William Walton/Leonard Bernstein - Belshazzar's Feast/Chichester Psalms/Missa Brevis (1989)

Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, recorded in Symphony Hall, Atlanta on April 25-26, 1988 & May 15, 1989.

I inherited this CD from my father and I'm guessing he bought it as a fan of Chichester Psalms. I'm not much of a listener of classical choral works, but Telarc was the premiere classical CD of the time and Shaw was the dean of choral conducting, so it makes sense that he chose this version. Let's see what the choral aficionados over at Amazon have to say about this one:

• "a magnificent performance of a too-often overlooked 1931 oratorio"
• "If you are looking for a top-notch recording of this Walton masterpiece, look no further than here."
• "Marvelous music, with the best choral director of the 20th century, Robert Shaw, and excellent Atlanta Symphony Orchestra."
• "this is truly the definitive edition"
• "A wonderful reproduction of an inspiring work."

So it's good stuff and well-recorded, just not in my wheelhouse.

1. Belshazzar's Feast by Sir William Walton is a cantata that premiered in 1931. I appreciate the energy brought to the performance and enjoy the bombastic brass throughout.
2. Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein (written in 1965), I like the first movement and the finale. He really had a thing for mixed meter.
3. Missa Brevis (brief mass) by Bernstein was written in 1988 for Shaw to mark Shaw's retirement from directing the Atlanta Symphony and Chorus. It turned out to be Bernstein's last complete choral work as he died in 1990. This CD contains the world premiere recording.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Leonard Bernstein's New York	On The Town, Fancy Free, On The Waterfront Suites
Leonard Bernstein Conducts West Side Story	1812 Overture/Capriccio Italien/Romeo & Juliet
Chichester Psalms, Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
New York Philharmonic Debut
On The Town - Studio Cast Recording

Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture/Capriccio Italien/Romeo & Juliet (1990)

Leonard Bernstein conducting the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded at Frederic R. Mann Auditorium (now the Charles Bronfman Auditorium) in Tel Aviv.

Under the banner of the "Leonard Bernstein Edition"  this CD is a repackaging of previously released recordings. In the Maestro's own words:

The performances included on this CD carry all the Bernstein hallmarks: spirited tempo, bright timbre, exaggerated dynamics, and extremely passionate.

1. 1812 Overture, Op. 49 (recorded May 1984)
2. Capriccio Italien, Op. 45 (recorded May 1984)
3. Romeo & Juliet (recorded October 1978)

My favorite piece of these three is the Capriccio Italien, but the best performance on the disc is the 1812 Overture.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Leonard Bernstein - On The Town, Fancy Free, On The Waterfront Suites (1992)

A collection of previous recordings of Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic.

If you want a definitive interpretation, listen to a composer conduct his own works.

Three Dance Episodes from "On the Town" (1947) recorded at Lincoln Center, June 18, 1963. Symphonic music derived from the music composed for his 1944 Broadway musical. Of the three movements, the third is most enjoyable, although this set is brief with the 3 dances lasting only a total of 10 minutes.

"Fancy Free" Ballet (1944), recorded at Lincoln Center, June 11, 1963. An appropriate pairing with "On the Town" as this ballet was so successful that Jerome Robbins thought it could be turned into a Broadway musical. Of the 7 movements to this 25 minute ballet, I like III and V.

Symphonic Suite from the Film "On the Waterfront" (1955), recorded at Manhattan Center, May 16, 1960. Using music he wrote for the 1954 Academy Award winning film (Bernstein's only original film score), Bernstein created this 20 minute symphonic suite. The most aggressive, passionate, and enjoyable music on this CD. The movie scoring process frustrated Bernstein to no end which is probably why he just did it once. But this suite makes you wish he had done more.

