simándy, Budapest Chorus, Hungarian State Orchestra, Antal Dorati ‎/ Hungaroton ‎Audio CD 1986 Stereo

HCD113922 / ASIN:  B00004VSCK

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Editorial Review:

Kodaly wrote of his Peacock Variations that ''no special musical knowledge whatever is needed to understand them; but we must know the folk-song out of which they have grown like a flower from a seed''. With the Budapest Chorus already on hand, and 48 minutes by no means representing the limit of CD capacity, a very obvious opportunity seems to have been missed, therefore, of preceding these immensely effective variations by the folk-song on which they are based—as on Kertesz's excellent LP recording (Decca SXL6497, 4/71). Were the words—a passionate call for freedom, going far beyond the anodyne verses printed in the score and shown on another Hungaroton disc of the work (see page 1262)—considered too dangerous, as they were in 1940 when the variations themselves were banned by the police?
Anyway, Dorati secures an eloquent and committed performance from this very good Hungarian orchestra, particularly in the climactic Var. 12 and the brilliant coda. The strings seem to be rather far set back and a bit light in bass (noticeably in some of the canonic writing), and the recording sounds as if it had been made, with a highly polarized stereo spectrum, in a large, empty hall of lively acoustic (which slightly blurs the opening of Var. 7). There are one or two touches of artificial balance—a startlingly outsize harp near the beginning, for instance, and an over-spotlit flute in the rhapsodic Var. 14; but once one has got used to the overall sound there is much to enjoy in this performance.
Sadly, the same cannot be said for Kodaly's masterly Psalmus hungaricus, that intense cry from the heart. There is an excellent choral contribution, but much of the work depends on the solo tenor; and it was a major misjudgement here to cast (for sentimental reasons?) a singer who was in his prime 40 years ago and now has only his experience and obvious sincerity to commend him.'

Hungarian Description:

Kodály 1923-ban két hónap alatt készítette el a Pest, Buda és Óbuda egyesítésének 50. évfordulójára megrendelt Psalmus Hungaricust. Kodály pillanatok alatt Magyarország vezető zeneszerzőjévé vált.

A Fölszállott a páva című népdalra írott variációkat Kodály az amszterdami Concertgebouw zenekar fennállásának ötvenedik évfordulójára írta. A művet a jubiláns együttes 1939 novemberében mutatta be Willem Mengelberg vezényletével.

Budapesti Kórus (Budapest Chorus)
MR Gyermekkórus (MR Children's Choir)
Doráti Antal
Simándy József

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