# Do you think Bernstein is anything special?



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

The deeper I dig into Classical Music, the more I'm finding that I don't typically find Bernstein all that exciting. Is that an outrageous claim?


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

Well, I think he's way more than "anything special" For me, as a virtuoso conductor and influencer on the musical landscape in the 20th century, he is second only to Leopold Stokowski. When you state your opinion on him, are you talking about his compositions or his conducting? I do not know his compositions, so I'm afraid I can't provide any help there. But as for his conducting...I think that even if you don't care for his style, "not all that exciting" would be the absolute last thing you could say! I find he illuminates and brings music to life like few others. His late-'50's-to-early-'70's NYPO recordings are among the cream of the crop of CM performances on record IMO. His Rite of Spring; Schumann, Mahler, and Sibelius symphonies among others from that era have amazingly vivid sound quality and the performances seethe with life, color, and energy. Later in his career, as he faced growing personal issues, his conducting grew more personal and he earned a stereotype as a "schmaltzy" over the top conductor who tried to inject everything with undue pathos. And this can definitely be heard in, say, his Brahms and Sibelius with the VPO (though the VPO Mahler 5 is superb) and his Dvorak 9 with the Israel Phil, which are just too overmilked and wrung dry for want of every last drop of emotion. But as a whole, his recorded legacy is too great to skim over. I have a very special connection with the vast majority of what he conducted, and he had the spectacular gift to transform music into a living, breathing force for relevance and wonder in a changing culture, also evidenced through his fantastic work with youth orchestras, etc. to promote CM. I recommend you hear the following recordings and see if they float your boat:

'58 Rite of Spring
NY Mahler 2
CSO Shostakovich 7
Beethoven 5 and orchestral transcription of String Quartet No. 14 from '78 Amnesty Concert International


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Allegro Con Brio said:


> Well, I think he's way more than "anything special" For me, as a virtuoso conductor and influencer on the musical landscape in the 20th century, he is second only to Leopold Stokowski. When you state your opinion on him, are you talking about his compositions or his conducting? I do not know his compositions, so I'm afraid I can't provide any help there. But as for his conducting...I think that even if you don't care for his style, "not all that exciting" would be the absolute last thing you could say! I find he illuminates and brings music to life like few others. His late-'50's-to-early-'70's NYPO recordings are among the cream of the crop of CM performances on record IMO. His Rite of Spring; Schumann, Mahler, and Sibelius symphonies among others from that era have amazingly vivid sound quality and the performances seethe with life, color, and energy. Later in his career, as he faced growing personal issues, his conducting grew more personal and he earned a stereotype as a "schmaltzy" over the top conductor who tried to inject everything with undue pathos. And this can definitely be heard in, say, his Brahms and Sibelius with the VPO (though the VPO Mahler 5 is superb) and his Dvorak 9 with the Israel Phil, which are just too overmilked and wrung dry for want of every last drop of emotion. But as a whole, his recorded legacy is too great to skim over. I have a very special connection with the vast majority of what he conducted, and he had the spectacular gift to transform music into a living, breathing force for relevance and wonder in a changing culture, also evidenced through his fantastic work with youth orchestras, etc. to promote CM. I recommend you hear the following recordings and see if they float your boat:
> 
> '58 Rite of Spring
> NY Mahler 2
> ...


I was notting on his conducting rather than his compositions. I always used to go for his recordings, but I've since then found other conductors I enjoy much more because I feel they provide more detailed performances with greater color. For example, when it comes to Bernstein's Beethoven Symphonies vs. Harnoncourt's Beethoven Symphonies, I have come to love the Harnoncourt.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Captainnumber36 said:


> The deeper I dig into Classical Music, the more I'm finding that I don't typically find Bernstein all that exciting. Is that an outrageous claim?


Nah, it's your opinion. I just don't share it. Allegro Con Brio gave you some super Bernstein recommendations. Assuming you're not familiar with them, do yourself a favor and check them out.


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

He's far less a great composer than conductor. However, he sometimes was able to hit a home run, IMHO. They are

Overture to "Candide"
Chichester Psalms
Symphony #2
Fancy Free
West Side Story


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Allegro Con Brio said:


> Well, I think he's way more than "anything special" For me, as a virtuoso conductor and influencer on the musical landscape in the 20th century, he is second only to Leopold Stokowski. When you state your opinion on him, are you talking about his compositions or his conducting? I do not know his compositions, so I'm afraid I can't provide any help there. But as for his conducting...I think that even if you don't care for his style, "not all that exciting" would be the absolute last thing you could say! I find he illuminates and brings music to life like few others. His late-'50's-to-early-'70's NYPO recordings are among the cream of the crop of CM performances on record IMO. His Rite of Spring; Schumann, Mahler, and Sibelius symphonies among others from that era have amazingly vivid sound quality and the performances seethe with life, color, and energy. Later in his career, as he faced growing personal issues, his conducting grew more personal and he earned a stereotype as a "schmaltzy" over the top conductor who tried to inject everything with undue pathos. And this can definitely be heard in, say, his Brahms and Sibelius with the VPO (though the VPO Mahler 5 is superb) and his Dvorak 9 with the Israel Phil, which are just too overmilked and wrung dry for want of every last drop of emotion. But as a whole, his recorded legacy is too great to skim over. I have a very special connection with the vast majority of what he conducted, and he had the spectacular gift to transform music into a living, breathing force for relevance and wonder in a changing culture, also evidenced through his fantastic work with youth orchestras, etc. to promote CM. I recommend you hear the following recordings and see if they float your boat:
> 
> '58 Rite of Spring
> NY Mahler 2
> ...


I tried the 5th, it just doesn't do it for me. It has good robust energy, but there isn't the contrast from section to section I hear in the Harnoncourt.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

There was a great quote by a NY Phil musician (don't remember which one) that said:

"Any musician who didn't love Leonard Bernstein had never been conducted by Leonard Bernstein."

He was a personal inspiration to me as a composer, conductor, and teacher, so I will admit to being seriously biased in my opinion of him. Eccentric, yes. Over the top, sure. The man was intellectually and musically brilliant though and his message was simple: love life.