Can we talk about the packaging? In the early '90s, Sony, which had recently purchased Columbia and the CBS Masterworks recordings, decided to re-release Bernstein's NY Philharmonic recordings. Inexplicably, Prince Charles, who has no real connection to either Bernstein or the NY Phil (maybe the Royal Family owns a piece of Sony?), was selected to paint the covers and they were decreed to be "Royal Editions." Wha?!? A money-grubbing idea so ludicrous I can't begin to explain, so I'll let Sony try:

This disc was #15 of the 100 Royal Edition items mentioned above. Not sure what the "high definition sound" process entails, but I will admit this compilation sounds better than a 1960 recording ought to.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Leonard Bernstein's New York
Leonard Bernstein Conducts West Side Story
Chichester Psalms, Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
New York Philharmonic Debut
On The Town - Studio Cast Recording

Leonard Bernstein Conducts West Side Story (1985)

"WEST SIDE STORY" WEEK (NOVEMBER 10-16, 2013)

Note: this release was originally purchased as a 2 LP set, later replaced by a 2 CD set.

In the early '80s, classical recording label Deutsche Grammophon had the idea of having composer Leonard Bernstein (who had a contract with DG) conduct his music from West Side Story using a pick-up orchestra and vocalists from DG's stable of opera singers. By this time, the music was more than 25 years old and had became an American institution, yet nobody had ever allowed Bernstein to conduct it? This idea was long overdue and I always enjoy hearing a composer conduct his own works. The tempi are perfect and orchestra sounds fantastic.

The problem here is the casting. Wonderfully talented singers that don't have the right sound for show tunes and more than a little nepotism used in casting the speaking parts (two of Bernstein's three children, woefully over-matched by the dialogue). The part of Maria should be of Puerto Rican descent, but is sung by Kiri Te Kanawa, who hails from New Zealand. Likewise, the lead male role of Tony is Polish-America, but Spanish tenor José Carreras is cast. In other words, the accents just don't match. Faring much better are Tatiana Troyanos, Kurt Ollmann, and in an inspired cameo, Marilyn Horne. But in the end, none of that really matters because the music is so good. As it stands, this remains the definitive recorded version of WSS.

This album sold well enough to have Te Kanawa and Carreras attempt a similar recording of the musical South Pacific. It flopped. A documentary of the making of this WSS recording is available. I've watched it several times including once this week. It's an interesting look at the rehearsal and recording process of the time, but it also contains a few entertaining scenes where spoiled musicians throw hissy fits:

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Pop CD: #21
• CashBox CD: #26

Tracks:  I can't pick a favorite, but today I was really drawn to America and the entire Ballet Sequence. They might have put all the WSS music on one CD, but there's not as much money to be made doing that, so DG tacked on a 1982 recording of Bernstein conducting his Symphonic Suite from the film 'On The Waterfront' with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. As you might expect, it's wonderful.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  My LP version of this recording got a lot of playing time in college. I liked the compositions, but my professors never really took it very seriously, I guess because of its Broadway origins. Music is one of the few art forms in which the academy almost completely ignores the last fifty years. They'd rather study 1750-1799 than 1950-1999. It makes me scratch my head.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Leonard Bernstein's New York
Chichester Psalms, Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
New York Philharmonic Debut
On The Town - Studio Cast Recording

The Canadian Brass Plays Bernstein (1997)

"WEST SIDE STORY" WEEK (NOVEMBER 10-16, 2013)

Even with ever-changing personnel, the virtuosity of The Canadian Brass cannot be disputed. So, the only problem with being a group of talented musicians is finding enough quality material to perform. Bernstein is a safe choice, so this should be a great album and for the most part it is. However, there are a few arrangements that seem designed to serve the ensemble more than the composer and that's where there's a problem. But those moments are few and not too terribly distracting. The quintet has produced over 100 albums since its founding in 1970, so it would be unrealistic to expect a home run every at bat.

This album contains 15 tracks, 10 from West Side Story. The penultimate track, Bernstein Portrait, is an original piece by producer/arranger Christopher Dedrick. That piece isn't terrible, but I think they should have stayed with Bernstein's work and saved the original material for another time.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:  The better arrangements here are of Jet Song, Something's Coming, and One Hand One Heart. One of the best tunes on the CD, Make Our Garden Grow, comes not from West Side Story but from Bernstein's operetta Candide. Arrangements that don't work are Maria, Alleluia, and, ironically, Best Of All Possible Worlds.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Jazz Roots (2008)
All You Need is Love (1998)

Stan Kenton's West Side Story (1961)

"WEST SIDE STORY" WEEK (NOVEMBER 10-16, 2013)

The album cover reads: "from the creative world of Stan Kenton comes...Kenton's West Side Story. Driving, exciting instrumental version of Leonard Bernstein's fabulous score!" Here is one of those rare occasions when the recording actually lives up to the hype.

