The standout item in this release is Bartók’s early symphonic poem Kossuth, partly because of its relative rarity on discs, but also for the opportunity it provides to hear the composer’s nascent style, which was heavily influenced by Richard Strauss. (Bartók composed the piece in the wake of experiencing Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra). It’s chock-full of Straussian (and by derivation Lisztian) dramatic utterances, but Bartók’s own voice can be discerned in his already distinctive orchestral palette. Early work or not, Herbert Blomstedt brings his full artistic commitment to this music, which he realizes beautifully with the aid of virtuoso playing by the San Francisco Symphony.
With the Concerto for Orchestra the San Francisco musicians are of course on more familiar territory. Yet, while they do not exude the same sense of discovery as in Kossuth, there’s nothing routine about their performance, which is brilliant and polished throughout. Blomstedt has fresh ideas about the music that serve to enhance its effect rather than draw attention to themselves. Continuous flow is his main interpretive stance, and the music emerges organically, with each section transitioning fluidly into the next. The first movement has none of the start-stop quality found in other performances, and in this same vein the Elegia makes its terse argument without becoming quasi-operatic. Even with all of this first-rate music-making, it’s the sound of the orchestra (well reproduced by Decca’s vivid, high-impact recording) that gives the most pleasure. A unique release–if you missed it the first time around, Arkivmusic.com’s on-demand service gives you another chance.
