Bartók & Kodály: Concertos for Orchestra
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Jakub Hrůša
Exuberant, colourful and edgy concertos for orchestra by Bartók and Kodály are brought together in spirited and vivid performances from the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by the podium sensation Jakub Hrůša on this PENTATONE release.
Bartók’s landmark Concerto for Orchestra is not only a thrilling orchestral tour de force; it’s also a striking and deeply expressive work which effortlessly assimilates Hungarian folk melodies and rhythms in its compelling and polished score. At times brooding and mysterious, it’s Bartók’s most popular and uplifting work, and it ends in a flurry of high spirits.
With its lush and vivid orchestration and a healthy rhythmic swagger, Kodály’s lesser-known Concerto for Orchestra is a captivating and buoyant work. Inspired by the Baroque concerto grosso but updated with a romantic sensibility, the result is a sure-footed, rousing and energetic showpiece for orchestra.
Kodály: Concerto for Orchestra
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra, BB 123, Sz.116
I. Introduzione. Andante non troppo – Allegro vivace
II. Presentando le coppie. Allegretto scherzando
III. Elegia. Andante non troppo
IV. Intermezzo interrotto. Allegretto
V. Finale. Pesante – Presto
“Predating Bartók’s famous Concerto for Orchestra by only a few years, Zoltán Kodály’s offering is a slighter but nonetheless superb piece, with its identifiably Hungarian harmonies and ecstatic climax. Jakub Hrůša, who has led the Philharmonia Orchestra in some notable live performances, clarifies the fuller textures with a razor-sharp ear.” – Classical Music