In the early 20th century, the Hungarian composer under the spell of the songs of the Romanian people in Transylvania. Not only did this affect his own compositions, but he also began to travel to the area and collect these folk songs from the population themselves. It resulted in a catalog of 3000 songs. Pianist Lucian Ban grew up in Transylvania and later moved to New York to develop as a jazz
… musician there. His Romanian roots are reflected in these live recordings with quiet and sometimes almost ambient interpretations of Bartók's transcriptions. He is assisted in this by the American violinist Mat Maneri and the refined British reed player John Surman. It is wonderful how this trio manipulates the sometimes complaining and sometimes jubilant, erratic southeast European melodies into a solemn, but also free whole. You are almost startled by the (deserved) thunderous applause after more than an hour of breathtakingly still and melancholic music. Also beautiful are the photos in Bartók's CD booklet of the traditionally dressed Transylvanian men and women who taught him the songs. (MR)more
