On two previous highly acclaimed albums, the performers recorded Bartók's three major scores for the stage: the wonderful Mandarin, the wooden Prince and Bluebeard's Castle, all composed before 1918. Now they have taken on two late large-scale orchestral works. Bartók wrote the music for strings, percussion and celesta for the Basel Chamber Orchestra in 1936. It is one of the finest examples of his late style with its synthesis of folk music, classicism and modernism. The unusual instrumentation immediately catches the eye and, of course, the ear. Two string orchestras sit opposite each other, framing percussion and keyboard instruments. In 1940 Bartók emigrated to the USA, where he initially struggled as a composer. Finally, in 1943, he received a prestigious commission from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and in less than eight weeks he wrote the "Concerto for Orchestra." He plays with the individual sections, woodwinds, brass and strings, and juxtaposes them soloistically, which is why he eventually called the work "Concerto" rather than "Symphony".