Leonard Bernstein

[scottder]

I have become quite a fan of "Lenny's" work, and was wondering what everyone (who doe like his work) think his best work is? I love his handling of some of Mahler (but not all) and thanks to another thread on here I may look into his Sibelius Symphonies as well.

I also recently got his NYPO Beethoven Symphonies, but haven't given them a serious listen (How do these compare with the others with VPO on DG).

Scott

 

[Bill Ward]

His best work is probably the recordings of his own music.

BW

 

[chadbang]

I'm a fan of Bernstein's conducting. When I was in high school I bought his Beethoven's symphonies with the New York Philharmonic. I think that they are great renditions of the symphonies. I later visited Soliti and some other conductors versions of the 5th 6th 7th and 9th, and I prefer Bernsteins version to, say, for example, Solti's famous recording of the 9th - which I found clunky in comparison to the NYP and Bernstein's recording. Fanastic drama in Bernstein's conducting.

 

[Ferbose]

I feel that Bernstein conducts with a lot of common sense. His conducting is not necessarily spectacular, but it makes a lot of musical sense.

 

[jamont]

I have many fond memories of hearing Bernstein conduct in New York, a pleasure that unfortunately is no longer available. But we do have the recordings...

Off the top of my head, let me mention:

Copland, Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid, Rodeo, Symphony No. 3, Clarinet Concerto (with Stanley Drucker)
Barber, Violin Concerto (with Stern)
Mahler (pretty much all wonderful, but I prefer the eariler NYPO recordings)
Nielsen, Symphonies 3 and 5 (the last with Drucker and "Buster" Bailey on snare drum)
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5 (I prefer the first NYPO recording), and 7 (both are worth hearing)
Strauss, Rosenkavalier (his finest opera recording)
Harris, Symphony No. 3 (both versions are good)

and, of course, his recordings of his own works. Particular favorites are

Serenade (with Stern)
Symphony No. 2 (with Entrement)
Mass
Candide
West Side Story

Enjoy!

 

[jamont]

Also remembering:

Beethoven, Missa Solemnis (two recordings, an early one with the NYPO and later with the Concertgebouw, Krebbers does the violin solos)
Hindemith, Concert Music for Strings and Brass
Bartok, Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste
Stravinsky, Le Sacre du Printemps
Beethoven, Quartets No. 14 and 16 (transcribed for string orchestra)
Janacek, Glagolithic Mass
Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue (Bernstein at the piano)

 

[DarkAngel]

These all encompassing career overview questions are too hard/too much work to answer fully, but since it is Scott a couple points:

In general I will prefer the early Bernstein/Sony/NYPO versions from the 1960's about 80% of the time over his newer DG versions. The DG versions are almost always more polished and controlled with the sharp contrasts rounded off.....in other words more generic sounding and less true Bernstein in all his eccentric/excessive glory. This artistic liscense would sometimes be a failure for him, but usually results in unique exciting performances.

The Sony remastered sound is brightly lit sometimes with obvious spotligting imbalances.......but highly detailed and exciting overall, lacking the overall richness and bloom of a modern recording in general.

In the early 1990's Sony released 100 CDs as part of the Bernstein "Royal Edition" featuring paintings by Prince Charles as cover art and uses 20 bit remasters. Then in the late 1990's they started the "Bernstein Century" collection using SBM remasters, Sony is still adding titles to this collection currently. I have tried to get almost every title in this set, but as mentioend above some are performance failures but most are great IMO.


Here are some Sony Bernstein Century performances I think are very good:
Bartok
Beethoven 1-9 (sym 5 is a bust, way too slow tempo)
Berlioz Symphony Fantastique
Brahms 1-4
Dvorak 9 (slavonic dances are a bust)
Dvorak 7
Gershwin (reference performances)
Mahler 1-9 (few symphonies are better served in newer DG set)
Rimsky Korsakov Sheherazade
Schubert 8,9
Shostakovich 5,9
Sibelius 1-7
Stravinsky Ballets
Tchaikovsky 4

Bernstein/DG/VPO & NYPO
Mahler 1-9
Schumann 1-4

 

[scottder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Ward His best work is probably the recordings of his own music.

At lest no one can argue that he's getting the composers meaning all wrong.

I have yet to hear any of his own compostions. Will have to hunt some down.

 

[sbulack]

I LOVE Debussy orchestral, and Bernstein's conducting of the Orchestra dell' Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in the performance of La Mer, Images and Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune on Deutsche Grammophon is an exquisite piece of work. From conception to production, this performance/recording is a high point in my entire CD collection. (429 728-2)

 

[Masonjar]

when I was first getting into classical music, I though Lenny was generally just too fast. The only Mahler he did that I liked was the 3rd. He was great in show pieces, but I didn't really grow to appreciate Lenny's "deeper" stuff until I got a little older. I prefer his later recordings to his earlier ones. One day I plan to revisit all his Mahler recordings. That is, when I actually have the time to sit down for more than 15 minutes to listen to music

-jar

 

[ooheadsoo]

Personal taste here, but avoid Berstein's Handel's Messiah like the plague. I heard the overture and it was game over for me.