{"product_id":"cantelli-conducts-bartok-194954-pasc081","title":"CANTELLI conducts Bartók (1949\/54) - PASC081","description":"overviewfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003eBARTÓK \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003eMusic for Strings, Percussion and Celesta\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003eBARTÓK \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003eConcerto for Orchestra\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12px;\"\u003eRecorded live in 1949 and 1954\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12px;\"\u003eTotal duration: 68:36\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eBoston Symphony Orchestra \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003e NBC Symphony Orchestra \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003econducted by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eGuido Cantelli \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_titlefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fMusicWeb International Review578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_quotefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fIt’s the very reference model of the works in sound so close to real that it’s truly amazing. Simply essential.578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_bodyfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp\u003eIn\nthese days of slick CDs sounding as if they were recorded\nnowhere at all it takes a lot to get a cynical old beast\nlike me excited. However this Pristine Audio Bartók release\nwas thrilling from the first hearing.\n\u003cbr\u003e\n \n\n\u003cbr\u003e\nOkay,\nGuido Cantelli (1920-1956) was so very special and his death\nin a plane crash in Paris robbed the world of a genius but\nhe could be a bit wayward now and then. I cite his Britten ‘Sinfonia\nda Requiem’ which he excavates with his orchestral instincts\nbut at the expense of what Britten actually wrote. It is\nin fact the only serious lapse I can recall. Damned exciting\nthough and Britten agreed.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nIf\nyou haven’t heard his Brahms, Schumann and Tchaikovsky you\nhaven’t lived. Cantelli was the \u003ci\u003eassoluto\u003c\/i\u003e of the orchestra\nwith a commanding ability to draw evident pleasure from musicians\nfrom many nations. His accuracy of tempo was greatly admired\nby men far older than he.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMusic\nfor Strings, Percussion and Celesta\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e (1937) is\na very tough work to deliver successfully. Cantelli’s\n1954 recording reminded me of the first time I heard\nPierre Boulez do it as the new conductor of the BBCSO\nin his first Prom season in the Royal Albert Hall, London.\nBoulez eschews the baton and the stunning sound was as\nif his fingers were pulling invisible strings to all\nplayers; the enormous audience was silent. In all probability\nthere was no greater silence than in this Cantelli live\nperformance of 1954. That thrill of Boulez was brought\nback by this astonishing release. If anything, Cantelli\nis a nose ahead because Boulez never replicated that\nlive thrill on record. We are fortunate that Cantelli\nwas recorded live on 27 March 1954 . I wonder if the\nWGBH-FM Boston engineers on that night knew that they\nwere broadcasting perfection. It seems likely that members\nof the Boston Symphony Orchestra knew that something\nspecial was happening.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nWhat\nis special is that this complex work with dynamic extremes\nopens with the strings muted in violins and violas then goes\nto the rest of the strings at a measured pace; shades of\nVaughan Williams 6\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e Epilogue of later years.\nThe added strings, under masterly discipline, build up the\nkeening dynamics to a climactic point. It is as if the entry\nof the timpani is required to return the strings to their\nwandering quest with a little goodbye from the celesta.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nCantelli\ntakes the second movement \u003ci\u003eAllegro\u003c\/i\u003e at score pace with\njust a few valid Magyar syncopation strokes. He makes it\nfun after the rather pessimistic opening movement and there’s\nbrilliant attention to pizzicato to set against the celesta\ninterventions. It all makes sense with celebration coming\nlike the resolution of a lovers’ spat.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe \u003ci\u003eAdagio\u003c\/i\u003e third\nmovement is slightly quicker than Boulez and Solti on record\nbut my “reference” favourite old EMI LP with Gyorgy Lehel\nconducting Hungarian musicians is just a fraction over Cantelli’s\n6:12.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nThat\ntouch of urgency after the slow opening of wood blocks and\ntimps followed by lower strings is a masterstroke. Cantelli’s\npace makes sense when the sliding string passage against\ncelesta and pedal timp moves to resolution and development.  Most\nconductors miss the point that if Bartók had wanted a peak\nin the violas he would have written it. Here we find Cantelli\ngetting the best of the lower strings and varied percussion\n(including piano) at a slower pace than even Lehel. The tensions\nof stretched harmonies flow out uniquely in my experience.\nCantelli even keeps the stronger string dynamics without\nvibrato. The result is to weld this strange music to the\nmusical agenda of the whole work \u003ci\u003eif one listens hard\u003c\/i\u003e.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe\nfinal movement, \u003ci\u003eAllegro molto\u003c\/i\u003e sounds as if a Magyar\nwas conducting but the score is clear. The difference between\nLehel and Cantelli is a cigarette paper except for phrasing\npoints when the fun music needs to romp. Cantelli is maybe\na bit less abandoned than Lehel but remarkable nonetheless.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe\nbiggest danger with this work is that the movements can seem\ndisparate. I feel that about the Solti (Decca), which is\nprobably the most familiar. Boulez knits it well enough in\nhis recordings but he was better live. Lehel’s authenticity\nis frankly outclassed by Cantelli’s depth of understanding\nof the actual music.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eConcerto\nfor Orchestra \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e(1943) is from Bartók’s very few\nAmerican years when he left Hungary to avoid Nazi oppression.\nThat period saw his last quartet - one of profound sadness\n- and a few interesting works. However for him there\nwas no red carpet treatment and he was already in poor\nhealth with the leukaemia which caused his death in 1945.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nKoussevitsky\ncommissioned the Concerto for the Boston SO but the Cantelli\nversion is with the NBCSO and was recorded for\/from radio\non 29 January 1949.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe\ninvention of a true ‘concerto for orchestra’ in five movements\nwas brilliant enough in itself. In it Bartók gave value aplenty\nby looking back to Europe and his beloved Hungary with unusually\ngenerous orchestration. Even so, there was more. Bartók never\nlearnt English - even the American version - but was well\naware of events during a terrible war. As well as retaining\nhis sense of humour sufficient to satirise Shostakovich’s ‘Leningrad\nSymphony’ in the fourth movement he knew that his fellow\ncomposer was under a dictator just the same as his own country\nwas by invasion.