Bartók & Babin: Piano Concertos

Featuring

Yordan Kamdzhalov
Dobri Paliev
Plamen Todorov
Aglika Genova
Liuben Dimitrov
Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra

Piano Duo Genova & Dimitrov
Béla Bartók
Victor Babin

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Composer Biography

The premiere of Bartók's Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion marked the first public appearance of his second wife and former pupil, Ditta Pásztory, as his duo partner.

Cultural Impact

Yordan Kamdzhalov, the conductor on this album, has an asteroid named after him by NASA (52292 Kamdzhalov) due to his passion for astronomy and connecting music with the universe.

Notable Performances

The orchestral version of Bartók's work was premiered on January 21, 1943, in New York, with Bartók and his wife as pianists, and was his last public appearance.

Historical Context

Bartók's decision to switch publishers from Universal Edition in Vienna to Boosey & Hawkes in London was influenced by the Nazi annexation of Austria.

Performer Biography

Viktor Babin, an American pianist and composer, formed the 'Vronsky & Babin' Duo with his wife Viktoria Vronskaya, which Newsweek magazine called the most brilliant piano duo of their era.

Compositional Technique

Béla Bartók, a Hungarian composer, pianist, ethnomusicologist, editor, and teacher, aesthetically placed the piano close to percussion instruments in his works.

Composition History

Bartók's Concerto for Two Pianos, Percussion and Orchestra originated from two commissions, one for a chamber work from the International Society of Contemporary Music (ISCM) in Basle, and the other for an orchestral arrangement from his publisher Boosey & Hawkes.