Bartok Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta (Fricsay) IV

The Fourth and final Part of Bartok's masterpiece, is a fast and joyous movement based on two traditional classical structural forms: The theme and variations and the rondo form. There are many musical ideas to be heard in this part which are under the direct influence of Hungarian and Balkan folk music and which Bartok develops with great ingenuity, vigor and resourcefulness. After the great intensity of the climax in the middle of this piece, the chromatic main melody of the first movement appears again, but now as a full fledged musical theme belonging in an expanded tonal -well tempered some might say- scale. Bela Bartok's genius guides us through atonality, through mechanical tempi, through instrumental arguments and nightmarish visions without ever losing track of our way out or in, while keeping a substantial dialogue with the past and presenting a tightly structured compositional whole. It is a world within a world by it's own right and a world within our world simultaneously.
Here the RIAS symphony Orchestra under Ferenc Fricsay, who was Bartok's student, deliver an incredible, stunning performance. For me this is the best version ever of this work and it is a shame that Deutche Grammophone could not record it in stereo. Still you can listen to Fricsay's genius approach to Bartok's work and the orchestra's superb level, a combination that, for me, is unsurpassed until today, although admittedly I have not heard every single recording out there, but still I have many.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bela
• Bartok
• music
• strings
• percussion
• celesta
• modern
• classical
• masterpiece
• RIAS
• symphony
• orchestra
• Ferenc
• Fricsay

[Jeffbear1]

alarihos81: I never suggested that I personally thought Bartok was insane. I saw a T V biography that "hinted" at it. It also discussed the downfall of his life. Too bad I never taped that piece. I love Bartok's music and said so. Read my original posting again. I said his music is awesome and this is a real masterpiece. Don't be so offended !! You'd think I called him an idiot, the way you are carrying on. I only mentioned what I had heard. Geez..... Don't take it so personally.

[alarihos81]

@Jeffbear1 My friend I'm sorry if I snapped at you, i did not intend to attack you, just to make a clear point, because youtube is a public space and Bartok is dead so someone has to speak on his behalf . It's just such a cliché for contemporary artists to be considered "Crazy", just because they strayed away from the norms of their time. If you are interested to know more about his life I would recommend his excellent biography by Kenneth Chalmers (ed phaidon press). Also, throw away your TV.

[Jeffbear1]

The interesting theory about Bartok was that he was actually insane. They say that there is a fine line between genius and insanity. Certain passages of this piece, especially the deliberate off-key playing of the piano in this movement, seem to lend credence to that fact. Also, the way Bartok allowed his life to go to pot lends some credence to this theory. But his music is awesome and this is a real masterpiece.

Speaking of tempo, I love the way Fricsay conducted this piece.

[alarihos81]

@Jeffbear1 Ok now really? The insane artist theory? About Bartok? Do you have any links to any articles pointing towards that theory's credence because I'm sorry but the "strange piano sounds" as proof are just plain stupid. If you find that giving credence to insanity wha would you have to say about ligeti's work? I have read Bela bartoks biography and many essays analyzing his work and the usual critique would be that Bartók is just too analytical and self controled for an artist, not insane

[alarihos81]

@Jeffbear1 Also what do you mean "the way Bartok allowed his life to go to pot?" Do you have any clue as to the time Bela Bartok lived? 2 world wars tearing his country into pieces, a country which allied with the nazis and ten years later embraced stalin's communism? how would you react if you were your country's greatest living composer and had to work as a piano teacher to make a living? Please try and do some research before discrediting a great man's memory....

[alarihos81]

About the tempi: Fricsay was generally considered to be a fast tempo conductor and many critics of his time were not so fond of his performances (the same applies for Eugene Johum) but I believe he was trying to deliver as purely as possible the composer's vision even if that means stepping aside of the score (if you've listened to his amazing Beethoven 9th you'll know what I mean). This also applies here where the handling of the climax and the finale are unsurpassed by my standards.

[doctorfuse007]

@Jeffbear1 Bartok suffered and died from leukemia. If he could have 'controlled' this terrible disease, i think he would have.

[doctorfuse007]

@alarihos81 excuse me for butting into an old thread but - BARTOK is NOT contemporary! He has been dead for over 65 years! He is not avant garde, although he once was. He is a master composer, brilliant, but put things in perspective and use the terms correctly.

PS. Great 'liner' notes - well-written and passionate!

[Jeffbear1]

@alarihos81 Thank you for the kind words. You and I probably love Bartok's music more than anyone else in the world. We certainly should be friends, not arguing with each other. I've actually listened to this wonderful piece of music hundreds of times and never get tired of it. Sometimes I listen to it with my headphones and hear things that I never heard before. To me Bartok's music was amazing and awesome !! I also especially love his Concerto for Orchestra.

[otheusrex]

the tempo's that Fricsay has used are very unusual