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nTo\nmy mind Cantelli in 1949 captured the essence of the Concerto \u003ci\u003eas\na supreme musician\u003c\/i\u003e better than Koussevitsky, Reiner,\nSolti and even modern conductors such as Rahbari on Naxos.\nThat said it’s still difficult to say precisely how he did\nthis; only listening makes the point. The faithfulness, discipline\nand genius of Cantelli is mercifully retained through this\nrecording but just how Pristine Audio’s engineers dig out\nthe actual sonics as they do is a mystery to me.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nCantelli’s\nanalytical style with innate musicality makes sense of this\nas a concerto for an orchestra. Contrast this with a performance\nthat communicates the work as ‘a piece for orchestra in five\nmovements’ as it sometimes seems to be on disc. Cantelli\nspots exactly what Bartók intended in emphasis of orchestral\nsections. So did Reiner with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra\nfor RCA. The sound is better in this Pristine Audio release\nof tapes taken down before stereo.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nNow\nthe gripes. Only one of them is to do with Cantelli’s performance.\nAt the opening of the final movement there is a 12 note brass\nfanfare but Cantelli delays the last one for longer than\nthe score shows; it sounds a bit odd – especially for Cantelli.\nIf this is due to editing I trust that Pristine Audio’s genius\nengineer Andrew Rose will let us know. With the remainder\nof that movement simply so perfect I am probably being picky.\nHowever with the rest of this performance so perfect a ‘glitch’ like\nthis stands out.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nMy\nother gripe is that the review copy I received was in a little\nwallet with front and back sheets usually to be found in\na jewel case. There’s no insert and no information about\nthe venues of the recordings. We can assume that the Boston\nSymphony Orchestra played in Boston Symphony Hall but I have\nno idea about where the NBC Symphony Orchestra was recorded.\nWhen a release is as important as this one the more information\nwe have the better (Pristine offers recordings as downloads.\nThis CDR was specially supplied for review so did not carry\nfull documentation. Downloads are available from\nthe\nPristine\nwebsite - Ed.). \u003cbr\u003e\n \n\u003cbr\u003e\nWithout\nreservation I recommend this issue. It’s the closest to analogue\nsound by a genius that you will hear. That said, a good outboard\nDAC is essential, avoid headphones and use very good speakers.\nThen you will hear Bartók in extremely important works as\nnear to reality under a conductor of genius.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\nIf\nyou like Bartók’s music or are just getting to know it then\nyou \u003ci\u003emust\u003c\/i\u003e have this CD. It’s the very reference model\nof the works in sound so close to real that it’s truly amazing. \u003ci\u003eSimply\nessential\u003c\/i\u003e.\n\u003cbr\u003e \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eStephen Hall\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9main_samplefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fsamples\/PASC081.mp3578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fProducer's Note578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcontent578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp class=\"bodybig\" align=\"center\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 24px;\"\u003eCantelli Conducts Bartók\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"bodymid\" align=\"center\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMy original source material for these transfers was quarter-inch reel-to-reel tape, onto which transfers of the original recordings had previously been made by persons unknown. The 1954 recording was in generally good condition, though with dreadful tonal balance grossly amplifying the frequencies between about 1.2kHz and 9kHz, peaking at some 15dB above my reference recording at around 4.5kHz. With this corrected, the restoration was straightforward and the results fine, if slightly hissy.\n\u003cp class=\"body\" align=\"left\"\u003eThe condition of the earlier recording, the \u003cem\u003eConcerto for Orchestra\u003c\/em\u003e, was not so good. Its frequency range was far more limited and the discs from which it had been transferred were in places quite badly damaged. I have spent many hours restoring (and in places, virtually rebuilding) the audio on this recording with, I believe, some success. However, there are limits to what is possible, and some mild unevenness in sound quality may be noticed at times.\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fFull Track Listing578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5ftrack_listing578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eBARTÓK \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eMusic for Strings, Percussion and Celesta\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBARTÓK \u003c\/b\u003eConcerto for Orchestra\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eBoston Symphony Orchestra \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e NBC Symphony Orchestra \u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003econducted by \u003cb\u003eGuido Cantelli \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,san-serif;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bodysmallarial\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMusic\nfor Strings, Percussion and Celesta\u003c\/b\u003e played by the Boston Symphony\nOrchestra, taken from a WGBH-FM Boston broadcast, recorded 27th March,\n1954.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eConcerto for Orchestra \u003c\/b\u003eplayed by the NBC Symphony Orchestra, taken from an NBC radio broadcast, recorded 29th January 1949.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Pristine Audio XR remastering by Andrew Rose, June-July 2007\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bodysmallarial\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,san-serif;\"\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,san-serif;\"\u003eDuration 68:36\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fCover Art578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcover_art578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcovers\/thumbs\/PASC081.jpg578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcovers\/PASC081.pdf578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f","brand":"Pristine Classical","offers":[{"title":"Ambient Stereo 16-bit FLAC","offer_id":54932295385427,"sku":"vem1789301745914","price":8.29,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"320kbps Ambient Stereo MP3","offer_id":54932295418195,"sku":"aao1789301745915","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1068\/1833\/9155\/files\/cantelli-conducts-bartok-194954---pasc081_1.jpg?v=1789301753","url":"https:\/\/vendnora.com\/products\/cantelli-conducts-bartok-194954-pasc081","provider":"luckagni","version":"1.0","type":"link"}