# Bela Bartok - the wooden prince



## deprofundis

Yes after hearing and loving the miraculeous mandarin which was a ballet, i decide to take a chance whit Bartok's Wooden prince.Quite interresting work the¸atmosphere is fantastic has always , bartok never disapointed me before.

Its a shame its relatively unknow among great ballet, maybe it depend on the lisener heh?


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## elgar's ghost

I definitely think Bartok's music does more for the story than the other way around!


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## Manxfeeder

Bartok had a way of writing ballets that were underperformed. But this piece, what an opening!


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## Orfeo

Manxfeeder said:


> Bartok had a way of writing ballets that were underperformed. But this piece, what an opening!


Oh yes! And the Dance of the Trees (Second Dance) and the Dance of the Waves (Third Dance) are spectacular also. This ballet is a masterpiece. And by the way, I would recommend Boulez's DG recording with the Chicago SO wholeheartedly (if you have not acquire it yet).


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## nightscape

dholling said:


> I would recommend Boulez's DG recording with the Chicago SO wholeheartedly (if you have not acquire it yet).


Definitely a great recording and performance! :clap:


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## mcaparula

dholling said:


> Oh yes! And the Dance of the Trees (Second Dance) and the Dance of the Waves (Third Dance) are spectacular also. This ballet is a masterpiece. And by the way, I would recommend Boulez's DG recording with the Chicago SO wholeheartedly (if you have not acquire it yet).


That disc won a Grammy, and the Cantata Profana is just (if not more so) as spectacular as The Wooden Prince


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## Prodromides

mcaparula said:


> That disc won a Grammy, and the Cantata Profana is just (if not more so) as spectacular as The Wooden Prince


I've had this CD since it was a new release, but never even realized that this album is a Grammy winner.


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## Richannes Wrahms

It's a very rich work full of details, it does require a lot of balance and timing control between conductor and orchestra to bring out all its colors. It's better to favour the Debussy in it than the Strauss.


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## Xenakiboy

Very good work by Bartok. The Mandarin, I like more but it is so rich and playful. Very underrated ballet score, worth checking out.


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## fluteman

deprofundis said:


> Yes after hearing and loving the miraculeous mandarin which was a ballet, i decide to take a chance whit Bartok's Wooden prince.Quite interresting work the¸atmosphere is fantastic has always , bartok never disapointed me before.
> 
> Its a shame its relatively unknow among great ballet, maybe it depend on the lisener heh?


This is one of Bartok's great orchestral successes and I was surprised to see it described as "underrated". But I'll have to concede that point as I see the Chicago Symphony and LA Philharmonic both performed it for the first time in 1987 under Pierre Boulez, 70 years after it was written. I've long had the Dorati/LSO recording, great performance and good sound quality for its day (1964).


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## Guest

I saw it once performed complete with the ballet at the Holland festival many years ago and the conductur was Antal Dorati,it was very exciting and I was spellbound .


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## Triplets

I have recordings by Boulez with the CSO and Dorati, but I have to admit the piece doesn't make much of an impression on me, and I find it to be a major letdown after Mandarin. I'll give it another spin


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## Vaneyes

Sounds wooden to me.


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## Pugg

Vaneyes said:


> Sounds wooden to me.


Hilarious that dry humour :cheers:


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