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## Bigbang (Jun 2, 2019)

Captainnumber36 said:


> The deeper I dig into Classical Music, the more I'm finding that I don't typically find Bernstein all that exciting. Is that an outrageous claim?


I seldom listen to him. And, I have a hard time coming up with anything he did that would be top rank over others. Not so with Szell though. Part of the issues are sound quality in some recordings. Yes, some Ravel is nice but I have some that are better for me. Each to his own.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I like all the Mahler recordings I have which feature him (I have a cycle which is split between Sony and DG) but I can't think of anything else I have with him as conductor apart from some Copland, Mozart, Beethoven and his own music. I probably buck the trend by being more familiar with him as a composer - there is a huge amount of diversity there and I can't think of anything I really dislike, although the spoken parts of the _Kaddish_ symphony and some from _Mass_ come over as too theatrical despite their earnestness.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

If anything, Lenny is UNDERrated.

Pianist, music advocate, educator, composer, conductor.

I've never watched a Youtube video with him conducting I didn't love. I've seen him conduct from the piano, as though *Rhapsody in Blue* isn't challenging enough to simply _play_.

As a composer . . . . I'm familiar with *West Side Story, Candide, MASS*, and *On the Town*. West Side Story - I've conducted it once, Musical Directed it 3 or 4 or 5 times, played in the pit twice (once string patches, once piano) - and it's freaking *brilliant*.

His educational videos are fascinating.

I've never run across ANYthing he's been associated with that I _didn't_ like.

Well, *MASS* is pretty weird in places, but hey!, it was 1971, and right "in the pocket" for its time.


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## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

I am not a fan of Bernstein's music but I do appreciate his work, especially in the field of musical education. I should wish we had more artists like him today.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I'm officially in the minority, if not a lone ranger on this one.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Captainnumber36 said:


> The deeper I dig into Classical Music, the more I'm finding that I don't typically find Bernstein all that exciting. Is that an outrageous claim?


Bernstein was a genius, no doubt...conductor, composer, performer, an amazingly talented musician...
As a conductor, he had a wide range of repertoire, much of which he conducted with great distinction...he excelled with American music generally, Stravinsky, Sibelius, Haydn, Shostakovich, Schumann, Schuman, Copland, Ives, to just name a few....


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

Captain, you seem to love Mozart. Try out his Mozart Requiem recording:









If you don't care for it, so be it, but I'm curious to see how you feel about it!


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I think his recording of Haydn's Paris symphonies with the New York Phil needs to be mentioned.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

He has performances I like and ones I don't like, and music I like and some I don't like. I did grow up with his televised explications and will say that he has one of the most distinctive speaking voices in music. You can't mistake him for anyone else.


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

I honestly agree with the OP. I own some Bernstein recordings but none of them have really stuck with me. I generally think I prefer more austere, restrained performances which I just don't think was Bernstein's thing.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Allegro Con Brio said:


> Captain, you seem to love Mozart. Try out his Mozart Requiem recording:
> 
> View attachment 131172
> 
> ...


I have this recording and I hate it. For me, Lenny is great at introducing a work since I heard he brings out the extroverted qualities of the music, but when I get familiar with a work, his versions are never at the top. Notable exceptions: Stravinsky Rite of Spring, Berlioz' Symphonie F. He usually plays it slower and heavier than I would like.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> The deeper I dig into Classical Music, the more I'm finding that I don't typically find Bernstein all that exciting. Is that an outrageous claim?







*Yes*............................................... ................!


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## Ravn (Jan 6, 2020)

Captainnumber36 said:


> The deeper I dig into Classical Music, the more I'm finding that I don't typically find Bernstein all that exciting. Is that an outrageous claim?


Maybe not outrageous, but I disagree. I find his Mahler and Mozart superb, as well as American music. I really like his Beethoven as well. Bernstein is always my reference point when I'm checking out unfamiliar works. Have you heard his interpretation of Shostakovich's 7th with Chicago? It's otrageously good.

So far the only recording of his that I didn't like is Shostakovich's 5th, where I find the ending WAY too fast! I prefer Petrenko and Liverpool on that one, and I urge you (and everyone else) to compare the two recordings. It's almost like they're playing two different works.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Great conductor. And great pianist, composer, educator, writer...the man was incredible. I have several colleagues who worked with him, one as a rehearsal pianist when Lenny did opera. They all loved the man as a musicians. I do not believe that there is anything such as a "definitive" recording, but I can't think of any conductor in the last 100 years who had such a high success rate in practically anything he recorded. Beethoven, Brahms, Copland, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Nielsen, Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky, Berlioz, Schumann, Haydn, Shostakovich...there's some terrific music making there. There were things he didn't respond to and stayed away from them, such as Rachmaninoff and Elgar. There's never been anyone else like him and boy, could the classical world use someone of his skill and eloquence today. I consider myself fortunate to have heard him live twice - with the Vienna Philharmonic and New York Phil. Great memories.


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## 1996D (Dec 18, 2018)

mbhaub said:


> Great conductor. And great pianist, composer, educator, writer...the man was incredible. I have several colleagues who worked with him, one as a rehearsal pianist when Lenny did opera. They all loved the man as a musicians. I do not believe that there is anything such as a "definitive" recording, but I can't think of any conductor in the last 100 years who had such a high success rate in practically anything he recorded. Beethoven, Brahms, Copland, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Nielsen, Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky, Berlioz, Schumann, Haydn, Shostakovich...there's some terrific music making there. There were things he didn't respond to and stayed away from them, such as Rachmaninoff and Elgar. There's never been anyone else like him and boy, could the classical world use someone of his skill and eloquence today. I consider myself fortunate to have heard him live twice - with the Vienna Philharmonic and New York Phil. Great memories.


His Enigma Variations are great, he was a very busy man, doubt he purposely avoided Elgar.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

I'm mostly familiar with Bernstein as an educator and a composer. As an educator, he had an ability to communicate unlike any other. I love listening to his lectures, although admittedly he does sometimes have a tendency to state things based on conjecture/anecdote as fact but nothing too big.

