Bartok Premieres: Looking at the past through rose colored glasses

One of the traps that the historical record collector can be prone to falling into is romanticizing the accomplishments of the past. That is to say, to find a particular recording superior to its modern equivalent merely because it is an old recording or the performer is deceased. I could never understand, to cite just one example, the need to reissue the recordings of Felix Weingartner. Yes, his Beethoven recordings were pioneering and very highly regarded in his day. But listening to them now I can't find anything special; anything worth putting up with the crackle of spinning shellac for. He was a fine musician, no doubt. His recordings glow with his sensible direction and moderate temperament. The problem is that I can find that today in any number of recordings in far superior sound and execution. Why listen to Weingartner's Beethoven or Brahms with their poor sound when Karl Böhm's very similar interpretations are available in excellent modern stereo with an even better disciplined Vienna Philharmonic? These thoughts were in my mind as I first listened to this disc which I had purchased a few years ago.

This album from Pearl contains the premiere recordings of three of Bela Bartok's works: the 3rd Piano Concerto, the 1st Portrait for Violin and Orchestra, and the Concerto for Orchestra. Let me be absolutely clear--there is nothing wrong with these recordings. Ouite the contrary. It's only that these recordings, as fine as they are, have been equaled or superceded in musical and sonic quality since. In the brief note that is on the back of the disc case it states, "[...] Each of these performances and recordings, apart from their interest as premieres, is quite outstanding and deserves a permanent place in the canon of his recorded oeuvre." If they ever acheive a permanent place in the pantheon of Bartok recordings, I imagine it will only be because of their curiosity as premiere recordings.

Most interesting and satisfying on this set is the recording of the 3rd Piano Concerto with Gyorgy Sandor and the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy. Sandor went on to re-record this work later for Vox and much later still for Sony, but this is his best recording. Certainly it has the best orchestra. The Philadelphians are at their smooth and glossy best, with beautifully diaphonous strings in the Adagio religioso. Sandor too plays wonderfully with a songful touch. Ormandy, as always, is a superb accompanist.

The next work is Joseph Szigeti's recording of the 1st Portrait for Violin and Orchestra with the Philharmonia conducted by Constant Lambert. It's good and it always is interesting to hear Lambert as a performer of others' music. But it's a recording I can easily live without.

Finally we have Reiner's first recording of the Concerto for Orchestra with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. I've heard many people tell me that that they prefer this recording over the famous remake with the Chicago Symphony. I can't hear why. The Pittsburgh Symphony was (and still is) an excellent orchestra, but the Chicago was even better and aided superbly by RCA's stereo sound. Reiner's interpretation is generally the same here as it was in Chicago--clear and direct. It really isn't bad at all; very fine. But why listen to this when we have a superior remake in stereo?

The recording of the 3rd Piano Concerto is definitely worth coming back to. The others are of interest only as historical curiosities. Like I said, they're good recordings. But the best is always the enemy of the merely good.