Alsop on Bartók

[sawyl]

An excellent all Bartók edition of Performance on 3 tonight, featuring Four Slovak Folksongs and, as the major work, a concert performance of Duke Bluebeard's Castle. Both works were introduced by Marin Alsop, who explained the thinking behind the tonal colours used by Bartók and touch one some of the the psychoanalytic elements of Balázs' libretto. I wonder why more conductors don't give introductions like this, especially when they're performing a piece as complex as Bluebeard — it certainly knocks program notes into a cocked hat...