As a composer, I can see how many would see him as a lesser composer, but for myself as an American, his "Americaness" resonates with something deep in my blood, the same way Copeland's popular works do, even though they might not technically be among the highest quality works (Bernstein's works I mean, I think you could make a case for Copeland being very high quality).

I frequently find many numbers from Candide stuck in my head.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Karajan called Bernstein ‘Mr Music’ which just about summed him up.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Hahaha. You just escaped the wrath of the fanboys with your very polite Bernstein bashing, Captain. An excellent job of tightrope walking. Now try the same thing with Furty and watch the feathers fly. Lol. As ever on these threads there's things of Lenny's I particularly dislike (VPO Brahms and Beethoven) and stuff I particularly love (most of his Mahler and his Schumann). No conductor did everything right.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Any conductor who has had such a career as Leonard Bernstein (that is, a prolific career, leading major orchestras all over the world and serving as a chief conductor for several of the most acclaimed orchestras, and having produced hundreds of recordings documenting a wide range of music from the Baroque age to the Contemporary period), any conductor with such credentials will certainly have produced a few highlights and a few lowlights. So, one can always find something in Lenny's oeuvre of conducted works to praise or criticize.

The thing is, it seems there is always so much more to praise.

More importantly, though, is the notion that Bernstein introduced many of us to the wonders of classical music through his various lectures and TV appearances. He seems to have been a fixture in the classical music and show music world my entire lifetime, and his shadow remains inescapable to so many of my generation. He is the one American conductor most everyone can name. He may well be the only conductor many Americans can name. His image is powerful.

I have been a long time fan of his conducting; I have enjoyed watching his choreography during conducting (he seems to define a certain style of podium antics) and I have collected much of his music, including the recently released big box sets, both volumes, from Deutsche Grammophon titled _The Leonard Bernstein Collection_, and the three volumes from Sony titled the _Leonard Bernstein Edition_ (featuring Vol.1 the Symphonies, Vol.2 Concertos, and Vol.3 Choral Music), as well as amazing box set from Deutsche Grammophon of Bernstein's own music, the _Complete Works_ (26 CDs, 3 DVDs), and dozens of other box sets and recordings, numbering my Bernstein collection well into the several hundred disc range.

How much of this music is wonderful astounds me, and even though Lenny is no longer with us, I cannot but help picturing him conducting whenever I play one of his recordings. In that way, Bernstein's recordings come to life for me in a way that most of the music by most of the other conductors in my collection simply cannot compete with. I've seen a number of famous conductors in live concerts over the years, but off hand I cannot think of one of them who implanted in my memory a conducting style I can see in my imagination as I listen to their recordings. Lenny was a powerhouse, a true dynamo on the podium. And his personality shines through in his recordings.

That seems rather special to me.


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

The only work of his to disappoint me on first hearing was his Mass, I like it now, but not as much as say Jeremiah, Serenade or The Age of Anxiety. I'll always regret walking past a record store in central London knowing he was in there signing CD's at that very moment. I elected not to go in as I'd had a long day in a recording studio and wanted to get home. He sadly died subsequently and I never even got to see him in concert.
Like you Sonnet CLV, I'm a big fan of his work as a pianist, composer, pedagogue, theorist and conductor and regularly pour over his scores.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

1996D said:


> His Enigma Variations are great, he was a very busy man, doubt he purposely avoided Elgar.


You may be the first person I have heard saying that they like his Enigma Variations. It is usually held up as an example for how bad Bernstein can be. I like it a lot, too!

Bernstein was one of the greatest conductors of his generation and so many of his recordings are great. And he had range - some of his Mozart and much of his Haydn is really excellent. His Beethoven was great. His Mahler, his Sibelius - must haves, all. In general his earlier recordings with his New York Philharmonic are better than his later ones (mostly for DG). These later ones could be very indulgent and often sagged under the weight of it ... but there are among the DG recordings quite a number that were very successful great performances. There are many who don't like his work but I have never got why. As a conductor he was a great genius, not a word I use lightly.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

I too enjoyed the Enigma Variations, and he had a knack for the Pomp & Circumstance marches, but did he do any other Elgar? Given Elgar is considered the "English Mahler", and the profound emotional content of the two symphonies, I would have thought they were a natural fit for Bernstein. But no, he never touched them. Even Vaughan Williams he ignored. Maybe he was just Anglo-phobic. He didn't have a particularly nice time in London when conducting.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

mbhaub said:


> I too enjoyed the Enigma Variations, and he had a knack for the Pomp & Circumstance marches, but did he do any other Elgar? Given Elgar is considered the "English Mahler", and the profound emotional content of the two symphonies, I would have thought they were a natural fit for Bernstein. But no, he never touched them. Even Vaughan Williams he ignored. Maybe he was just Anglo-phobic. He didn't have a particularly nice time in London when conducting.


My guess is that he didn't really have a high opinion of the works of the English composers. Why settle for British when there's Italian, German, Russian works that he found more interesting.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Merl said:


> ;1780827 No conductor did everything right.


Maybe, but Reiner and Monteux come really close...they always make musical sense, always in the right ballpark....remarkable musicians...can't think of any real duds from either.


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## Simplicissimus (Feb 3, 2020)

I seem to be among the minority who appreciate Bernstein more for his compositions than for his conducting. (I have a very high opinion of Bernstein as a pianist -- his interpretations of Mozart in particular -- though this is subsidiary here to the question of Bernstein's status as a conductor.) I enjoy and admire his Symphonies 1 and 2, Candide, and West Side Story, and consider them to hold their own among the best of 20th Century American music.

