New Bernstein releases
Posted by: Tam on 26 August 2007
DG have just released the latest in their Collectors Edition series (I'm sure there should be an apostrophe in there but they haven't used one) devoted to Bernstein's recordings for them and there are some interesting things in there (though locating them all with Amazon's useless search engine was trickier).
The first box is more Beethoven. One of the first boxes in the series was Bernstein's late 70s cycle with the VPO (which can now be had for around £12 on Amazon). At the time I was rather disappointed that some of his more interesting Beethoven recordings such as those made at the long out of catalogue Amnesty concert (which I have been eager to hear ever since Graham first recommended it) or his Berlin 'ode to freedom' recording of the 9th were not included. DG have now corrected this with a second Beethoven box (full details here).
The second box contains his DG recordings of Tchaikovsky (principly the 4th, 5th and 6th symphonies as well as one or two other things such as the 1812). I'm a little lukewarm about his earlier Columbia cycle with the NYPO so it will be interesting to hear how this compares (though by and large it is the later symphonies that are better on that box).
Finally we get Bernstein's recommendable late Mozart. At least, the already available disc of the 40th and 41st symphonies is a firm favourite of mine, so I look forward to hearing other symphonies, concertos and masses.
Also of note, the previously released Brahms symphony cycle has now been put onto DVD (though I do not rate these VPO recordings amongst my favourites, the very fine 4th excepted) complete with introductory talks by the conductor.
Previous issues in the series have included his Sibelius (discussed at length on my Sibelius thread), a fine box of his recordings of American composers, a fine box of Haydn, including an excellent Creation and three boxes collecting his Mahler (which contains some gems and some which are, to say the least, and acquired taste). The time that saw the release of his Mahler also included a box of Shostakovich and Stravinsky and one of Schubert, Schumann and Mendelssohn (both of which I have yet to sample).
Perhaps now the festival is starting to wind down, I may even have a chance to do some listening!
regards, Tam
The first box is more Beethoven. One of the first boxes in the series was Bernstein's late 70s cycle with the VPO (which can now be had for around £12 on Amazon). At the time I was rather disappointed that some of his more interesting Beethoven recordings such as those made at the long out of catalogue Amnesty concert (which I have been eager to hear ever since Graham first recommended it) or his Berlin 'ode to freedom' recording of the 9th were not included. DG have now corrected this with a second Beethoven box (full details here).
The second box contains his DG recordings of Tchaikovsky (principly the 4th, 5th and 6th symphonies as well as one or two other things such as the 1812). I'm a little lukewarm about his earlier Columbia cycle with the NYPO so it will be interesting to hear how this compares (though by and large it is the later symphonies that are better on that box).
Finally we get Bernstein's recommendable late Mozart. At least, the already available disc of the 40th and 41st symphonies is a firm favourite of mine, so I look forward to hearing other symphonies, concertos and masses.
Also of note, the previously released Brahms symphony cycle has now been put onto DVD (though I do not rate these VPO recordings amongst my favourites, the very fine 4th excepted) complete with introductory talks by the conductor.
Previous issues in the series have included his Sibelius (discussed at length on my Sibelius thread), a fine box of his recordings of American composers, a fine box of Haydn, including an excellent Creation and three boxes collecting his Mahler (which contains some gems and some which are, to say the least, and acquired taste). The time that saw the release of his Mahler also included a box of Shostakovich and Stravinsky and one of Schubert, Schumann and Mendelssohn (both of which I have yet to sample).
Perhaps now the festival is starting to wind down, I may even have a chance to do some listening!
regards, Tam
I haven't yet got to the new releases, as I've been working through the two that I'd missed from the last sets of releases. First up was this box of Stravinsky and Shostakovich:
I'm not the biggest fan of Stravinsky, and most of the works were unknown to me, but I found the suites from L'Oiseau de feu and Pulcinella wonderfully lyrical. Elsewhere, such as the Mass, and to a lesser extent the right of spring, I suspect it's more that I don't enjoy the work.
As far as I'm concerned the real meat was with the Shostakovich, starting with a solid reading of the 1st symphony with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. This is followed by a stunning 7th with the same ensemble. It's long (spanning two discs) and yet doesn't really feel it. The sheer force the orchestra and the calibre of their playing make this something special. 6, with the VPO is less successful (but then I'm not sure I'm much of a fan of the work), their 9th is better.
I'd be tempted to suggest the Shostakovich 7th is indispensable, certainly a must for fans of the works, and the Stravinsky seems fine enough. Amazon currently have it for just over £16, which for the 6 discs, isn't bad.
One final note, these are marked as live recordings. Technically they're as find as many a studio reading I've heard and from what I've read they're about as unlive (i.e. patched from the studio) as it's possible to be.
regards, Tam
I'm not the biggest fan of Stravinsky, and most of the works were unknown to me, but I found the suites from L'Oiseau de feu and Pulcinella wonderfully lyrical. Elsewhere, such as the Mass, and to a lesser extent the right of spring, I suspect it's more that I don't enjoy the work.
