Bartok's best works are the Concerto For Orchestra, Music for Strings Percussion and Celesta, and The Miraculous Mandarin Suite. His works reflect a modern style of composition, but are filled with a wonderful tapestry of sounds and melodies.

Reiner and the Chicago Symphony have the most basic of performances from which others are judged, and the remastering of these old recordings is just great. The Concerto, Music for Strings, and Hungarian Sketches make up this Living Stereo release, and is the perfect place to start your Bartok collection. Also available as an MP3 Album.

Boulez with the Chicago Symphony features newer digital recordings of all of Bartok's major works. The Miraculous Mandarin and Music for Strings is an excellent CD, and even with the duplication of a Reiner performance, Boulez has something different to say about Celesta, so still a nice recording to have in your collection. Also on MP3 Album. Boulez also recorded other Bartok works such as Divertimento and Dance Suite in another DG set that combines these works in a well-performed package. MP3 Album version

Anda, Fricsay and the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin may not be household names, but they give a searing account of Bartok's Three Piano Concertos on DG. Released on DG 'The Originals' this is another basic performance that others are compared. The sound is decent and the playing gets right down to the essence of these very powerful concertos. Also on MP3 Album.