Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra & Piano Concerto No. 3

Featuring

Pablo Heras-Casado
Javier Perianes
Münchner Philharmoniker
Béla Bartók

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Notable Performances

The Concerto for Orchestra premiered in Boston on December 1, 1944, conducted by Serge Koussevitzky, bringing Bartók belated American recognition.

Composition History

Bartók left 17 bars of the Third Piano Concerto unorchestrated at his death; his pupil and friend Tibor Serly completed the work by deciphering his indications.

Compositional Technique

The Concerto for Orchestra is Bartók's only orchestral work of such large scale, showcasing his favorite stylistic devices and folk music inspirations from Central Europe to Arab music of Algeria.

Composition History

Béla Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra was commissioned by conductor Serge Koussevitzky, arranged by Hungarian friends Fritz Reiner and Zoltán Székely, to help Bartók financially during his exile in the US.

Composition History

Bartók's Third Piano Concerto, his last finished work, was intended as 'life insurance' for his second wife, Ditta Pásztory, whose piano career had stalled in the US.

Composer Biography

Béla Bartók went into exile in the United States in 1940 due to the war and the rise of Nazism, but faced disillusionment as his performing career faltered and his health declined.

Compositional Technique

The Third Piano Concerto features a less demanding solo part than his previous concertos, with Bartók favoring singing melodies over ostinatos, repeated notes, and chord clusters.