As for conducting, I think Bernstein is extremely good, among the best, and indispensable. It's just that across the repertoire, there is always another conductor whose work I appreciate more. Boehm and Jochum for classical, Walter and Munch for Beethoven, Dorati for Brahms symphonies, Ormandy for Sibelius, Reiner for Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky, Slatkin and Gould for 20th Century American works, Monteux and Martinon for the French repertoire, etc. etc. Bernstein ranks closest to the top for me with respect to Mahler, but even there I prefer Reiner's versions of the 4th Symphony and das Lied von der Erde. While I'm grateful for Bernstein's interpretations and enjoy comparing them to those of my more favored conductors, I tend to find them a bit melodramatic. But except for Reiner and Monteux (as another poster commented), I cannot think of a conductor who was as consistently successful across all kinds of music than Bernstein. A genius.

Like many of us, I grew up listening to Bernstein explain serious music. What a wonderful and important figure he was! As a faithful listener to Bill McGlaughlin on "Exploring Music," I often think of how inspired Bill must have been by Bernstein -- as he freely acknowledges. I know I owe a lot to Leonard Bernstein.

Franz


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

mikeh375 said:


> ...
> Like you Sonnet CLV, I'm a big fan of his work as a pianist, composer, pedagogue, theorist and conductor and regularly pour over his scores.


I know you mean the pieces he wrote. I have several Bernstein scores in my collection as well.
But I'm also fond of perusing scores of non-Bernstein music that the conductor marked for performance purposes. Quite a few of these are now available on-line, for instance at the Leon Levy Digital Archives of the New York Philharmonic:

https://archives.nyphil.org/index.p...=Bernstein+marked+scores&doctype=printedMusic

Back in the day a few decades ago when I occasionally requested scores from publishers for reviewing, I once received a Haydn symphony conductor's score that had actually been marked by Bernstein. Having that recording on hand I recall reading through the score and marveling at how the directions had been incorporated in the recording. A precious moment.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

SONNET CLV said:


> I know you mean the pieces he wrote. I have several Bernstein scores in my collection as well.
> But I'm also fond of perusing scores of non-Bernstein music that the conductor marked for performance purposes. Quite a few of these are now available on-line, for instance at the Leon Levy Digital Archives of the New York Philharmonic:
> 
> https://archives.nyphil.org/index.p...=Bernstein+marked+scores&doctype=printedMusic
> ...


Wow, what a resource. Thanks! And your experience getting a marked Haydn score, that's priceless. I'm sure that's something that has stuck with you for life.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I'm a fan of a number of his compositions including the three symphonies, the Serenade, Candide, and On The Waterfront. As the ultimate music enthusiast and educator, I could listen to him expound on the subject all day. I've kind of skipped around as far as his conducted works enjoying various Mahler symphonies, Haydn masses, Verdi's Falstaff, Nielsen's 5th, Beethoven symphonies, Brahms, and Stravinsky's Rite. But I haven't delved much deeper than that. I have his Tchaikovsky cycle which I haven't listened to mainly because I'm not much interested in that composer these days.


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

I personally would not recommend his Mozart and Haydn - even though I love old-school performances of these symphonies, I find him to be a bit too lead-footed and clunky, not to mention over-interpreted. Someone once said they sounded too "American." It find it works better with the light touch that Walter, Beecham, and Klemperer give it.

Some other great recordings:

- St. Matthew Passion: This is _heavily_, heavily cut and sung in English; but if it was complete, it would easily be my favorite.
- Shostakovich 5: Make of the ending what you will, but I think Shosty would approve heartily of the insipid, vapid bombast that he turns it into.
- Prokofiev 5 with the Israel Phil
- Beethoven Piano Concerti with the VPO and the young Krystian Zimerman. Bogged down by some leaden tempi at times, though.
- Brahms PC 1 with Gould - the one where he gave a speech beforehand about "Mr. Gould's tempo" and how it was drastically different from his own.
- Berlioz Requiem in a cathedral in France
- Dvorak 9 in NY - a real firecracker


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## 1996D (Dec 18, 2018)

Enthusiast said:


> You may be the first person I have heard saying that they like his Enigma Variations. It is usually held up as an example for how bad Bernstein can be. I like it a lot, too!
> 
> Bernstein was one of the greatest conductors of his generation and so many of his recordings are great. And he had range - some of his Mozart and much of his Haydn is really excellent. His Beethoven was great. His Mahler, his Sibelius - must haves, all. In general his earlier recordings with his New York Philharmonic are better than his later ones (mostly for DG). These later ones could be very indulgent and often sagged under the weight of it ... but there are among the DG recordings quite a number that were very successful great performances. There are many who don't like his work but I have never got why. As a conductor he was a great genius, not a word I use lightly.


I think Bernstein with Vienna is hard to beat, they really loved him over there. Everything he conducts with them is second to none.

But I don't think there is very much he did that I don't agree with, there is perfect synergy between our ideals of what music should be, and in old age he looked exactly like my grandmother so there is definitely an extra special attachment.

Even though I'm not Jewish it really feels like he's family, the way he thinks and acts is just so familiar and close to the heart.


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

A tritone 
I just heard a sound called a tritone
And harmony you see, will never be the same for me


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

1996D said:


> I think Bernstein with Vienna is hard to beat, they really loved him over there. Everything he conducts with them is second to none.
> 
> But I don't think there is very much he did that I don't agree with, there is perfect synergy between our ideals of what music should be, and in old age he looked exactly like my grandmother so there is definitely an extra special attachment.
> 
> Even though I'm not Jewish it really feels like he's family, the way he thinks and acts is just so familiar and close to the heart.


Hey, weren't you supposed to post your music by now?


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## 1996D (Dec 18, 2018)

Phil loves classical said:


> Hey, weren't you supposed to post your music by now?


You must've missed it, I posted that the releases are the weekends of the 7th and 14th.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Is this music coming to us as a score or a recording (perhaps using a synth)? What is the instrumentation?


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Enthusiast said:


> Is this music coming to us as a score or a recording (perhaps using a synth)? What is the instrumentation?


I'll answer for 1996D, a recording from a Live performance with a top drawer orchestra.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

I had a few recordings of his I liked -- Schumann symphonies in Vienna, 1958 Tchaikovsky 4th, Brahms 2 and 3 in New York, Berlioz viola concerto with Donald MacInnes -- but I never considered him a favorite.

