Album

As orchestras struggle to reconnect with the vernacular musical experiences of their listeners, Deutsche Grammophon's hefty boxed set of Bernstein Conducts Bernstein couldn't be more timely. This box collects Bernstein performances from the 1970s and '80s, with a large group coming from his epochal 1977 concerts with the Israel Philharmonic in Berlin. This material has already been variously repackaged, but it's well worthwhile to have it all presented together. It's startling to realize, as you explore the seven-plus hours of music here, how well Bernstein as a composer anticipated today's trends. The rapprochement of a modern musical language with jazz and pop? From the very start, in the by-now-familiar Fancy Free. A determined embrace of the eclectic? Through his entire career, ranging from his rather Stravinskian treatment of symphonic jazz in the early days to later music in which serialist (and even aleatoric in the Concerto for Orchestra (Jubilee Games)) techniques coexist with traditional styles. The use of the symphony as a vehicle for the investigation of spiritual questions? Absolutely, in all three symphonies, in different ways. These performances were all more or less successful when originally released, and it has become a truism that Bernstein was the best interpreter of his own works. From the evidence here one might argue that in the rather personal symphonies no other conductor can match Bernstein, who here avoided the excesses of his Mahler interpretations even as he took up kindred metaphysical issues. And when it came to the sexy, meaty appeal of the Symphonic Dances From West Side Story (1957), nobody else can touch Bernstein's versions. But now one can find room for other interpretations of such works as the Orff-like Chichester Psalms. The price, for seven discs, is right, and the remastered CD sound is more than adequate.

© James Manheim, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 7
Leonard Bernstein Composer 3 Dance Episodes from 'On the Town' Work Recorded 1981 10:23 Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
1	1.Great Lover: Allegro pesante	1:51			$0.49
2	2.Lonely Town: Pas de deux	3:40			$0.99
3	3.Times Square-1944: Allegro	4:52			$0.99
Leonard Bernstein Composer Fancy Free (ballet) Work Recorded 1978 28:42 Dicky Tarrach Drums, Leonard Bernstein Voice, Thissy Thiers Guitar (Bass), Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Ruth Mense Piano
4	Addendum: Big Stuff Blues (excerpt)	0:35			$0.49
5	1.Opening Dance	3:04			$0.99
6	2.Scene at the Bar	1:49			$0.49
7	3.Enter 2 Girls	2:50			$0.99
8	4.Pas de deux	3:18			$0.99
9	5.Competition Scene	3:17			$0.99
10	6.Variation 1: Galop	1:27			$0.49
11	6.Variation 2: Waltz	2:39			$0.99
12	6.Variation 3: Danzon	2:48			$0.99
13	7.Finale	5:01			$0.99
14	Addendum: Big Stuff Blues	1:54			$0.49
Leonard Bernstein Composer Facsimile, choreographic essay (from the ballet) Work Recorded 1981 Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
15	Facsimile, choreographic essay (from the ballet)	19:14			$3.49
CD 2 of 7
Leonard Bernstein Composer Candide (opera)...Act 1 Work Recorded 1982 Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
1	1.Overture	4:20			$0.99
Leonard Bernstein Composer Symphonic Dances from 'West Side Story' Work Recorded 1982 22:55 Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
2	1.Prologue	4:06			$0.99
3	2.Somewhere	4:35			$0.99
4	3.Scherzo	1:19			$0.49
5	4.Mambo	2:20			$0.99
6	5.Cha-Cha	0:54			$0.49