Nothing beats the original, but this comes close. After a very successful big band career in the '40s and '50s, pianist Stan Kenton took the bold step of adding a new instrument to the standard 18 piece big band instrumentation. From the liner notes:

The incorporation (in a 4-man section) of this unusual horn called a mellophonium - developed by the Conn Instrument Company at Stan's request - added an alto voice with a French horn-like quality to the brass section, and was intended to bridge the gap between the low-to-middle range of the trombones and the often stratospherically-directed trumpets.

This mellophonium came to be known as simply a mellophone and became popular in marching bands in the '60s-'80s as a replacement for traditional French horns (whose backward-facing bells don't readily lend themselves to marching band). Take this augmented big band (now at 22 members), add in-your-face arrangements by Johnny Richards, and you've got versions of classic show tunes that are like nothing you've heard before - part big band, part marching band. I can't begin to imagine what it must have been like to hear this group live; they seem loud on this recording no matter where I place the volume knob.

In 1962, this album won the award for Best Jazz Performance - Large Group (Instrumental) at the 4th annual Grammy Awards.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #16

Tracks: All 10 tracks are fantastic. My favorite arrangements are of Something's Coming, Maria, I Feel Pretty, Officer Krupke, and Somewhere.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: As a 17 year old wannabe musician, my high school band director turned me on to this recording and I was hooked immediately. For a couple of years, my mind raced with possibilities of arranging and performing music just like this (the term 'derivative' hadn't yet entered my vocabulary). I almost had the opportunity to do some college marching band arrangements of West Side Story when I was about 21. My plan, of course, was to "borrow" some of the ideas from this album. I had all the arranging complete in my head and was ready to put pencil to paper when the band director nonchalantly told me he was getting a faculty member to do the arranging. I suspect this was his plan all along and he was just getting back at me for putting a toilet on his front yard late one night. It was all good college fun until he threw his back out trying to remove said toilet. Oops. His back eventually recovered, but our relationship obviously never did. I listened to a dubbed cassette of this album throughout college then lost touch with the work until it was released on CD in the mid-'90s.

Pet Shop Boys - Somewhere (1997)

"WEST SIDE STORY" WEEK (NOVEMBER 10-16, 2013) 

CD Single

I bought a lotta dance singles in '97 and this combination of Bernstein and Pet Shop Boys was something I just had to hear. And it's exactly what you'd expect a dance take on West Side Story's most famous ballad to sound like. This version is completely frivolous and I love it. There's no doubt the release date is 1997 - it is definitely of its time.

They called this 6 track release a "CD5 Maxi Single" but at 39 minutes, it is longer than many albums I own.

Single chart peaks:

• US Billboard Hot 100: Did not chart (it "bubbled under" at 125)
• Billboard Dance: #19

Tracks:  We're treated to 2 mixes of Somewhere, including a 10+ minute remix. Of those, I prefer the former to the latter. The original ends with an odd, but enjoyable, downbeat Beatleseque coda while the longer mix doesn't contain much of the original; I'm surprised Bernstein and Sondheim retained writing credit. We also get two versions of PSB's previous single, A Red Letter Day, from the album Bilingual, and not one, but two b-sides (if they were still called that in '97): The View From Your Balcony and Delusions Of Grandeur. No bad track, it's all well and good, but I really only want to hear the shorter version of Somewhere.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Yes (2009)
Fundamental (2006)
Bilingual (1996)
Disco 2 (1994)
Very (1993)
Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You) (1991)

Various Artists - The Songs of West Side Story (1996)

"WEST SIDE STORY" WEEK (NOVEMBER 10-16, 2013)

From a ★★ review over at Allmusic:

In 1992, AIDS Project Los Angeles staged an all-star benefit concert in which contemporary artists performed songs from West Side Story. It was a cute one-shot idea and well-received (especially with such inspired choices as having Elton John sing "I Feel Pretty"). That should have been the end of it, but several years later, producer David Pack organized this recorded version, and the cute idea has become a multi-artist embarrassment.