I don't think there's any question he was "special" however. He cast a gigantic shadow in USA and everyone that worked with him loved it. One person I know told me via email he "adored" Bernstein. He was also one of the greatest-selling classical artists in history with only a handful of people in front of him in volume sales.

You can't say all that about many classical artists.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Phil loves classical said:


> I'll answer for 1996D, a recording from a Live performance with a top drawer orchestra.


Wowee. I hadn't been expecting that. Has he paid for it or are they doing it for free? I presume they are rehearsing it now.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Enthusiast said:


> Wowee. I hadn't been expecting that. Has he paid for it or are they doing it for free? I presume they are rehearsing it now.


They had been rehearsing, and doing it for free. Once they realized it was the music of the future, they wanted to be a part of it.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

^ It almost restores my faith in the musical world.


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## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

Some of the Columbia LP products with him sounded bad to me as a 'kid'. The better recorded sound influenced me to prefer other conductors on various labels. I now have some of his work that I really enjoy - Haydn box, Shosty7/CSO, his old Rite of Spring, Copland and Ives stuff, WSStory  I think Columbia really compressed the sound too much on his stuff in the 60s.


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## 1996D (Dec 18, 2018)

Enthusiast said:


> Is this music coming to us as a score or a recording (perhaps using a synth)? What is the instrumentation?


For the main work coming on the 14th it's: Strings, 8 horns, 6 trombones, 4 trumpets, 2 bass trombones, cimbasso, 2 Tubas, 4 flutes, 4 clarinets, 3 oboes, 2 cor anglais, 4 bassoons, 2 piccolo, contrabassoon, contrabass clarinet, celesta, 2 glockenspiel, marimba, 4 timpani, bass drum, snare, 2 harps.

Phil is lying, I made a post #149 in the latest Bruckner thread, he just didn't read it.


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## Bill Cooke (May 20, 2017)

I find these recordings by Bernstein to be essential listening:

1958 account of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring
NYP - Gershwin album - Rhapsody in Blue/American in Paris
William Schuman, symphony No. 3 (I prefer the earlier one he did on Sony to the later DG one)
NYP - all of his Nielsen recordings
NYP - Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 (the playing of the finale is not to everyone's tastes, but is legendary!)
NYP - Shostakovich Symphony No. 9
NYP - Copland, Appalachian Spring (all of his Copland recordings are definitive, IMO)


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Bill Cooke - excellent list... add in his Sibelius symphonies, esp #5, #1...good call on Schuman #3 (take 1)..rivalled only by Slatkin/CSO live...


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> The deeper I dig into Classical Music, the more I'm finding that I don't typically find Bernstein all that exciting. Is that an outrageous claim?


Did you change your mind yet Captain?


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

In the book _Conversations with Seiji Ozawa_, Ozawa suggests Lenny was an excellent musical lecturer and educator, he also rates Lenny's Mahler highly. However he seemed to hint that Lenny's weakness as a conductor was that his approach was too friendly and egalitarian. Lenny was such a kind man and anytime a musician in the orchestra had something to say or a suggestion Lenny would listen and consider it. This kind of thing is unheard of in Japan and to Ozawa this approach seemed counter productive and he felt that Lenny could have had even better results had he been more focused and forceful with his orchestras.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

tdc said:


> In the book _Conversations with Seiji Ozawa_, Ozawa suggests Lenny was an excellent musical lecturer and educator, he also rates Lenny's Mahler highly. However he seemed to hint that Lenny's weakness as a conductor was that his approach was too friendly and egalitarian. Lenny was such a kind man and anytime a musician in the orchestra had something to say or a suggestion Lenny would listen and consider it. This kind of thing is unheard of in Japan and to Ozawa this approach seemed counter productive and he felt that Lenny could have had even better results had he been more focused and forceful with his orchestras.


Thanks for that insight.


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## Alfacharger (Dec 6, 2013)

mbhaub said:


> I too enjoyed the Enigma Variations, and he had a knack for the Pomp & Circumstance marches, but did he do any other Elgar? Given Elgar is considered the "English Mahler", and the profound emotional content of the two symphonies, I would have thought they were a natural fit for Bernstein. But no, he never touched them. *Even Vaughan Williams he ignored.* Maybe he was just Anglo-phobic. He didn't have a particularly nice time in London when conducting.


He recorded a very fine Vaughan Williams 4th.


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## Bigbang (Jun 2, 2019)

tdc said:


> In the book _Conversations with Seiji Ozawa_, Ozawa suggests Lenny was an excellent musical lecturer and educator, he also rates Lenny's Mahler highly. However he seemed to hint that Lenny's weakness as a conductor was that his approach was too friendly and egalitarian. Lenny was such a kind man and anytime a musician in the orchestra had something to say or a suggestion Lenny would listen and consider it. This kind of thing is unheard of in Japan and to Ozawa this approach seemed counter productive and he felt that Lenny could have had even better results had he been more focused and forceful with his orchestras.


Then again, if he was not able to convey his intentions with such force (that is, transmission via unknown means) then the orchestra players are left with ambiguous directions and no real unity behind the conductor. LB many not have been that kind of conductor. Not my opinion but throwing it out there.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

tdc said:


> In the book _Conversations with Seiji Ozawa_, Ozawa suggests Lenny was an excellent musical lecturer and educator, he also rates Lenny's Mahler highly. However he seemed to hint that Lenny's weakness as a conductor was that his approach was too friendly and egalitarian. Lenny was such a kind man and anytime a musician in the orchestra had something to say or a suggestion Lenny would listen and consider it. This kind of thing is unheard of in Japan and to Ozawa this approach seemed counter productive and he felt that Lenny could have had even better results had he been more focused and forceful with his orchestras.


I've directed many stage productions, and I would always be guided by the principle that _*"anytime [an actor on the stage] had something to say or a suggestion I would listen and consider it."*_

Art of the theatrical sort is a COLLABORATION, not a dictatorship. No one could EVER perform EXACTLY the way I may envision it . . . Actors bring their own skill sets, observations, experiences, and limitations, and one actor CANNOT perform a role EXACTLY the way it worked 'perfectly' for some other actor.

