Leonard Bernstein

    Leonard Bernstein Albums

    Leonard Bernstein Albums (136)
    A Total Embrace: The Conductor

    'A Total Embrace: The Conductor'
    Release Date 1/1/2003
    Tracks 29
    Label Sony
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    What The Critics Say

    In addition to being one of America's most lauded composers, Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) conducted the New York Philharmonic from 1943 through 1969. His no-nonsense approach to classical music was considered controversial, if not somewhat radical, yet his contributions are immeasurable, especially as he crossed cultural lines, exposing the masses to luminous works of symphonic art, many for the first time. He went so far as to demystify the masters, making them palatable for the common listener as well as the studious enthusiast. Since the maestro's copious catalog is undeniably daunting and to honor what would have been his 85th birthday, in 2003 Sony Music created anthologies titled A Total Embrace: The Conductor and A Total Embrace: The Composer. The three-volume mid-price Conductor set contains nearly four hours of Bernstein's offerings from behind the podium. While not presented chronologically, the tracks span nearly a quarter-century, from the Columbia Symphony Orchestra's 1950 rendition of Maurice Ravel's Shéhérazade: II. La Flute Enchantée through to a 1975 recording of Hector Berlioz's Requiem, Op. 5 from Dies Irae: "Tuba Mirum." In between, Bernstein's repertoire is thoroughly embodied with arguably definitive recitals ranging from the finale of Mozart's Symphony No. 39 in E flat Major, KV 543 to Charles Ives' The Unanswered Question. The latter is just one of several complete compositions; others of note are an unequaled interpretation of Aaron Copland's El Salón México and the legendary reading of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" from the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn, NY, where Bernstein not only leads the Columbia Symphony Orchestra but also plays the piano. The only thing that could have improved on the package would be more specific and detailed annotations, as interested parties are presumably novices. Otherwise, A Total Embrace: The Conductor and A Total Embrace: The Composer are highly recommended entrées and sizable career overviews. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide

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    A Total Embrace: The Composer

    'A Total Embrace: The Composer'
    Release Date 1/1/2003
    Tracks 48
    Label Sony
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    What The Critics Say

    Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was not only a brilliant conductor -- having served with the New York Philharmonic for several decades beginning in 1943 -- but was also recognized as one of the 20th century's most lauded composers. In that respect, few if any have contributed as significantly to classical music in the context of the American experience. It could likewise be contended that his contributions to the Broadway stage solidified the formerly intransigent chasm existing between symphonic and popular music. In honor of what would have been Bernstein's 85th birthday, Sony Music created a pair of mid-priced sets celebrating the maestro's accomplishments. A Total Embrace: The Composer (2003) offers more than three and a half hours of highlights spanning nearly a quarter-century. "The Pirate Song," featuring actor Boris Karloff and "the Pirates," is the earliest entry, dating back to the original Broadway cast recording of Peter Pan from 1950. The most recent inclusion is "The Community" from 1974's Facsimile, a "Choreographic Essay for Orchestra. The contents are divided by either "Concert Works" or "Theater Works," with the latter spread over two-thirds of the anthology. No compilation of Bernstein would be complete without copious excerpts from Candide (1956), West Side Story (1957), On the Town (1958), and Wonderful Town (1958). There is equal time devoted to his sacred works, such as the extremely controversial Mass theater piece for singers, players, and dancers, penned specifically for the opening ceremony of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., as well as "Kaddish" Symphony No. 3, which is parenthetically dedicated "To the Beloved Memory of John F. Kennedy." One minor drawback is the lack of detail in the somewhat skimpy liner booklet. This is especially unfortunate as the primary audience for both this and the companion installment, A Total Embrace: The Conductor, is presumed to consist of novices, who would use these collections as seminal entrées into Bernstein's voluminous catalog. However, that should not discourage curious parties from adding either package to their libraries. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide

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    West Side Story: The Original Score

    'West Side Story: The Original Score'
    Release Date 10/22/2002
    Tracks 23
    Label Naxos
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    What The Critics Say

    This delightful and revelatory recording accomplishes something that the composer, Leonard Bernstein, attempted and failed to achieve more than a decade earlier. West Side Story has its operatic moments, enough that Bernstein in the 1980s did a recording with major operatic singers in the roles -- the problem was that those same singers were all significantly too old for the roles they were singing, so that it came off as the "geezer" version of West Side Story, albeit technically beautiful. The late Kenneth Schermerhorn and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra have now fulfilled what Bernstein set out to do, and one better -- going back to his original score, before adaptations were made for the needs of the Broadway stage and pit (or the Hollywood orchestra, in the case of the movie), they've brought the piece back to its first completed state. And, with Betsi Morrison, Mike Eldred, Marianne Cooke, Michael San Giovanni, and Robert Dean -- who are at least within a few years of the ages of their respective characters, and sing their roles with a bracing, infectiously youthful verve -- they've presented the most exciting rendition of West Side Story heard on record in many a year. What's more, it's beautifully played and recorded virtually to perfection, so much so that its one real flaw is a cold, near sterility that's always a risk with a studio cast and recording on a piece like this. But that brush with imperfection aside, at Naxos Records' usual budget price, this CD could be, note for note, one of the biggest bargains going, and it might be the best way to discover the music, short of seeing an actual performance on-stage. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

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