Page 721 - Liverpool Philharmonic 22-23 Season Coverage Book

Bartók: Violin Concerto No.2

If you listen closely enough, you'll be able to detect that Bartók's second Violin
Concerto is, in fact, an extended sequence of variations across three movements. If
you don't feel the need to dive in that deeply, though, you can simply enjoy what is a
wonderfully agile and lively concerto. Soulful and playful by turns, it has episodes of
dissonance: however, it's dominated by enticing melodies and a lively energy taken
from folk music.

• Five essential works by Bartók
Recommended recording: Christian Tetzlaff (violin), Finnish Radio Symphony
orchestra / Hannu Lintu (Ondine).