7	6.Meeting Scene	0:47			$0.49
8	7.Fugue ('Cool')	3:43			$0.99
9	8.Rumble	1:55			$0.49
10	9.Finale	3:16			$0.99
Leonard Bernstein Composer On the Waterfront, symphonic suite Work Recorded 1981 21:38 Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
11	1.Andante, with dignity	3:17			$0.99
12	2.Adagio. Allegro molto agitato	2:23			$0.99
13	3.Andante largamente. More flowing	5:11			$0.99
14	4.Moving forward. Largamente	3:45			$0.99
15	5.Allegro non troppo, molto marcato	4:44			$0.99
16	6.A tempo. Poco più sostenuto	2:18			$0.99
Leonard Bernstein Composer Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs, for clarinet and jazz ensemble Work Recorded 1988 8:15 Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Peter Schmidl Clarinet, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
17	1.Prelude for the Brass	1:54			$0.49
18	2.Fugue for the Saxes	1:50			$0.49
19	3.Riffs for Everyone	4:31			$0.99
CD 3 of 7
Leonard Bernstein Composer Symphony No.1 ('Jeremiah'), for mezzo-soprano and orchestra Work Recorded 1977 24:33 Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Christina Ludwig Mezzo-Soprano, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
1	1.Prophecy: Largamente	7:14			$1.49
2	2.Profanation: Vivace con brio	6:53			$0.99
3	3.Lamentation: Lento	10:26			$1.99
Leonard Bernstein Composer Symphony No.2 ('The Age of Anxiety'), for piano and orchestra Work Recorded 1977 35:19 Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Lukas Foss Piano
4	1.Part 1a: The Prologue	2:20			$0.99
5	2.Part 1b: The Seven Ages (Variations 1-7)	8:13			$1.49
6	3.Part 1c: The Seven Stages (Variations 8-14)	6:00			$0.99
7	4.Part 2a: The Dirge	5:58			$0.99
8	5.Part 2b: The Masque	4:42			$0.99
9	6.Part 3c: The Epilogue	8:06			$1.49
CD 4 of 7
Leonard Bernstein Composer Chichester Psalms, for boy soloist, chorus, and orchestra Work Recorded 1977 18:58 Wiener Jeunesse-Chor Chorus/Choir, Gunther Theuring Chorus/Choir Director, Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
1	1.Psalm 108 (verse 2); Psalm 100 (complete)	3:38			$0.99
2	2.Psalm 23 (complete); Psalm 2 (verses 1-4)	5:36			$0.99
3	3.Psalm 131 (complete); Psalm 133 (verse 1)	9:44			$1.49
Leonard Bernstein Composer Symphony No.3 ('Kaddish'), for soprano, speakers, choruses, and orchestra Work Recorded 1977 39:18 Wiener Jeunesse-Chor Chorus/Choir, Gunther Theuring Chorus/Choir Director, Wiener Sängerknaben Chorus/Choir, Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Uwe Christian Harrer Chorus/Choir Director, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
4	1.Invocation: Adagio	3:00			$0.99
5	2.Kaddish 1: L'istesso tempo. Allegro molto	4:57			$0.99
6	3.Din-Torah: Di nuovo Adagio	5:57			$0.99
7	4.Kaddish 2: Andante con tenerezza	8:13			$1.49
8	5.Scherzo: Presto scherzando, sempre pianissimo	4:36			$0.99
9	6.Kaddish 3: Adagio come nel Din-Torah	2:43			$0.99
10	7.Finale: Allegro vivo, con gioia	9:52			$1.49
CD 5 of 7
Leonard Bernstein Composer Divertimento Work Recorded 1981 14:28 Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
1	1.Sennets and Tuckets: Allegro non troppo, ma con brio	1:18			$0.49
2	2.Waltz: Allegretto, con grazia	2:13			$0.99
3	3.Mazurka: Mesto	1:56			$0.49
4	4.Samba: Allegro giusto	0:59			$0.49
5	5.Turkey Trot: Allegretto, ben misurato	1:56			$0.49
6	6.Sphinxes: Adagio lugubre	0:52			$0.49
7	7.Blues: Slow blues tempo	1:39			$0.49
8	8.In Memoriam: March; 'The BSO Forever'	3:35			$0.99
Leonard Bernstein Composer A Musical Toast Work Recorded 1981 Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
