Search - Bela Bartok, Rolf Reinhardt, Michael Gielen :: Gyorgy Sandor Plays Bartók

Gÿorgy Sándor - The Forgotten Titan

Maria735 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 12/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have read Mr. Hiram Gómez Pardo's review and beg to differ in his appreciation of Gÿorgy Sándor's playing. I have been a follower of Sándor's for many years. A low-profile, low-key but enormously versatile artist of the highest stature, who not only excelled in his readings of his teacher, Bela Bártok's, compositions but mastered the art of Liszt, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Falla, Rachmaninov and last but not least, Bach. We have yet to see this output released on CD... It is about time that we place Mr. Sándor amongst the greatest pianists of the XXth Century. Sony, thank GOD, has finally re-released these Bartók recordings and it is my sincere hope that the VOX recordings will finally make their way to CD. I would not like to see Japan as the only country turning to these Great Masters of the Piano to produce reissues of their enormous repertoire. There are no pianists today who can even try to measure up to Sándor's flair and on-the-edge readings... He is still alive and should be the recipient of far more tributes than I have seen so far bequeathed on him.



Mr. Gómez Pardo and many others have probably not been as lucky as I and do not know that Mr.Sándor has a magnificent version of Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain on Vox... They probably do not know that Sándor recorded Liszt's Sonata in B minor, Schumann's Carnaval and Kreisleriana, and that he played Rachmaninov's 2nd Concerto under none other than Arthur Rodzinsky.



He is not forgotten though amongs connoisseurs and musicians, as well as music lovers worldwide. He was in Buenos Aires in 2003 and I had the great pleasure of meeting him. It may have been this contact and hearing him live at the Colón at 90+ which fired my spirits to search for more of his output.



Musicians today have a lot to learn from listening to his recordings."

Bountiful Bartok

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 05/12/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Gyorgy Sandor Plays Bartok" is a wonderful budget line collection of the Hungarian composer's works for piano and orchestra. While the first disc featuring the three piano concertos does not quite measure up to the Anda/Fricsay recordings on DG Originals, they are quite impressive. The second disc is comprised of lesser known pieces including the intriguing "Scherzo for Piano and Orchestra," of which this performance is my first copy. All in all, an excellent pair of discs for the money."

The kaleidoscopic Hungarian master!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 11/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Gyorgy Sandor typifies as any other pianist, the whole universe of this outstanding composer: Bela Bartok. Sandor never played best any other composer. When he played him, there were a lot of livings, affections, shared issues, absolute commitment and such level of understanding around the score that you will be in shock state, once you listen him playing the first bars of the work you choose.



Very few times in the story of the music there has been such kind of rapport and authentic fondness, mercurial and visceral display of pianism. I was a loyal witness of the art of Mr. Sandor when he came to Caracas, his percussive sound, his incisive, leonine, steeled fingering did not permeate his marvelous inspiration, serene mystery and enraptured lyricism.



It is time for you to get close to Bartok' s universe but if additionally you decide to choose Sandor as his musical Ambassador, you will acquire one of the twenty recordings of the XX Century.



And after listening those works, you will know the reason of my enthusiasm. Buy all that you can around this team.

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