If you like opera, Bluebeard's Castle, which is one of the greatest 20th c. operas; get Kertesz's recording with Berry and Ludwig. The piano concertos, and start listening with the 3rd. I like pianist Zoltan Kocsis's set on Philips and the set Boulez conducts with Zimerman, Andsnes, and Grimaud.
All of these are comparatively short. Bluebeard fits on one CD; all three of the concertos do too.
Bluebeard has been making the rounds of US orchestras in the five years. It is short, has two characters only, and works well in concert or semi-staged. If you ever get a chance to see it live, get tickets, because it is gorgeous and makes a great impact in person.
The Third Piano Concerto is, as irontongue suggested, an excellent piece of Bartok to begin with. And if you then listen to the First and the Second Concertos (in that order), you will have experienced a miniature outline of his stylistic evolution.
The most user-friendly work of Bartok's, though, is the Concerto for Orchestra. I go for that.
Mileage varies; it took me a long time (and the help of Karel Ancerl) to warm to the Concerto for Orchestra. It is a piece I should have ten recordings of, but I don't, so I have a sort of an anti recommendation only: the legendary Reiner/CSO recording is monophonic and should not be anyone's first performance of the piece. Boulez has recorded it twice, with the NY Phil when he was their music director 40 years ago, and more recently with the CSO. I expect they are both worth hearing; the CSO is fantastic with him in the first piano concerto.
Thanks for your input. Am I correctly understanding you as saying that the NY Philharmonic's performance is the one I should listen to first because it is stereophonic?
Thank you! Piano is one of my favorite instruments. (The others being glass harmonium and electric guitar, but I expect you wouldn't like the last in that list.)
You might be surprised. I am a big fan of Bob Johnson of Steeleye Span. I like rock music, but it has to be good rock music, which eliminates 99.9% of it right there. What remains, though, is choice.
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Date: 2014-01-14 02:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-14 02:55 pm (UTC)All of these are comparatively short. Bluebeard fits on one CD; all three of the concertos do too.
Bluebeard has been making the rounds of US orchestras in the five years. It is short, has two characters only, and works well in concert or semi-staged. If you ever get a chance to see it live, get tickets, because it is gorgeous and makes a great impact in person.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-15 01:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-14 03:27 pm (UTC)The most user-friendly work of Bartok's, though, is the Concerto for Orchestra. I go for that.
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Date: 2014-01-14 04:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-15 02:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-15 02:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-15 02:23 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2014-01-15 03:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-15 02:25 pm (UTC)