Bartok with Lili Kraus

Another in a quick series of recordings from American Decca's 4000 series of 10-inchers from the early 50s.

My first entry (Julius Baker in music by Foote and Griffes) was recorded by Decca for the series itself, but most entries in the 4000 series were reprints of European recordings, mainly from Deutsche Grammophon.

Young Lili Kraus

This present entry, however, comes from Parlophone, and was inscribed as early as 1938. The artist is Lili Kraus, whom I had always typed as a classical-era specialist, probably because he did a Mozart concerto cycle in the 1960s - but here she is playing Bartok, and does very well indeed with these very attractive folk-derived compositions.

It turns out that Kraus studied for a time with the composer, and her playing here is - to my non-Magyar ears - highly idiomatic. The piano tone is truthful, although Decca's transfer to LP was somewhat grainy. My biggest objection is that this is a very short record. I believe the original issue was on two 10-inch 78s. Good listening, though.