You strike a balance, you capitalize on the actors' skills, and don't make them venture where their limitations would diminish the performance.

There are many different types of apples; some make great apple pie, other don't.

I alone may direct a show well, but it's always better when the actors feel that their contributions to the work MATTER, and that they had a hand in the creation.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

It's somewhat amusing to hear Ozawa criticize Bernstein for not being forceful enough with the orchestra...Lenny could be very demanding, he knew what he wanted...he got in the VPO's faces when he first conducted Mahler there - Mahler was not popular in Vienna at that point, "Juden-musik, "scheisse-musik", and so forth. 
Ozawa was/is notorious for being indecisive with orchestras, esp about filling vacant positions..major problem in San Francisco, and continued in Boston....Ozawa is not known as a podium hardball...


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Heck148 said:


> It's somewhat amusing to hear Ozawa criticize Bernstein for not being forceful enough with the orchestra...Lenny could be very demanding, he knew what he wanted...he got in the VPO's faces when he first conducted Mahler there - Mahler was not popular in Vienna at that point, "Juden-musik, "scheisse-musik", and so forth.
> Ozawa was/is notorious for being indecisive with orchestras, esp about filling vacant positions..major problem in San Francisco, and continued in Boston....Ozawa is not known as a podium hardball...


He wasn't critical of that trait in Bernstein, it was just an observation that his conducting style was more democratic than anyone else he'd studied under. He had nothing but praise for Bernstein, whom he idolized.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

I disagree with OP, after all, Bernstein brought me to Charles Ives and Mahler, as well as other important American music.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Rogerx said:


> Did you change your mind yet Captain?


Not yet, . :lol:


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## Gallus (Feb 8, 2018)

Manxfeeder said:


> I think his recording of Haydn's Paris symphonies with the New York Phil needs to be mentioned.


This! One of the greatest recordings of that old master ever made. I think as a conductor he was most at home in those composers, like Haydn, with the same joie de vivre that he had.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

I would also add that Dmitri Shostakovich considered Bernstein his favorite Western conductor of his symphonies.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

^ Were there many others at that time?


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Charles Adler had recorded some in mono era. In stereo Bruno Walter and Maurice Abravanel had recorded some of them, Eugene Ormandy also. No telling if the composer had heard any of them. Shostakovich visited New York and heard Bernstein.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Enthusiast said:


> ^ Were there many others at that time?


I can't think of too many, but there were some excellent Shostakovich recordings made at that time by high-calibre conductors such as Previn, Ormandy, Ančerl and Karajan. (Was the composer present when Karajan and the Berlin Phil played his 10th Symphony in Moscow, or did I imagine that?)

Edit: I note there's a box set of "Ormandy Conducts Shostakovich" due out on the Sony label soon, including Symphonies 1, 4, 5 & 10 and the Cello Concerto with Rostropovich. All fine renditions, but it's a shame that the set doesn't also include the brilliant recordings of the 13th and 15th Symphonies, both of whose American premières were performed by Ormandy and his Philadelphia Orchestra.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Shostakovich first visited New York in the 1949. At that time there were well-regarded recordings by Rodzinski (No. 1), Mitropolous (No. 5), Reiner (No. 6), Celibadache (No.7) and Efrem Kurtz (No. 9) that were all available in USA. Stokowski had recorded No. 1 with Philadelphia in 1934 and Toscanini made the first recording of No. 7 about 1942. Stokowski followed soon after.

The composer must have heard these and more to declare Bernstein his favorite *Western* (non Russian, non European) conductor. Bernstein wasn't recording anything in 1949 so he had to have heard his later recordings to render such a judgment.

Wikipedia says, "In 1959, Shostakovich appeared on stage in Moscow at the end of a concert performance of his Fifth Symphony, congratulating Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra for their performance (part of a concert tour of the Soviet Union). Later that year, Bernstein and the Philharmonic recorded the symphony in Boston for Columbia Records."

A YouTube poster wrote this about that recording (the finale): "This is the famous 1959 recording for Columbia Records. Shostakovich was overjoyed and embraced Bernstein in the black and white photo on the cover of the Columbia vinyl recording of this performance!!! A rare moment in international consensus!! Perhaps he felt that this more conciliatory interpretation had finally come of age!"


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## DBLee (Jan 8, 2018)

larold said:


> The composer must have heard these and more to declare Bernstein his favorite *Western* (non Russian, non European) conductor.


Just curious--why do you say his comment was limited to non-European composers? From a Russian perspective, Europe--at least other than eastern Europe--has always been considered the West.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

My opinion is that Bernstein was a legendary conductor. At his best, his performances sound thrilling, passionate and full of life to me. His _Eroica_ with the NYP is still one of my major references, particularly for the first movement, and I do enjoy his Brahms. His Mozart's _Great Mass_ and _Ave Verum Corpus_ are heavenly IMO.

As a composer, I know only his _West Side Story_, and I like it.


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

Captainnumber36 said:


> The deeper I dig into Classical Music, the more I'm finding that I don't typically find Bernstein all that exciting. Is that an outrageous claim?


If you're speaking about Bernstein the conductor (as opposed to the composer), I think what you're saying is partly a misconception. As a conductor, there are at least two different Bernsteins, as I see it: he was either great, or bad, and his conducting seldom fell anywhere in between. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a single recording by Bernstein where I'd describe his conducting as safe or middle of the road. That wasn't his approach to music, nor the approach of the conductors of his generation (& before); who, if anything, could occasionally be guilty of expressively over characterizing the music they conducted: sometimes to the point where the music making was lacking in subtlety and became over driven or histrionic, or on "steroids"--as some reviewers have put it.

Which is because Bernstein took risks. He dared to take chances that many of the less imaginative conductors today wouldn't take (such as the slowing down of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde), and when it worked, it was brilliant, and when it didn't work, it was dreadful.

