Bavouzet's Bartok

[Todd]

This one snuck up on me, at least partly due to the fact that I wasn't exactly looking for a new recording of Bartok's piano concertos.  The last new set I bought was Boulez's with the trio of famous contemporary pianists, and that was almost six years ago.  Anyway, I'm generally quite fond of Jean-Efflam Bavouzet's playing, but how would he handle Bartok?  Pretty much as I expected, as it turns out. 

Bavouzet's playing throughout the set is generally on the light side, with dazzling dexterity and speed, quite a bit of elegance and panache, and perhaps a hint of superficiality.  He's a quintessentially French pianist.  But that's not always what works best in this music.  The weakest performance of the set is the first.  It lacks the incisiveness and bite that, say, Kocsis or Zimerman bring, or the color that Anda or Schiff bring.  The whole thing is very energetic and vibrant, but it lacks that last bit of oomph or gruffness or Hungarian goodness, take your pick.  The orchestral layout, with the percussion right behind the piano, is a nice touch.  Overall, it's quite good if not a standard setter.

The second is better.  Bavouzet's style fits more nicely with this overtly virtuosic piece, and he delivers.  He seems to have nary an issue with any of the writing, and his articulation is impressive indeed.  That superficiality is on display here, but that doesn't matter much.  As with the first, the whole thing is delivered in most vibrant fashion, and the dynamic range is quite broad, with the big bass drum thwacks having more than a little heft (though not near as much as in Schiff's recording). 

Easily the best performance on the disc is the third.  It ranks among the better versions I've heard, and all the attributes previously mentioned are on full display, save one: superficiality.  Here, especially in the second movement, Bavouzet digs a little deeper, and his dynamic range seems broader, though that may be just the result of the sparser orchestration.  The orchestral playing is again vibrant.  No, it's a bit more than that.  It's actually rather intense.  This is the type of performance that would garner a standing ovation in almost any concert hall.

Overall, I must say that I am quite pleased with this disc.  It does not join the ranks of the great recordings by various Hungarian pianists (Kocsis, Schiff, Anda, Sandor), but it is of very high quality indeed.  Bavouzet displays fine chops, and Gianandrea Noseda and his BBC band offers extremely energetic support.  Sound is generally superb, almost offering a challenge to the Schiff recording, though some spotlighting is obvious, and there are hints of congestion in some tuttis.  (The latter may be an accurate reflection of the acoustic.) 

[SonicMan46]

Hi Todd - know that it has been 10+ yrs since your OP but I'm going through my Bartok collection and was listening to the piano discs yesterday (post left below in the 'listening thread') - ( :premont: ) responded "My favorites as to the piano concertos are Anda. Sandor and Schiff. As to the solo piano music it is Sandor and Foldes." 

Now, I've heard some Sandor before but did not like the 'old' sound of the recordings and believe he was at the end of his career in redoing this music, so I'll likely stick w/ my Kocsis box, but would be curious about your current opinion on the Piano Concertos - I like Bouvezet; however, Donohoe is also good but exchangeable w/ one of those mentioned above - if you don't mind, what are your current favorites in the concertos?  Thanks.  Dave

Next up:

Bartok, Bela (1881-1945) - Piano Music (8-discs) w/ Zoltan Kocsis (1952-2016) - don't love all of this music so will do 2-discs a day; and Piano Concertos w/ Donohoe/Rattle and Bavouzet/Noseda - a LOT of competition here and sure others have their favorites; would like to here Anda and Kocsis, both available on Spotify.  Dave

   

[prémont]

( :premont: ) responded "My favorites as to the piano concertos are Anda. Sandor and Schiff. As to the solo piano music it is Sandor and Foldes." 

Now, I've heard some Sandor before but did not like the 'old' sound of the recordings and believe he was at the end of his career in redoing this music, so I'll likely stick w/ my Kocsis box,

Maybe I should have added that Sandors earlier recording of Bartok's solo piano music for Vox is preferable to his rerecording for Sony. The sound of the Vox recordings is of course more dated, but still perfectly listenable.

[SonicMan46]

Maybe I should have added that Sandors earlier recording of Bartok's solo piano music for Vox is preferable to his rerecording for Sony. The sound of the Vox recordings is of course more dated, but still perfectly listenable.

Hi : premont : - thanks for 'jumping in' again - I listened again to Sandor this morning but was his later recording - I'll see what else Spotify may have available - but also sampled 2 more discs of Kocsis - the guy is hard to beat, however 8 discs are a little much?  But of the concerto options, love Anda in his Mozart box that I own; Sandor - ?age; and have not heard Schiff - will check Spotify for those recordings also.  Dave

[Todd]

if you don't mind, what are your current favorites in the concertos?  Thanks.

Same as before.  If anything, it has narrowed to Kocsis and Schiff.  They offer sufficiently different takes combined with top notch playing and sound. 

[SonicMan46]

Same as before.  If anything, it has narrowed to Kocsis and Schiff.  They offer sufficiently different takes combined with top notch playing and sound.

