[78-L] Bartok Sampler

Michael Biel mbiel at mbiel.com
Sat May 9 17:22:31 PDT 2009


From: Malcolm Smith <malcolms at redshift.com>
> There are a lot of recordings of Bela Bartok made before he became 
> ill and was dumped by Columbia University to die a pauper in NY. An 
> American embarrassment if ever there was one. There are also 
> recordings of his wife, Dita Pastory playing his works.

Didn't Koussy keep Bartok alive with his commissioning of the Concerto
for Orchestra?  Don't expect universities to do the right thing.  That's
how they are.  Bartok Records was run by Bela's son Peter, who recently
retired.  I just picked up an early LP on the label with some of the
transcribed folksongs with piano acc. by Bela and Dita.  I have the
Hungaroton box sets with the studio, home, and broadcast recordings of
Bela.  I'm not sure if the recordings on the Bartok Records LP are on
the Hungariton boxes.  I also have the box that has some of the original
cylinders Bela recorded of peasants in Hungary and maybe Rumania. While
I have the Hungariton sampler LP of the Bartok box set series, I don't
have the sampler that dl asks about.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com  




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