I'd also divide Bernstein's conducting career into two general phases: (1) the first period coming during the 1960s and early 1970s when he recorded with the New York Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Danish Orchestra, etc., for Columbia or CBS (now Sony), and (2) the second phase coming with the recordings that he made mostly with the Vienna Philharmonic on DG, but also the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, & the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, later in his career during the 1980s. Personally, I tend to prefer Bernstein's earlier phase in New York by a wide margin, and consider his later DG recordings to be mostly inferior. I find Bernstein's conducting in the earlier phase to be more electric, incisive, taut, and precise; while I often find his later conducting to be more lax and even flaccid. Plus, as others have pointed out, Bernstein's later conducting for DG could get schmaltzy, which I find distasteful in music (& art, in general).

Which is not to say that Bernstein didn't make any good recordings during his DG years, as there are some I think: such as his DG Mahler 6th & 7th Symphonies (despite that I prefer the earlier Columbia Mahler 7th), and Brahms Academic Festival Overture, which is very exciting, and a beautiful live (but slow) Barber Adagio from Los Angeles, to name a few examples: 



. But, for the most part, I'd stay away from his DG recordings, especially Bernstein's controversial Elgar Enigma Variations, which is awful when compared to the great Elgar conductors, such as Boult, Barbirolli, del Mar, Marriner, etc.. Over all, I'd opt for his 1960s and early to mid 1970s recordings instead. (By the way, a listening comparison between Bernstein's early New York Philharmonic recording of Barber's Adagio and his later DG recording of the same--linked above, provides an excellent illustration of his early conducting style versus his later conducting, and even though I like both performances here, I definitely prefer the earlier New York recording: 



.)

In response to the characterization of Bernstein's conducting as "unexciting", I certainly wouldn't describe his Columbia Mahler, Haydn, Nielsen, Stravinsky, Schuman, and Beethoven "Eroica" recordings as lacking in excitement; though these recordings don't always offer the most appealing sound quality (except where the latest DSD remasters have helped the sound considerably), and the playing of the New York Philharmonic isn't always immaculate (though I often find them more gutsy and riveting than the Vienna Philharmonic). The following links are to a variety of Bernstein's Columbia recordings that I'd rate very highly (with the possible exception of his Rite of Spring, which some listeners may find too intensely driven):

--Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony no. 3 "Eroica": 



2017 remastering (which I'm not sure is an improvement?): 



.

You might want to compare Bernstein's 1964 Eroica recording to his later Vienna Philharmonic Eroica from 1978 on DG, which is one of his best DG performances, as Bernstein understood this difficult symphony better than most other conductors, and some listeners have preferred the later DG recording: 



.

--Carl Nielsen, Symphony no. 3, "Sinfonia Espansiva" & Symphony no 5 (& if you like Bernstein's Columbia Nielsen, you might also enjoy his Columbia Sibelius cycle, too, which I've not heard myself):
5th: 



3rd: 




--Gustav Mahler, Symphony no. 2, "Resurrection"--Bernstein conducting the London Symphony Orchestra, live from Ely Cathedral in 1973. This is one of the most exciting Mahler seconds on record, and the best of Bernstein's three recordings of this symphony, IMO, despite that the CD sound quality isn't ideal (though it is preferable on the DVD issue): 



--Gustav Mahler, Symphony no. 3: 



--Gustav Mahler, Symphony no. 7: 



--Gustav Mahler, Symphony no. 9: 




--Franz Josef Haydn, Symphonies nos. 82-104:

Symphony no. 102: 



Symphony no. 104: 



Symphonies nos. 85-95: 




--Franz Josef Haydn, Mass in B-Flat major, "Harmoniemesse": 



--Franz Josef Haydn, Mass in C Major, "Paukenmesse": 



.

--Igor Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring: 



--Igor Stravinsky, Le chant du rossignol, or The Song of the Nightingale:









--William Schuman, Symphonies 3 & 5: 




With that said, there was also what I'd call a 'mixed' period between Bernstein's 1960s Columbia and 1980s DG years, when he made recordings for EMI and Philips (along with Columbia), and some of these recordings are excellent, but not all. Bernstein's EMI Berlioz recordings in France, for instance, are exceptional, as is his conducting of Richard Strauss's opera Der Rosenkavalier in Vienna for CBS/Sony (despite the cuts made), and a slow 1975 performance of Mahler's Kindertotenlieder, with mezzo soprano Dame Janet Baker & the Israel Philharmonic (though Baker's recording with Sir John Barbirolli is preferable, IMO--at the very least from the standpoint of the orchestral playing). While Bernstein's 1981 Wagner Tristan und Isolde for Philips has proven more controversial, and tends to divide listeners and critics:

Berlioz, "Harold in Italy": 



Strauss, Der Rosenkavalier: 



Mahler, Kindertotenlieder, Dame Janet Baker: 



Wagner, Tristan und Isolde: 




Finally, if I were pressed to name the repertory that shows Bernstein at his very best as a conductor, I'd pick his Columbia Haydn Symphonies nos. 82-104 & Masses, his Columbia Beethoven "Eroica", and his 1960-67 Mahler Symphony 1-9 Cycle, which has been remastered in DSD & is available at a bargain price (see link below). Bernstein was also excellent in the American repertory--such as the music by composers William Schuman, Charles Ives, Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, George Gershwin, etc., and in his own music. And, as noted, I'd additionally recommend his EMI Symphonie Fantastique and Harold in Italy, with violist Donald McInnes, in France, as well as his recordings of Nielsen's 3rd & 5th Symphonies, & maybe the Strauss opera, as well.

Haydn: 
https://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Bern...bernstein+haydn&qid=1583715298&s=music&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com/Haydn-London...bernstein+haydn&qid=1583715298&s=music&sr=1-5

Mahler:
https://www.amazon.com/Mahler-Compl...+bernstein+sony&qid=1583715496&s=music&sr=1-2
https://www.amazon.com/Bernstein-Co...+bernstein+sony&qid=1583715496&s=music&sr=1-1

Beethoven Eroica (it has been released multiple times, and I'm not sure which issue offers the best remastering, so I've linked to all of them below):
https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Sy...eethoven+eroica&qid=1583715606&s=music&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Sy...eethoven+eroica&qid=1583715622&s=music&sr=1-4
https://www.amazon.com/Bernstein-Co...eethoven+eroica&qid=1583715622&s=music&sr=1-3
https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Sy...Y0QF3750NKM&psc=1&refRID=Y20N14DM2Y0QF3750NKM

If, after exploring a range of the repertory suggested above (on You Tube or Spotify), you still find Bernstein to be an average and unexciting conductor, then I'd say he's definitely not for you; although, if nothing else, make sure you hear his Columbia Haydn and Mahler.


