Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin / Hindemith: Nobilissima visione / Varèse: Arcan

by Blair Sanderson Under Jean Martinon's meticulous direction, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra made these recordings for RCA in 1966 and 1967 and set high standards that conductors and orchestras have either followed or surpassed since. That Bartók's ballet The Miraculous Mandarin and Varèse's Arcana would later be given superior performances by Pierre Boulez and the New York Philharmonic takes nothing away from these recordings, because they were groundbreaking for their time and remain as compelling, if imperfect, performances today. The Miraculous Mandarin Suite is presented with a fine attention to detail, particularly in passages where the orchestration is dense and the ballet's vital dance rhythms are heightened. If there is a major failing in this performance, it is in the solo clarinet part, which should be prominent, but unfortunately is subdued and occasionally obscured by the surrounding instruments. Varèse's Arcana is given a fast, energetic performance, which clarifies the piece's overall structure and keeps it moving. Although the orchestra falls short of violence in almost every climax, the final outburst comes as a satisfying coup de grace. The excerpts from Hindemith's Nobilissima Visione provide some relaxation of tensions between the two blockbusters, though these pieces seem staid and conventional in comparison to them.