Bartók: The Wooden Prince (Final Version); Divertimento; Romanian Folk Dances

by Thomas Dausgaard, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Overview

Bartók's The Wooden Prince of 1917 is much less well-known than his later ballet, The Miraculous Mandarin. The reasons seem clear enough; it uses a monster orchestra, and it sounds more like a mashup of Strauss, Wagner, and Debussy than Bartók. Among the work's champions was Bartók himself, who continued to revise the work several times after its 1917 completion; what is heard here is the final version, in which he axed about a quarter of the original piece. That probably did the work good, but this seems to be the first recording of this version, and it fits the dry style of conductor Thomas Dausgaard, leading the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Dausgaard is splendid in bringing transparency to Bartók's rich orchestral detail. Hear the subtle winds and solo violin in "The Princess' Seductive Dance" for just one example. All this is magnificently rendered by the Onyx label's engineers at the Glasgow City Halls (incorrectly rendered as City Hall in the booklet). The brass glitters, and the impression is of a vast space, colorfully filled. Audiophiles will get a real treat here, but Dausgaard's exacting, precise treatments, with the orchestra delivering what must have been strenuous demands, is attractive for anyone, and the album landed on classical best-seller lists in the spring of 2024. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	03/29/2024
Label:	Onyx Classics
UPC:	0880040423324
Rank:	35246

Tracks

1. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~I. Introduction
2. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~II. The Princess
3. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~III. First Dance - Dance of the Princess in the Forest, Part 1
4. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~IV. First Dance - Dance of the Princess in the Forest, Part 2
5. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~V. Second Dance - The Dance of the Trees
6. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~VI. The Prince Moves On
7. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~VII. Third Dance - Dance of the Waves
8. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~VIII. The Prince has and Idea
9. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~IX. The Prince has Another Idea
10. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~X. The Princess Notices the Puppet
11. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~XI. Fourth Dance - Dance of the Princess with the Wooden Prince
12. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~XII. The Princess Despairs
13. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~XIII. The Fairy Comforts the Prince
14. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~XIV. The Princess Appears
15. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~XV. Fifth Dance - The Princess Forces the Wooden Prince to Dance
16. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~XVI. Sixth Dance - The Princess's Seductive Dance
17. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~XVII. Sevent Dance - The Forest Stops the Princess
18. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~XVIII. The Prince Comes Forward
19. The Wooden Prince, Sz. 60~XIV. All Things Take On Their Original From
20. Divertimento for Strings, Sz. 113~I. Allegro non troppo
21. Divertimento for Strings, Sz. 113~II. Molto adagio
22. Divertimento for Strings, Sz. 113~III. Allegro assai
23. Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68~No. 1 Joc cu bâta
24. Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68~No. 2 Brâul
25. Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68~No. 3 Pe loc
26. Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68~No. 4 Buciumeana
27. Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68~No. 5 Romanian Polka
28. Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68~No. 6a Maruntel "Fast Dance 1" (Belényes)
29. Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68~No. 6b Maruntel "Fast Dance 2" (Nyágra)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Thomas Dausgaard   Primary Artist,Conductor
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra   Primary Artist,Orchestra