Bach, Brahms and Bartók Mark the Year's End

Béla Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3, written in 1945, is one of the century’s most expressive works in the genre. It starts simply with a Hungarian folk melody played in octaves by the soloist — echoing concertos by Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev — but quickly becomes more intricate, with splashy chords and trilling outbursts reminiscent of the first Brahms Concerto. As with his solo piano music, the concerto moves from purely tonal passages to more astringent harmonies, but in general it has more carefree moments than many of his earlier works, perhaps due to his improved financial condition after an initial dry period in the move from Europe to the United States and his partial recovery from leukemia.

   The meditative slow movement begins with a series of alternating luxurious string passages and chorale-like piano responses, then suddenly changes mood with pentatonic passages and wispy “night music†sounds before returning to the quietude of the opening. The finale is a rhythmically angular romp that has much in common with the composer’s Concerto for Orchestra. Bartók, whose splendid orchestral skills are evident throughout, died just as he was finishing the work, and the last 17 bars were completed from his sketches by his pupil Tibor Serly.

   Pianist Peter Serkin will perform the work at the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie Dec. 19, at 3 p.m., with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic under the direction of Randall Craig Fleischer. Serkin, a Berkshire resident, is a perfect match for this piece. His command of both the classical and contemporary repertoire, both as a soloist and as a chamber musician, ranks him with the best artists performing today.

   The orchestra will also play the Brahms Serenade No. 1, Op. 11, and the “Winter†movement from Glazunov’s “The Seasons.†A preconcert talk by Fleischer with musicians starts at 2 p.m. Tickets are $24-44, with student rush tickets at $20 an hour before the concert. Information and reservations at 845-473-2072, or ticketmaster.com.

   The Hudson Valley Folk Guild presents Mike and Emmy Clarke in a coffeehouse performance at the Unitarian Fellowship on South Randolph Avenue in Poughkeepsie Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Information at 845-229-0170.

   And Berkshire Bach Society’s annual New Year’s concert program this year features three formidable violinists: Eugene Drucker (of the Emerson Quartet), Ani Kavafian and former BSO concertmaster Joseph Silverstein, in the Concerto for 3 Violins. Carol Wincenc will be the flutist in the Suite No. 2 in B minor, and the “Brandenburg†concertos Nos. 1 in F and 3 in G complete the program. Two performances: Dec. 31, 6 p.m., at the Mahaiwe Theater in Great Barrington, MA, and New Year’s Day, 4 p.m., at the Troy Music Hall, Troy, NY. Tickets are available through www.mahaiwe.org and www.troymusichall.org.

Two pop-rock indie bands new to me are sharing the stage at Club Helsinki in Hudson on Fri. Jan. 7 at 9 p.m. Johnny Society and the Mommyheads both offer fine arrangements, catchy grooves and great singing, and are sure to create a memorable, fun evening. More info at helsinkihudson.com.

If you’ve found some great holiday music—whether sacred or secular, reverent or just plain silly—on YouTube, we’d like to know! Please send a link or two to compass@lakevillejournal.com with “Holiday Sounds†in the subject, and we’ll share them in next week’s column.

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