A multi-artist embarrassment. That's harsh. But true (e.g., Phil Collins singing Somewhere). Good for occasional amusement, though, as long as you don't take it too seriously. It includes Selena's final recording, made just a few weeks before her murder. I feel kinda bad for Pack; I really enjoy his soft rock stuff from his work with Ambrosia.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #65

Tracks:

It's not all bad. The better tracks are:

• Prologue/Jet Song - Brian Setzer
• Cool - Patti Austin, Mervyn Warren & Bruce Hornsby

And, if you like your music over-produced and cheesy:

• America - Natalie Cole, Patti LaBelle & Sheila E. (I just can't resist the gospel coda)
• I Feel Pretty - Little Richard

Skip the rest unless you want to laugh at the take on Officer Krupke. Bernstein would have loved it.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: For some reason, I'm reminded of a wedding I performed at in the summer of '96. One of the few times I've heard this disc must have been on the rides to and from that gig.

Various Artists - Leonard Bernstein's New York (1996)

GEOGRAPHY WEEK (JANUARY 8-14, 2012)

Bernstein wrote many musicals, movie scores, and ballets based in New York City. This compilation pairs cabaret and stage singers, including Mandy Patinkin and Audra McDonald, with The Orchestra of St. Luke's conducted by Eric Stern. We get selections from On The Town, Wonderful Town, Fancy Free, On The Waterfront, and, of course, West Side Story. This CD doesn't get much play time around here because when I want to listen to West Side Story, I listen to West Side Story. Still, the performances are top-notch and these great works are a good introduction or tribute to Bernstein's theater works. Sadly, it also illustrates how far American musical theater has fallen in recent years. I've heard nothing new in years that can compare to even the weakest song here. There's an accompanying DVD for this CD, but I've never seen it. Doubt I'll get around to it soon. [note: I finally got around to watching the DVD over a year later on Feb 13, 2013. Very campy.]

Tracks: The stronger material is from West Side Story, especially One Hand, One Heart. I also enjoy Ain't Got No Tears Left, which was inexplicably cut from On The Town, Come Up To My Place, and the all-hands-on-deck finale of New York, New York.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None. I think I got this CD for 1¢ on eBay not long after it was released.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Chichester Psalms, Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
New York Philharmonic Debut
On The Town - Studio Cast Recording

On The Town - Studio Cast Recording (1961)

BROADWAY WEEK (SEPTEMBER 6-12, 2011)

Music: Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics: Betty Comden & Adolph Green

Why a "Studio Cast Recording"? When this musical about 3 sailors on 24-hour shore leave in NYC premiered in 1944, the 33⅓ LP record hadn't been invented yet (Columbia would introduce the LP format in 1948). So in 1961, this recording was released with most of the members of the original cast and an orchestra conducted by Bernstein. This particular 1998 reissue includes a recording of the musical's overture and the New York Philharmonic playing Bernstein's Three Dance Episodes from On the Town. It's no West Side Story (what is?), but it certainly isn't as bad as A Quiet Place.

The musical itself came about in an interesting way: the 1944 Jerome Robbins ballet Fancy Free, with music by Bernstein, was a hit so, naturally, producers thought the ballet could be turned into a Broadway musical. They convinced Robbins and Bernstein, who in turn wanted their friends Comden and Green to write the book and lyrics. When the director George Abbott was added to the project, funding was secured, including funding from the movie studio MGM in return for the film rights. Back then as today, it was all about the movie rights and even serious artists couldn't turn their backs on Hollywood cash. The original Broadway production ran for 462 performances. The movie version - ugh. The 1949 film starred Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, but the producers decided to drop all but 3 of Bernstein's songs and introduce new music by Roger Edens. I'm a big fan of liner notes and the ones included in this 16 page CD booklet do not disappoint.

Tracks: Bernstein was just entering his prime here, but my favs are New York New York, Come Up To My Place (Taxi Number), I Can Cook Too, and the instrumental Dance: Times Square. My least favorite tunes are Carried Away and I Understand. The bonus track recording of the overture is slow and bland, but the Three Dance Episodes are enjoyable despite a bad mix.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I saw a revival of this show in January 1999 followed by dinner at Café Un Deux Trois on 44th St. The below-average revival only ran for 69 performances, but the dinner was exquisite.

