The Wooden Prince and The Miraculous Mandarin are - together with the earlier opera Bluebeard's Castle - the only stage works by BÃ©la BartÃ³k. They stand apart from the more abstract and often more explicitly folk-related character of the music that we primarily associate with the composer. They are nevertheless major achievements that in different ways highlight BartÃ³k's imaginative use of the modern orchestra. Set in an enchanted forest, The Wooden Prince is based on a fairytale-like libretto featuring a prince and princess. The two are subjected to various trials, but at the end of the ballet they are allowed to come together and live - we assume - happily ever after. In stark contrast, The Miraculous Mandarin takes place in an urban brothel where three robbers force a girl to seduce men so that they can overpower and kill them. The subject-matter and the erotic qualities of much of the music caused a scandal at the premiÃ¨re in 1926, and for a long time the score was primarily performed in the shorter concert version heard on the present release, the first from the team of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Susanna MÃ¤lkki, the orchestra's chief conductor since 2016.

Tracklist:

The Wooden Prince, Op. 13, Sz. 60: I. Introduction
The Wooden Prince, Op. 13, Sz. 60: II. First Dance. Dance Of The Princess In The Forest
The Wooden Prince, Op. 13, Sz. 60: III. The Prince Falls In Love
The Wooden Prince, Op. 13, Sz. 60: IV. Towards The Castle Of The Princess - V. Second Dance. Dance Of The Trees
The Wooden Prince, Op. 13, Sz. 60: VI. The Prince Continues On His Way - VII. Third Dance. Dance Of The Waves
The Wooden Prince, Op. 13, Sz. 60: VIII. The Prince Has An Idea
The Wooden Prince, Op. 13, Sz. 60: IX. The Princess Is Curious - X. Fourth Dance. Dance Of The Princess With The Wooden Prince
The Wooden Prince, Op. 13, Sz. 60: XI. The Prince Despairs
The Wooden Prince, Op. 13, Sz. 60: XII. The Prince Is Restored
The Wooden Prince, Op. 13, Sz. 60: XIII. Return Of The Princess - XIV. Fifth Dance
The Wooden Prince, Op. 13, Sz. 60: XV. Collapse Of The Wooden Prince - XVI. Sixth Dance
The Wooden Prince, Op. 13, Sz. 60: XVII. Seventh Dance - XVIII. The Despair Of The Princess
The Wooden Prince, Op. 13, Sz. 60: XIX. The Happy End
The Miraculous Mandarin Suite, Op. 19, Sz. 73: I. Introduction - II. The 3 Tramps And The Girl
The Miraculous Mandarin Suite, Op. 19, Sz. 73: III. First Decoy Game. The Old Rake
The Miraculous Mandarin Suite, Op. 19, Sz. 73: IV. Second Decoy Game. The Young Boy
The Miraculous Mandarin Suite, Op. 19, Sz. 73: V. Third Decoy Game. The Mandarin Appears
The Miraculous Mandarin Suite, Op. 19, Sz. 73: VI. The Girl Begins To Dance For The Mandarin
The Miraculous Mandarin Suite, Op. 19, Sz. 73: VII. The Mandarin Chases The Girl

UPC: 7318599923284
Label: Bis
Release Date: 6.7.19
Format: CD

Bartok / Helsinki Philharmonic Orch / Malkki - Wooden Prince (CD)