Two of the three performances on this disc are the cornerstones of any representative
Bartók collection because they feature the composer himself at the piano. In addition to being one of the preeminent modernist composers,
Bartók was a virtuoso pianist, and thus he could articulate his own knotty and gnarly music. No matter how angular the rhythms and askew the structures in Mikrokosmos,
Bartók makes everything sound natural. And with fiery violinist
Joseph Szigeti and swinging clarinetist
Benny Goodman,
Bartók creates exciting ensemble performances in Contrasts. Though there are many other better sounding recordings and some more accurate performances out there, these performances are fundamental to any understanding of
Bartók the composer.