# next stop - Leonard Bernstein



## Oskaar (Mar 17, 2011)

*Sibelius, Symphonie Nr 1 e Moll op 39 Leonard Bernstein, Wiener Philharmoniker*

Very good performance of a rarely successfull first symphony.
Bernstein and the Wiener philharmonic is marvelous!
Like often with Bernstein and the Wiener phil; remarkably good sound considered the date of recording

youtube comments

*Sublime. One of Lenny's best performances.﻿

And one of his last ones. Many say he was at his best when he came of age.﻿

Unlike most of the posts here, I'm not happy with this. Bernstein and the VPO miss the lightness, the yearning ("längtan") and the wistfulness that characterizes so much of Sibelius' and Scandinavia's music. This seemed heavy, plodding and - dare I say it? - massively teutonic. ﻿

I simply can't get enough of Sibelius﻿

Wow! Electrifying performance!*


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## Oskaar (Mar 17, 2011)

*Haydn Symphony No 98 B flat major Leonard Bernstein New York Philarmonic*

*The Symphony No. 98 in B flat major, Hoboken 1/98, is the sixth of the so-called twelve London Symphonies (numbers 93-104) written by Joseph Haydn. It was completed in 1792 as part of the set of symphonies composed on his first trip to London. It was first performed at the Hanover Square Rooms in London on 2 March 1792.*

To me this sixt London symphony seem to me a bit as a second hand work from Haydn. To many cliches and cheap tricks and tools seems to be used randomly, instead of a wholeness and intuitive fantasy, creativity and progression that I find in most of his works. But that is just an impression from a first time listening from an amateur like me.
It seems also like Bernstein and New York Philarmonic seems uninspired, and for me this is quite dull.

youtube comments

*Lovely concerto and rendition. Thanks for sharing.

Uh? That's definitely not an allegro alla breve for a first MVt....
Waaaaayy too slow.﻿*


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## Oskaar (Mar 17, 2011)

*MOZART Symphony No 40 in G minor KV550 LEONARD BERNSTEIN*

*Mozart Symphony No.40 in G minor KV550
Leonard Bernstein (conductor)
Boston Symphony Orchestra*

This is a masterwork from Mosart, no doubt about that. But I can be tired of it. To make this music work for me, it must be playd with a lightness but still intensity, and a kind of combination of blessingly calm and elegance when needed, and a rushing impationness when needed.
This interpretation fail to me. It all end up uninspiered and mediocore, like a superstar making desperate efforts to stay in the limelight, perfectly well knowing that age have haunted him. But maybe I will learn to appreciate this version for its melancoly. That is also a layer.

youtube comments

*a very good interpretation; I more and more like the classical interpretations of Berstein. They seem superior to many interpretations of Karejan﻿

simply great!*﻿


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## Oskaar (Mar 17, 2011)

*Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 / Bernstein · New York Philharmonic Orchestra*

*Great presentation of american conductor Leonard Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic, playing the Symphony No. 5 of Dmitri Shostakovich at a 1979 live perfomance on Bunka Kainan, Tokyo, Japan.*

Fantastisk rich and adventurous symphony, and Bernstein with the New York Philharmonicmanage to create a vibrating nerve, and a special disturbing undertone. Very good interpretation and performance indeed. I am sure it is one of many ways to perform this work, but it struck me!

youtube comments
*The Shostakovich 5th is not particularly elegant. It was written in a vulgar time and under vulgar conditions. It is also very memorable and emotional. I first encountered it in high-school band where we worked on the triumphant march movement for the better part of a year. That was 55 years ago. I then joined the army and purchased the Bernstein LP version while stationed in Germany. Bernstein took the orchestra to the Soviet Union and the recording was of that triumph. I tend to think that the tours of the New York Philharmonic and Van Cliburn playing Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovitch in Moscow did much to melt the ice of the cold war during the early 1960's. ﻿

A great performance!! Wonderful memories of the NY Phil during a previous era. Julius Baker, the solo flute was really outstanding here. Does anyone know who the concertmaster was for this tour? Had Glenn Dictorow not joined the NY Phil yet? ﻿

Shostakovich's mastery...﻿

that part at mid 39:00 brought me to tears soo beautifully arranged﻿*


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## Oskaar (Mar 17, 2011)

*Anton Bruckner - Symphony No.9 - Wiener Philharmoniker - Leonard Bernstein*

*Anton Bruckner
Symphony No.9 in D minor, WAB 109
Sinfonie Nr.9 d-Moll, WAB 109
("dem lieben Gott")

I. Feierlich, misterioso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0:01:16)
II. Scherzo. Bewegt, lebhaft - Trio. Schnell . . . . .(0:28:38)
III. Adagio. Langsam, feierlich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0:41:14)

Wiener Philharmoniker
(Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra)
Leonard Bernstein

Recorded live at the Große Musikvereinssaal, Vienna, 1990*

Bruckners symphonies can really appear to me as some mastodonts. But when I am in the mood, and the performances are good, I really enjoy them. It is more important to me that the performars are dedicated to the vague, the lyricism and the tendeness in them, than focusing on the dramatic and powerfull. To me some some performances ca be way over the top in dramatic effects, that appear to me as empty shells.
Bernstein succed halfly here, I will say


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