The title 'Concerto for Orchestra', first coined by Hindemith in 1925, refers to the highly virtuosic writing for individual instruments or groups within the orchestra.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Both Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály, the composers on this album, were deeply influenced by an "exuberant love of their homeland" and collaborated as ethnomusicologists.
Performer Biography
Jakub Hrůša, the conductor, is Chief Conductor of Bamberg Symphony, Principal Guest Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra, and Permanent Guest Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic.
Historical Context
Kodály was unable to conduct the premiere of his Concerto for Orchestra in Chicago because World War II had broken out, preventing his travel.
Composition History
Béla Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra was commissioned by the Koussevitzky Foundation in 1943, after Bartók had emigrated to the USA in 1940 due to the 'new global catastrophe'.
Composition History
Zoltán Kodály's Concerto for Orchestra was commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for its 50th anniversary and premiered on February 6, 1941.
Composer Biography
Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra was composed in an incredibly short period between August 15 and October 8, 1943, while he was seriously ill with incurable leukaemia.