As far as I'm concerned the real meat was with the Shostakovich, starting with a solid reading of the 1st symphony with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. This is followed by a stunning 7th with the same ensemble. It's long (spanning two discs) and yet doesn't really feel it. The sheer force the orchestra and the calibre of their playing make this something special. 6, with the VPO is less successful (but then I'm not sure I'm much of a fan of the work), their 9th is better.
I'd be tempted to suggest the Shostakovich 7th is indispensable, certainly a must for fans of the works, and the Stravinsky seems fine enough. Amazon currently have it for just over £16, which for the 6 discs, isn't bad.
One final note, these are marked as live recordings. Technically they're as find as many a studio reading I've heard and from what I've read they're about as unlive (i.e. patched from the studio) as it's possible to be.
regards, Tam
The other piece of catching up prior to the new issues is this box of Schubert, Mendelssohn and Schumann.
The first disc and a half is Schubert's 5th, 8th and 9th symphonies with the Concertgebouw orchestra. These are weight, almost Mahlerian readings, and yet Bernstein is impressively light at times (for example in the second movement of the unfinished). The great c major is a powerful, wrought and intensely romantic reading (possibly not to all tastes). It's good, but not quite so satisfying as the Rattle or Furtwangler (or, in its very different way, Erich Kleiber). The 8th is probably the most special. The 5th, on the other hand, does suffer slightly from being a little too weighty. Throughout, the Concertgebouw's unique sound makes these worth hearing.
I don't know the Mendelssohn nearly as well. Here the Israeli Philharmonic is on duty. We get the 3rd, 4th and 5th symphonies and the Hebrides overture. The 3rd is not a work I'm fond of, so I won't pass judgement on the reading - I didn't grab me, but that isn't necessarily Bernstein's fault. The 4th I like very much, and Bernstein gives a lively, dancing reading. At times playful and refreshingly light (I enjoyed it much more than the other recording I own - Ashkenazy). The 5th is also good (though again, I don't really know it).
From Schumann we get all 4 symphonies as well as the piano and cello concertos. Again, these don't really sound like stereotype of late Bernstein (tending towards slow and heavy). These are spry and light, punchy and not in the least sluggish. The playing, this time from the Vienna Philharmonic, is excellent. George, if he's reading this, may be disappointed, but I enjoyed these more than the Boult versions he kindly passed to me.
These are 'live' recordings (but the same caveat as other Bernstein recordings, as far has how live they really are, applies). I'd say this is one of the finest boxes in the series to date (alongside the Haydn, the Beethoven).
regards, Tam
The first disc and a half is Schubert's 5th, 8th and 9th symphonies with the Concertgebouw orchestra. These are weight, almost Mahlerian readings, and yet Bernstein is impressively light at times (for example in the second movement of the unfinished). The great c major is a powerful, wrought and intensely romantic reading (possibly not to all tastes). It's good, but not quite so satisfying as the Rattle or Furtwangler (or, in its very different way, Erich Kleiber). The 8th is probably the most special. The 5th, on the other hand, does suffer slightly from being a little too weighty. Throughout, the Concertgebouw's unique sound makes these worth hearing.
I don't know the Mendelssohn nearly as well. Here the Israeli Philharmonic is on duty. We get the 3rd, 4th and 5th symphonies and the Hebrides overture. The 3rd is not a work I'm fond of, so I won't pass judgement on the reading - I didn't grab me, but that isn't necessarily Bernstein's fault. The 4th I like very much, and Bernstein gives a lively, dancing reading. At times playful and refreshingly light (I enjoyed it much more than the other recording I own - Ashkenazy). The 5th is also good (though again, I don't really know it).
From Schumann we get all 4 symphonies as well as the piano and cello concertos. Again, these don't really sound like stereotype of late Bernstein (tending towards slow and heavy). These are spry and light, punchy and not in the least sluggish. The playing, this time from the Vienna Philharmonic, is excellent. George, if he's reading this, may be disappointed, but I enjoyed these more than the Boult versions he kindly passed to me.
These are 'live' recordings (but the same caveat as other Bernstein recordings, as far has how live they really are, applies). I'd say this is one of the finest boxes in the series to date (alongside the Haydn, the Beethoven).
regards, Tam
The first of the boxes to that actually prompted this thread, and what a set they are. I've only come fairly recently to Tchaikovsky's symphonic works, Bernstein's earlier Colombia set not having entirely convinced me. Several decades later we have the same orchestra (the NY Philharmonic, for the most part) though a slightly different venue, the Avery Fischer Hall. Which makes it all the more surprising how wonderfully rich these sound (the hall has an acoustic that is troublesome), but whatever the explanation, DG have done a better job.
There is a real weight to their playing and plenty of passion and drama. Some of the slow movements are particularly beautiful. There are some of the slightly laboured tempi that crop up in Bernstein's later work, but not so much so as on the earlier Sibelius set.
These don't have quite the bite Mravinsky but in some ways I prefer them. Either way, I shall certainly be exploring the set more fully.
The fourth discs shifts to the Israeli Philharmonic who play just as richly as their NY counterparts. The disc of fillers such as Hamlet and Capriccio italien are wonderful. Less successful is the 1812 (which I don't much care for at the best of times), it's an excellent reading bar for the rather silly sounding cannon.
regards, Tam