9	A Musical Toast	2:17			$0.99
Leonard Bernstein Composer Slava! A Political Overture Work Recorded 1978 Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
10	Slava! A Political Overture	4:08			$0.99
Leonard Bernstein Composer 3 Meditations from 'Mass', for cello and orchestra Work Recorded 1981 16:55 Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Mstislav Rostropovich Cello, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
11	1.Lento assai, molto sostenuto	4:33			$0.99
12	2.Andante sostenuto. Variations 1-4	4:08			$0.99
13	3.Presto. Fast and primitive	8:14			$1.49
Leonard Bernstein Composer Halil, nocturne for flute solo, piccolo, alto flute, percussion, and harp Work Recorded 1981 Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Jean-Pierre Rampal Flute, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
14	Halil, nocturne for flute solo, piccolo, alto flute, percussion, and harp	16:04			$2.99
CD 6 of 7
Leonard Bernstein Composer Concerto for Orchestra (Jubilee Games) Work Recorded 1988-1989 29:59 Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, José Eduardo Chama Baritone
1	1.Free-Style Events: Allegro con brio, giocoso	7:27			$1.49
2	2.Mixed Doubles: Theme and Seven Variations	10:30			$1.99
3	3.Diaspora Dances: Vivace	6:12			$0.99
4	4.Benediction: Moderato, invocando	5:50			$0.99
Leonard Bernstein Composer Dybbuk, Suite No.1, for tenor, bass, and orchestra Work Recorded 1975 30:28 Paul Sperry Tenor, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Bruce Fifer Bass-baritone
5	1.Invocation and Trance	4:53			$0.99
6	2.The Pledge	4:35			$0.99
7	3.Kabbalah	4:32			$0.99
8	4.Posession	2:36			$0.99
9	5.Pas de deux	5:29			$0.99
10	6.Exorcism	8:23			$1.49
Leonard Bernstein Composer Dybbuk, Suite No.2 (based on ballet) Work Recorded 1975 17:04 New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein Conductor
11	1.The Messengers	2:05			$0.99
12	2.Leah	3:01			$0.99
13	3.Five Kabbalah Variations	6:33			$0.99
14	4.Dream	5:25			$0.99
CD 7 of 7
Leonard Bernstein Composer Serenade (after Plato: Symposium), for violin, harp, percussion, and strings Work Recorded 1979 29:23 Gidon Kremer Violin, Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
1	1.Phaedrus. Pausanias: Lento. Allegro marcato	6:44			$0.99
2	2.Aristophanes: Allegretto	4:11			$0.99
3	3.Erixymachus: Presto	1:29			$0.49
4	4.Agathon: Adagio	6:31			$0.99
5	5.Socrates. Alcibiades: Molto tenuto. Allegro molto vivace	10:28			$1.99
Leonard Bernstein Composer Songfest (song cycle), for 6 singers and orchestra Work Recorded 1977 42:29 Rosalind Elias Mezzo-Soprano, John Reardon Baritone, Leonard Bernstein Conductor, Neil Rosenshein Tenor, National Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Clamma Dale Soprano, Nancy Williams Mezzo-Soprano, Donald Gramm Bass
6	1.Opening Hymn: To the Poem	3:25			$0.99
7	2a.Three Solos: The Pennycandystore Beyond the El	1:56			$0.49
8	2b.Three Solos: A Julia de Burgos	3:33			$0.99
9	2c.Three Solos: To What You Said	5:28			$0.99
10	3a.Three Ensembles: I, Too, Sing America; Okay 'Negroes'	3:51			$0.99
11	3b.Three Ensembles: Trio. To My Dear and Loving Husband	3:58			$0.99
12	3c.Three Ensembles: Duet. Storyette H.M.	1:55			$0.49
13	4.Sextet: If You Can't Eat You Got To	2:25			$0.99
14	5a.Three Solos: Music I Heard With You	3:30			$0.99
15	5b.Three Solos: Zizi's Lament	2:32			$0.99
16	5c.Three Solos: Sonnett. What Lips My Lips Have Kissed	5:25			$0.99
17	6.Closing Hymn: Israfel	4:31			$0.99