Concerto For Orchestra/Music For Strings

Decca hit on a formula for success by making Dutoit and his Montreal orchestra the successor to Ansermet as their in-house French conductor (even though both were Swiss). There was a youthful aura around conductor and musicians; the company provided bright, vivid sound that never failed to earn raves; the repertoire was aimed at the French-speaking world but with excursions into other musical realms, mostly Russian. Dutoit proved to be an ideal conductor of light, breezy music,, the only glitch being that he seemed glib and bland in major works like Berlioz's Les Troyens. Would Bartok also prove too challenging?

The externals are all in place: this is a fine-sounding CD played with polish by the Montreal SO, and the pacing moves ahead. But the same problem soon becomes evident -- Dutoit skates over the surface of the first movement of the Concerto for Orchestra, making flashy gestures that reveal nothing beyond flash. This is like a poor man's version of equally unrevealing but more refined performances under Ozawa during his exhausting tenure in Boston. the Game of Pairs clucks along without incident. The Elegie begins without atmosphere and continues in the same vein. The Intermezzo's beautiful melody is delivered without passion or affection, and its satiric jab at Shostakovich isn't much of a lark, despite a nice raspberry from the trombones. The Finale, which is technically quite challenging, receives a good-enough reading without raising anyone's blood pressure once you've heard either of Solti's readings, among others. Still, it comes closest to making an impression here.

The Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta is a more rigorous work and demands incisive thinking on the conductor's part, as well as a mastery of tricky cross-rhythms. Dutoit is slack too much of the time, but he does know how to handle rhythm, which is to the good. If only he didn't go out of his way to prettify Bartok's astringent string sound. the reading as a whole is soft-grained, which I suppose is how Dutoit's fans like it -- the formula has worked for a long time.

Perhaps you think my "slug" is a joke. But it is true that this is the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under the excellent leadership of Charles Dutiot. I don't think of Dutiot as a Bartokian or that a Canadian orchestra would be a great interpreter, but I am wrong on both counts. This is quite good. Why is more than good it's excellent. I would plug in 4.5 stars, but I will give the MSO and there leader the extra 0.5 points to make it a five star recommendation. The playing is the best that could be expected and the sound is very good DDD. In fact I almost think that the engineering is better than the playing, but I will have to listen again. I honestly don't know who I would recommend above this recording. Perhaps one with Ivan Fischer (yes, Ivan not the other Fischer) and the Budapest Festival Orchestra, but I don't even know if one by that group and conductor exists. What does exist is this CD with Dutiot and his band doing their best Hungarian accent.

The Concerto for Orchestra is one of the greatest works of the 20th century for orchestra. Perhaps it is even the best. I saying this while trying not to bite my tongue because I love Shostakovich so much. It is in arch-like form and demonstrates the orchestra so well. You have to like this work. It has emotional appeal that many contemporary works today lack. In fact the Concerto for Orchestra is fairly conventional in expression. Yet it does dazzle.

The Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste is perhaps a more advanced work although older. It was done on commission. Few know that it actually quotes Arnold Bax note for note in the first movement of one of Bax's symphonies. This is a fact Bartok lover's won't tell you often. I love Bartok, but I hate plagerism. Other than that it is quite a work full of atmosphere. It was used in the movie "The Shining" along with Penderecki's music. So maybe it will strike terror into your heart too. I am just kidding. It's a great piece.

Both pieces, the Concerto for Orchestra and the Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste, are often paired together for Bartok. I should also mention that the celeste, a fairly quiet instrument, is heard clearly in the later work. I highly recommend this CD to anyone interested in this repetoire.

This is a beautiful recording of a wonderful performance of a tremendous selection of music. Get it and delight your ears.