Dinu Lipatti’s slender “official” discography has grown to include many important broadcast performances of works he otherwise didn’t record, like this live 1948 Bartok Third Piano Concerto. Only the Adagio movement was sanctioned by the conductor Paul Sacher for release in an Archiphon compilation (ARC 112/113). You can readily perceive why Sacher didn’t want us to hear the outer movements. He was probably not happy with the orchestra’s poor intonation, imprecise ensemble, and sloppy entrances. In addition, a section of the first movement is marred by a brief but irritating series of squealing, electronic bleeps. None of this really matters, because Lipatti plays beautifully. He commands Bartok’s speech-like syntax in a manner not dissimilar to the composer’s own playing style. Lipatti shapes his phrases to fit into the orchestral fabric, and his golden sonority is lean enough to allow Bartok’s accentuations and asymmetrical rhythms their full bite. Both soloist and conductor, however, tread gingerly through the finale’s tricky syncopations. Comparative listening finds Urania’s transfer to be at least one generation removed from Archiphon’s clearer source.
Similarly, Archiphon’s transfer for Lipatti’s live 1947 Liszt E-flat Concerto is brighter and fuller sounding than Urania’s, although the basic sonic picture is pretty murky as it stands. Lipatti’s unhurried pyrotechnics and ample rubatos take their cue from Liszt pupil Emil von Sauer’s recording, which Lipatti admired. Urania’s transfer for Lipatti’s studio recording of the Grieg Concerto is indistinguishable from the clean, yet slightly filtered EMI References edition. Neither matches Bryan Crimp’s vivid, full sounding transfer for APR. Lipatti completists, though, have no choice but to cough up their shekels for the Bartok, in spite of my sonic caveat.
