Studying Plays

Béla Bartók - Bartók Plays Bartók, Bartók At The Piano 1929-1941 (1995) {Pearl GEMM CD 9166}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 141 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 152 Mb
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© 1929-41, 1991 Pearl ‎| GEMM CD 9166
Classical / Early 20th Century / Modern / Piano

Hungarian composer Bela Bartok (born in Romania) was an innovative composer in his day and along with Gyorgy Ligeti is highly regarded as one of the greatest composers to come out of Hungary in the 20th century. While a majority of Bartok's works are timeless classics in modern Classical repertoire, recordings are Bartok performing his own music are extremely rare to find these days. This is what makes the "Bartok Plays Bartok" disc from Pearl Records such a treat to listen to. The recordings on this disc date from between 1929 and 1941 and display Bartok's gifts as a solid pianist in their fullest. His pianistic attack and full command of the instrument comes through in every piece included here.

I must applaud Nikolai Petrov's imaginative approach to programme-planning. After the remarkable CD of Paganini-inspired piano works containing his stupendous account of the 1838 version of the Liszt Paganini Etudes ( OCD144 12/87), we now have two more discs that also follow a thematic format. The contents of each have been chosen so as to give a historical survey of a particular aspect of piano music, thus continuing the tradition set by Anton Rubinstein in his historical concerts of the mid-1880s.