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## reinmar von zweter (Feb 19, 2020)

Allegro Con Brio said:


> Captain, you seem to love Mozart. Try out his Mozart Requiem recording:
> 
> View attachment 131172
> 
> ...


Maybe my favorite recording of K626.

My personal answer: I love Lenny as conductor in most of his discs. I don't like him too much as composer.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

_Just curious--why do you say his comment was limited to non-European composers? From a Russian perspective, Europe--at least other than eastern Europe--has always been considered the West._

This is what Volkov wrote in "Testimony." I don't know that the composer would have considered all Europeans western; I doubt he felt that about Rodzinski who was Polish. Bernstein was born USA and spent his best years in New York.


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## fluteman (Dec 7, 2015)

Vasks said:


> He's far less a great composer than conductor. However, he sometimes was able to hit a home run, IMHO. They are
> 
> Overture to "Candide"
> Chichester Psalms
> ...


To that short but choice list I'd add the Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront (Bernstein's score for that movie was nominated for and should have won an Academy award) and the jazzy Prelude, Fugue and Riffs.

During his lifetime, Bernstein's work as a composer was belittled and not regarded as sufficiently serious or significant by, for example, the critic and composer Virgil Thomson. Yet today, Bernstein's music is far better known, and far more often performed and recorded, than that of Thomson and many other 20th century American composers who were more highly regarded at the time.

Bernstein's career (and personal life) seem to have been impaired by his zeal in trying to do everything everyone wanted him to do. He was in great demand worldwide as a conductor, his composer friends (like the brilliant but needy and eccentric David Diamond) wanted him to learn and perform their music, his Broadway musical partners Comden and Green wanted him to compose the music for more musicals, etc., etc. He resented not having enough time or energy left for serious composition, but he never really gave up his whirlwind lifestyle until his final illness.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Reichstag aus LICHT said:


> I can't think of too many, but there were some excellent Shostakovich recordings made at that time by high-calibre conductors such as Previn, Ormandy, Ančerl and Karajan. (*Was the composer present when Karajan and the Berlin Phil played his 10th Symphony in Moscow, or did I imagine that?*)
> 
> Edit: I note there's a box set of "Ormandy Conducts Shostakovich" due out on the Sony label soon, including Symphonies 1, 4, 5 & 10 and the Cello Concerto with Rostropovich. All fine renditions, but it's a shame that the set doesn't also include the brilliant recordings of the 13th and 15th Symphonies, both of whose American premières were performed by Ormandy and his Philadelphia Orchestra.


Yes he was and there is a recording of it.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

I would disagree with anyone who'd dismiss Bernstein's music as lightweight. He's a very skilled and original composer, IMO. I would say that his symphonies are worth exploring, as well as Chichester Psalms, and I expect there is even more enjoyment to be derived from his music for fans of musical theater. I just ordered his _Mass_, the original recording. Looking forward to listening to it in full. Love what I've heard of it.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

flamencosketches said:


> I would disagree with anyone who'd dismiss Bernstein's music as lightweight. He's a very skilled and original composer, IMO. I would say that his symphonies are worth exploring, as well as Chichester Psalms, and I expect there is even more enjoyment to be derived from his music for fans of musical theater. I just ordered his _Mass_, the original recording. Looking forward to listening to it in full. Love what I've heard of it.


Love *Bernstein*, and am such a fan I feel that he could almost do no wrong.

I thought *Mass* was fascinating, but it just wasn't my cup of tea when I first heard it over 30 years ago. But I can certainly appreciate it.


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## alexcole (Jun 22, 2020)

Bernstein's Mass is the history of music. A gargantuan production, with organ, children's choir, jazz band, big chorus, operatic lead, composed for the stupendous occasion of the opening of the J.F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Chant, folk song, huge orchestral fugue, jazz, a kaddish thrown in, Latin, English, dialogue, 12-tone, a huge message for Peace...and one of the most beautiful contemporary Lord's Prayer. Did I mention I like it?


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Yes, I consider Leonard Bernstein special, i.e. an important composer of the 20th century. But I tend to enjoy composers who bring a vairety of sources into their writing.

_Mass_ was initially trivialized but over the years, however it has come to be thought very highly of, so that today it is considered one his best works.

I agree with *alexcole* iabout there being many wonderful sections in the work and when listened to from start to finish the overall structure is evident, with thematic echoing and development, its composition is impressive, IMO.

There are six recordings with the latest released in 2020, I have blogged about the history of the work and the recordings *here*, if anyone is interested.


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## Gray Bean (May 13, 2020)

Anything special? Oh, yes! And infinitely more than that. As a conductor, composer, performer, educator and all around lover of humanity LB is the greatest musician ever produced by the USA. An ever questing, brilliant mind combined with an even bigger heart. Undoubtedly, he was one of the greatest conductors of the 20th Century who had an immense influence on the world of classical music. A force of nature. Flawed and yet completely lovable. Really, this is a silly question to ask.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

I love Bernstein's conducting, but his own music has become much more important to me. From his symphonies to the _Serenade_ to _West Side Story_, I find so much of his music deeply infectious and rewarding to listen to. I recently acquired his DG _Complete_ box set and this has proven to be a treasure trove of enjoyable works.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Easily one of my favorite conductors, and I enjoy his compositions too, especially Mass and the first two symphonies. Hes definitely something special!


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## Superflumina (Jun 19, 2020)

I don't rate him as a conductor. Bombastic and overwrought.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Yea, he was very special. As a composer and a teacher pf music.
And as a conductor, the greatest conductor of the second half of the 20th century.
Furty being for the first half.


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