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Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin (Complete Ballet); Dance Suite; Hungarian PicturesBournemouth Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Marin Alsop Conductor
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Long familiar as a concert suite, Béla Bartók's one-act ballet The Miraculous Mandarin (1926) is now more frequently recorded in its entirety, thanks to the CD's abundant playing time; the full piece easily fits with additional works. This 2004 release from Naxos offers not only the complete Mandarin, but also the rambunctious Dance Suite (1923) and the charming Hungarian Sketches (1931), a steal at the budget price. But quantity is only a virtue if matched in quality, and some may take issue with certain aspects of Marin Alsop's performances with the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and Orchestra. Alsop's insistence on clarity makes her Mandarin seem too cautiously paced to bring out all the details, and her loving attention to many sensuous passages seems to detract somewhat from the work's menace and fright. Yet there is still enough mayhem and violence in the climactic chase and murder scenes to satisfy the most bloodthirsty listener, and the strange "love music" of the final episode is genuinely disturbing. Taken as a whole, then, the ballet is so imaginatively conceived and lustrously played that Alsop's fastidiousness in some places is excusable. Naxos provides fine sound quality overall, though it is a little weak in some of the quieter moments of the Dance Suite and Hungarian Sketches. © Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide
Portions of Content Provided by All Music Guide.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.
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Béla Bartók ComposerThe Miraculous Mandarin, Op.19, BB82 (pantomime) Work
32:52
Bournemouth Symphony Chorus Chorus/Choir,
Marin Alsop Conductor,
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Orchestra
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| 1 | 1.Beginning | 3:18 |
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| 2 | 2.First Seduction Game: The Shabby Old Rake | 3:41 |
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| 3 | 3.Second Seduction Game | 3:10 |
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| 4 | 4.Third Seduction Game | 1:39 |
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| 5 | 5a.The Mandarin enters and remains immobile in the doorway...; 5b.General consternation. The girl overcomes her repugnance and slowly entices the Mandarin5b.General consternation. The girl overcomes her repugnance and slowly entices the Mandarin | 2:31 |
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| 6 | 5c.At last she overcomes her reluctance and begins a hesitant dance, which gradually enlivens to a pit | 5:48 |
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| 7 | 6.The girl sinks down to embrace him... | 0:41 |
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| 8 | 7.The tramps leap out, seize the Mandarin and tear him away from the girl... | 2:52 |
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| 9 | 8.Suddenly the Mandarin's head appears between the pillows and he looks longingly at the girl | 3:20 |
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| 10 | 9.The terrified tramps discuss how they are to get rid of the Mandarin at last | 1:56 |
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| 11 | 10.The body of the Mandarin begins to glow with a greenish blue light | 1:52 |
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| 12 | 11.Più mosso. Vivo: She resists no longer, they embrace | 2:04 |
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17:34
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| 13 | 1.Moderato | 3:55 |
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| 14 | 2.Allegro molto | 2:21 |
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| 15 | 3.Allegro vivace | 3:10 |
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| 16 | 4.Molto tranquillo | 2:52 |
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| 17 | 5.Comodo | 5:16 |
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Béla Bartók ComposerHungarian Sketches (Magyar képek), BB103, Sz.97 Work
11:46
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| 18 | 1.Este a székelyeknél (Evening in the Village) | 3:04 |
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| 19 | 2.Medvetánc (Bear Dance) | 1:47 |
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| 20 | 3.Melódia (Melody) | 2:08 |
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| 21 | 4.Kicsit ázottan (Slightly Tipsy) | 2:26 |
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| 22 | 5.Ürögi kanásztánc (Ürög Swineherd's Dance) | 2:21 |
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