Beethoven: Violin Concerto / Leonore Overture No. 3 ~ Bernstein / Stern

Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Leonard Bernstein (Conductor), New York Philharmonic (Orchestra), Isaac Stern (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Isaac Stern
• Orchestra: New York Philharmonic
• Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
• Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
• Audio CD (September 29, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000C29C
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #122,314 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Of The Stellar Reissues In Sony's Bernstein Tribute, December 18, 2001

By 

John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beethoven: Violin Concerto / Leonore Overture No. 3 ~ Bernstein / Stern (Audio CD)

Much applause should be given to Sony for reissuing this classic recording of violinist Isaac Stern, Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic performing Beethoven's violin concerto. Stern's performance is absolutely immaculate, almost as fine as the classic Deutsche Grammophon recording of violinist Schneiderhan with Eugen Jochum conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. It's replete with brilliant technical pyrotechnics and lyrical playing. Bernstein is an intriguing, if occasionally, quixotic, partner, not quite matching Stern's tempi, yet still the New York Philharmonic yields a fine performance. The two Beethoven overtures are exquisitely performed by the New York Philharmonic. Unfortunately, the sound is a bit dry, and not nearly as warm as the Schneiderhan/Jochum recording for all three of Beethoven's works. Yet these minor flaws shouldn't detract from Stern's splendid playing.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Stern; peculiar Bernstein, May 14, 2001

By 

John Grabowski (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven: Violin Concerto / Leonore Overture No. 3 ~ Bernstein / Stern (Audio CD)

This is one of those performances where Leonard Bernstein turns in a quirky reading that seems designed more to draw attention to him than to the music. Most perplexing of all is why he holds the three-beat rest in the first movement's tutti *three-and-a-half* beats. Aside from that, he seems determined to "increase the drama" through pulling the beat, so that Stern finds himself ahead frequently in the first and second movements. The great violinist does not wait for his partner. There are also some heavy orchestral balances--many conductors strive for clarity in this score but Lenny goes for the dramatic approach (suprise). How well it works will depend on your taste. I don't dislike it, but wouldn't want to hear my Beethoven Violin Concerto this way all the time.

Stern, meanwhile, is wonderful. His handling of the cadenzas is jaw-dropping, even if it's evident, under the scruitiny of headphones, that they're pieced together from several takes. He plays the fiendishly difficult cadenzas by Fritz Kreisler that many violinists don't even attempt to tackle, and he blows through them like they're the easiest thing in the world. All the while he has this majestic tone that was one of the best ever (and I do mean "was" if you've heard him recently). There's something about his soulful, yearning quality that makes me think of the human voice, and makes so many of today's technically-endowed violinists sound cold by comparison.

Sony has done a good job restoring the sound, which in past incarnations was hissy, fuzzy and up-close. It still isn't up there with modern digital standards, but it's far better than it used to be. All in all, recommended, especially for the price and the two spirited overtures you get as bonus. (The Leonore No. 3 has to be heard to be believe--Lenny smokes it! The tender sections are suitably tender, however, and the open brims with mystery and portent. Just listen to those strings. Only the offstage trumpet disappoints--it's flat.)

There are by way of contrast some other Beethoven VCs you should check out, however, one of my favorites--possibly my all-time favorite--being Menuhin/Furtwangler live (Music & Arts), which is far superior to their studio disc on EMI. Be warned, though: the Music & Arts recording does not have great sound.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A medium-good performance in wretched sound, June 16, 2006

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Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beethoven: Violin Concerto / Leonore Overture No. 3 ~ Bernstein / Stern (Audio CD)

When the Beethoven concerto ends and we move on to the 'Consecration of the House Over.', it's startling to hear the difference in recorded sound. I almost never exclude a performance because of sonics alone (I'd have to throw out all my Toscaninis and Furtwanglers), but as a reviewer below says, Columbia's 1959 sonics are "hissy, fizzy, and close up." Once we get to the two overtures, however, the sound is good analog.

I got no pleasure from Stern's wiry, shrill violin (as recorded), but his interpretation, abetted by Bernstein's slow and surprisingly slack tempos, isn't remarkable, either. Stern's tone is unvaried, he doesn't seek out interesting phrasing, and there's no personal point of view: Each bar follows another. The slow movement drags to the point that Bernstein can't sustain the line. The finale is taken at more or less normal speed and comes off best in this reading. The two overtures are exceptionally well done, on the other hand, with plenty of passion and energy, the things we expect form Bernstein.

These are favorite artists of mine--not to mention being the most famous conductor and violinist in America at the time--and it's a shame they didn't join up later for a remake