Thanks Todd - Bavouzet is still a keeper for me, but would like an all Hungarian combo!    I put together a Spotify playlist of Sandor, Anda, Schiff, Kocsis, and added Jando (the Naxos 'in house pianist) because of some excellent reviews - listened to the second concerto of each one, and must say that I enjoyed Anda (and the sound was not bad) - however, my favorites in this grouping were Schiff and Kocsis - unfortunately, their recordings, mostly used, and really inflated in price; the cheapest route are downloads but I can listen on Spotify, so if not getting the booklets/notes, the same to me.  Anda used can be obtained cheaply but not sure his sonics meet the much more recent recordings?  Dave

[Brian]

Thanks Todd - Bavouzet is still a keeper for me, but would like an all Hungarian combo!    I put together a Spotify playlist of Sandor, Anda, Schiff, Kocsis, and added Jando (the Naxos 'in house pianist) because of some excellent reviews - listened to the second concerto of each one, and must say that I enjoyed Anda (and the sound was not bad) - however, my favorites in this grouping were Schiff and Kocsis - unfortunately, their recordings, mostly used, and really inflated in price; the cheapest route are downloads but I can listen on Spotify, so if not getting the booklets/notes, the same to me.  Anda used can be obtained cheaply but not sure his sonics meet the much more recent recordings?  Dave

If you have room, the Kocsis complete Philips recordings box set was just released. I got a copy, it is about 26 discs; so far I've listened to some of the complete Bartok, some of the not quite complete Debussy, the Ravel and Bartok concertos, and a lovely, surprising recital of Grieg Lyric Pieces. My price was around $80 I think.

[SonicMan46]

If you have room, the Kocsis complete Philips recordings box set was just released. I got a copy, it is about 26 discs; so far I've listened to some of the complete Bartok, some of the not quite complete Debussy, the Ravel and Bartok concertos, and a lovely, surprising recital of Grieg Lyric Pieces. My price was around $80 I think.

Thanks Brian for the suggestion but I already own everything in the box by others, including Kocsis' 8-discs of Bartok solo piano (only exception is the Wagner transcriptions) - I'll continue to look around for Schiff or Kocsis, and inexpensive DLs are not out of the question.  Dave

ADDENDUM: did some more searching and paid a visit to Discogs (have had just a few 'successful' transactions w/ them) - found a 'used' but 'very good' copy for an acceptable price as shown - about what I expected to pay if available at that price on Amazon or PrestoMusic (which actually had their own produced CD-R of the same recording for a similar price - have never bought a CD-R from them?)

 

[T. D.]

I almost never buy mega-boxes...Spent for two in the past (Sony Vivarte I and HM Lumieres), and although they're fine I wound up seldom listening to many of the discs. Ruled out the attractive Heidsieck and Cziffra offerings because I own too many of the included sessions.
But I'm seriously considering the Kocsis, as the 8 Bartok solo discs are all I own and much of the other material (esp. Debussy) is really compelling.

[staxomega]

I received the Kocsis box last week, it's absolutely fantastic, way too many of these CDs sell for silly amounts on the second hand market that it was much cheaper to buy the box. The Kocsis is also my reference set for the Bartok PCs, though Anda is a very close second.

[Iota]

Kocsis seems almost invariably great in Bartok, but I've never heard him play the piano concertos. A laxity I clearly need to consign to history urgently.

[Brian]

Plus the Kocsis set is complete with the three other concertante works - the really fun Lisztian Rhapsody (24 minutes), the enjoyable but structurally bizarre Scherzo Burlesque (30 minutes), and the Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta with Zoltan in the orchestra. In the complete box set, the disc is 83 minutes long.

[SonicMan46]

I received the Kocsis box last week, it's absolutely fantastic, way too many of these CDs sell for silly amounts on the second hand market that it was much cheaper to buy the box. The Kocsis is also my reference set for the Bartok PCs, though Anda is a very close second.

Anda is a favorite of mine in the Mozart PCs, and this morning I listened to him doing Bartok on Spotify - enjoyed and ordered a 'used' CD of the recording below - not sure how many times this 'old' performance has been remastered but sounded fine to me.  Dave

[staxomega]

Plus the Kocsis set is complete with the three other concertante works - the really fun Lisztian Rhapsody (24 minutes), the enjoyable but structurally bizarre Scherzo Burlesque (30 minutes), and the Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta with Zoltan in the orchestra. In the complete box set, the disc is 83 minutes long.

I listened to that disc a few days ago. My main interest was in the Debussy and Ravel as I had several of the Bartok discs. I sampled it a while back, added the Debussy set to my want list then poof out of print very shortly after it came out. I made sure to have this box preordered. Great Pathetique and Tempest Sonata, and AoF was better than I remembered. Really enjoyed the Wagner, Liszt transcriptions, and Rachmaninoff Piano Sonata 2.

My main complaint is Annees de Pelerinage is my most played Liszt work, and there is nothing more painful than a superb performance of this that is incomplete  Really hoping Francesco Piemontesi will complete this.

Anda is a favorite of mine in the Mozart PCs, and this morning I listened to him doing Bartok on Spotify - enjoyed and ordered a 'used' CD of the recording below - not sure how many times this 'old' performance has been remastered but sounded fine to me.  Dave

Enjoy, I think there is only one transfer of these on digital, all of them would sound the same.

[Jo498]

It seems there was an earlier ca. 1990 German? Dokumente issue of the Anda/Fricsay, but that was a double disc and the Originals sound about as good as it gets for a 60 yo recording. The early Rhapsody that was a filler on the LPs was included in a DG box dedicated to Anda.

[Mirror Image]

Bavouzet is hardly convincing in Bartók. There are so many others that are better in my view: Ashkenazy/Solti (these are the performances I cut my teeth with so to speak and I still love them unequivocally), Anda/Fricsay and Kocsis/Fischer. I also enjoyed Pollini/Abbado, but they only perform the first two PCs.

[SonicMan46]

Anda is a favorite of mine in the Mozart PCs, and this morning I listened to him doing Bartok on Spotify - enjoyed and ordered a 'used' CD of the recording below - not sure how many times this 'old' performance has been remastered but sounded fine to me.  Dave

 

Well, just to complete the story, I now have the two recordings above, both bought 'used' and played fine w/ pristine surfaces, finishing the Anda at the moment on headphones and am amazed at the quality of the 1960/61 found - decided to 'cull out' Donohoe, but keeping Bavouzet for the moment, probably need to listen to one of the concertos 'back to back', then decide.  Dave