Mandarin

The Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 116, BB 123, is a five-movement musical work for orchestra composed by Béla Bartók in 1943. It is one of his best-known, most popular and most accessible works. The score is inscribed "15 August – 8 October 1943", and it premiered on December 1, 1944 in Boston Symphony Hall by the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge Koussevitzky.

A total of 86 tracks, about 3 hours and 42 minutes of recording. A collection of masterpieces by conductor Hugh Wolff. Dvorak: Cello Concerto (Rostropovich), Haydn: Symphony No. 1 to 3rd Movement, Stravinsky: Suite for Small Orchestra No. 1 and No. 2, Copland: Appalachian Spring, Ravel: Ma Mère l'Oye, Bartók: Suite: The Miraculous Mandarin, Bach & Gounod/Arranged by Passatieri: Ave Maria (Hampson), and more.

A total of 86 tracks, about 3 hours and 42 minutes of recording. A collection of masterpieces by conductor Hugh Wolff. Dvorak: Cello Concerto (Rostropovich), Haydn: Symphony No. 1 to 3rd Movement, Stravinsky: Suite for Small Orchestra No. 1 and No. 2, Copland: Appalachian Spring, Ravel: Ma Mère l'Oye, Bartók: Suite: The Miraculous Mandarin, Bach & Gounod/Arranged by Passatieri: Ave Maria (Hampson), and more.

Wow, this is some disc! There are so few new major-label productions featuring today's "big" artists–and let's face it, so many of those turn out to be uninteresting–that it comes almost as a shock to note that there really can be a difference when everyone involved lives up to their reputations. Without a doubt, Esa-Pekka Salonen is a great conductor, particularly in contemporary music such as this. He recorded The Rite of Spring previously with the Philharmonia for Sony, and that was a very exciting performance, but this one has just that much more bite and savagery in the Sacrificial Dance, or at the conclusion of Part One. Indeed, the playing of the Los Angeles Philharmonic is pretty amazing throughout, with well-nigh unbelievable clarity in the polyrhythmic complexities of the Entry of the Sage, but also in the gentler washes of color that open Part Two.

A limited-edition 55-CD set of legendary and critically acclaimed recordings celebrating the famous PHILIPS heritage. An alliance of great artistry and superb sound. Classic-status albums spanning over half a century of recording and showcasing a wealth of international talent.
An unrivaled collection that that embraces all musical genres - from solo piano and chamber music through to large scale choral works and opera.