Copland - Appalachian Spring Suite (1982)

Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic.

While I prefer Copland's other ballet music, particularly Rodeo and Billy The Kid, the suite adapted from Appalachian Spring is classic Copland. After all, it won him the Pulitzer Prize. While many people like the Shaker melody The Gift To Be Simple included near the end of the suite, I prefer the slow, moving coda that follows.

I have been familiar with El Salón México since college and I can't remember how I became familiar with it. I may have played a band transcription of it or, embarassingly, from a DCI drum corps recording.

On all 4 pieces included on this disc, Bernstein's interpretation is amazing. I've heard many different versions of these pieces, but still come back to these as the best versions. From what I can tell, these recordings were made in 1962, 1963, and 1967, when Bernstein was at his best as he was conducting more and composing less.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I believe I purchased this CD when I was working on a marching band arrangement of Appalachian Spring around 1994 or 95. It wasn't a great arrangement, but I wonder if the LHS still has a recording of it.

Leonard Bernstein's New York Philharmonic Debut (1996)

Bernstein was famously thrust into stardom when he took over for conductor Bruno Walter at the last minute on November 14, 1943 in Carnegie Hall. This CD was remastered using acetate discs as source material. These discs had been recorded to send overseas to the troops, so the sound reproduction is not good, but that's not what this disc is about. This is a historical artifact. The concert was broadcast over CBS radio and that broadcast is what he have here. It's fun to hear the radio announcer and the ads for the United States Rubber Company (which would later become Uniroyal). Also, the excellent liner notes are quite extensive with recollections of the concert from Bernstein's brother and orchestra musicians.

Tracks: The concert begins with the National Anthem. I've been to a few concerts where this has happened, but what I noticed immediately on this recording is that the entire audience seems to be singing. This could be because the nation was at war at the time, which always brings about feelings of national pride. One of the things that strikes me is the contemporary nature of the music. The three pieces date from 1849, 1933, and 1897 - all within 100 years of the date of the concert. Schumann's Manfred Overture is a nice dark piece and performed well here. I was unfamiliar with Theme, Variations and Finale by Hungarian composer Miklós Rózsa, probably because I think of him as a film composer. This sounds like film music from the time because the variations are very brief, like they were written for different movie scenes. A forgettable piece, but I appreciate the fact that this orchestra was promoting new music. Don Quixote is probably the most enjoyable of all the Strauss tone poems, with solo cello playing the role of Don Quixote. This piece is the highlight of the disc. The historic concert ended with Wagner's Prelude to Die Meistersinger, but because of time limitations, CBS radio did not broadcast the piece, so it was not recorded and couldn't be included here.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When this CD became available, I immediately purchased two copies and had one of them sent one to my good friend Eddie, who is probably a bigger Bernstein fan than I am. We listened to the CDs then talked on the phone like giddy school girls. The music isn't necessarily that great and the recording is often distorted at times, but you can still hear the genius coming through. Hard to believe Bernstein was only 25 years old at the time.

Bernstein - Chichester Psalms, Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 (1999)

German import

I have a fascination with Bernstein. I've read his books, also read many of the biographies, listened to much of his music and watched the videos. However, I had never heard Chichester Psalms, so I recently bought this CD. I always search out recordings where Bernstein conducts his own work. Here he is in front of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. The strings get a little shrill at times, but the brass sound fantastic.

The performances here were recorded in August 1977 and originally released in 1978 on Deutsche Grammophon 2530 968 and 2530 969. This reissue promotes "Original-Image Bit-Processing" whatever that is.

Tracks: In Chichester Psalms (written in 1965), I like the first movement and the finale. He really had a thing for mixed meter.

Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah" (written in 1942). This is a great programmatic piece. The second movement may be some of his best orchestral work. It's so good that the third movement (with mezzo-soprano soloist) is kind of a letdown by comparison.

Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety" (written 1947-49). Really more of a piano concerto, but I guess when you write it, you can title it anything you like. I like the mainly open voicing in the piano and all the variations are interesting. The second part of the piece isn't nearly as interesting to me, although the ragtime section is entertaining. I suppose I should read Auden's poem and try to line it up with the music. Next time.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None. I've never heard any of these pieces performed live by an orchestra.