Leonard Bernstein was a tireless champion of American music during his conducting career, presenting many world-premieres and leaving an impressive body of recordings–most for Columbia Records (now Sony Classical). This DG set comprises primarily latter-day remakes, though there are a few new items (and even a world-premiere) as well.
Of the six CDs, the Ives disc probably is the greatest achievement, with Bernstein turning in a terrific performance of the Symphony No. 2 in addition to a generous sampling of the composer’s familiar and not so familiar shorter works. However, of the names included here, Copland is the most closely associated with Bernstein, and the conductor’s devotion to his older friend’s music comes through strongly in these big-hearted readings, the best of which are the Appalachian Spring (with a radiant Los Angeles Philarmonic), El Salón México, and the Music for the Theater. The Symphony No. 3 is another fine performance, but it lacks the intensity of Bernstein’s earlier Sony recording. The same goes for the Harris and Schumann symphonies as well as for Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Barber’s Adagio for Strings–the earlier readings are incandescent, the remakes less so but still wholly individual in their approach.
There’s no lack of energy in Bernstein’s support of his younger colleagues, as his persuasive presentations of David del Tredici’s kaleidoscopic Tattoo and Ned Rorem’s colorful Violin Concerto will attest. DG also includes a heretofore unreleased recording of Lukas Foss’ Song of Songs with soprano Sheri Greenawald, recorded live in Paris with the Israel Philharmonic. From that same concert comes the set’s only real disappointment: Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo, which despite Mischa Maisky’s ardent cello exhortations is severely belabored by Bernstein’s leaden tempos.
The orchestral playing is first-rate throughout, with the New York Philharmonic sounding exceptionally brilliant in Tredici’s Tattoo and in the Ives and Copland works. The live recordings are of generally good quality–a certain boxiness afflicts some of the Avery Fisher sessions, but overall the remasterings enhance the clarity and dynamic impact of the originals. While this set comes nowhere close to approximating the full range of Bernstein’s Americana (for that, collectors should seek out his live broadcast recordings on the New York Philharmonic’s own label), it’s a great place to start for anyone who wants a broad sampling of America’s music performed by one its greatest interpreters. [7/29/2004]
