Between 1954 and 1955, the Hungarian pianist, Andor Foldes, recorded a substantial corpus of Bartók’s solo piano music for Deutsche Grammophon. Given his work with and close association with the composer, this is a significant reissue, and it is also the first time all four LPs (represented as per the original, across four CDs) appear on CD. All the major Bartók solo works are included here – from larger pieces like the Sonata, Suite, Op. 14 and Out of Doors to many of the miniature dance works, pieces from Mikrokosmos and For Children, the Romanian Christmas Carols and the Allegro barbaro. The booklet features a new note by Bartók expert Kenneth Chalmers as well as notes on performing Bartók by Foldes himself.
BÉLA BARTÓK
CD 1
1–9 from For Children: Book I
10–17 from For Children: Book II
18–20 Sonatina
21–26 from Mikrokosmos: Book IV
27–33 from Mikrokosmos: Book V
34–44 from Mikrokosmos: Book VI
CD 2
1–6 from For Children: Book III
7–10 from For Children: Book IV
11–12 Two Elegies
13–18 Six Romanian Folk Dances
19 Fantasy II (Four Piano Pieces)
20–26 Seven Sketches
27 Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Songs
CD 3
1 Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs
2–4 Sonata for Piano
5–7 Three Rondos on Hungarian Folk Tunes
8–9 Romanian Christmas Carols
10–13 Suite
CD 4
1-5 Out of Doors
6-11 Nine Little Piano Pieces
12-22 Ten Easy Piano Pieces
23-25 Three Burlesques
26 Allegro barbaro
Andor Foldes, piano
Recording Producer: Karl-Heinz Schreider
Balance Engineer: Heinz Wildhagen
Recording Location: Beethovensaal, Hannover, Germany, 1954–55 (Mono recordings)
‘such masterly playing, now assertive, now gentle and consoling, makes the Sonata seem a work of flaming genius’ … ‘Foldes plays Bartók’s music with the utmost brilliance and refinement … In the Romanian Christmas Carols his sense of rhythm is superlative … The recording is superlative’ Gramophone, 1957