Customer Reviews

Bernstein: Mass

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The most important thing to remember before listening to this piece by Leonard Bernstein is that it is not a "Mass" in the traditional sense. Sure, it has a Kyrie, a Gloria, a Credo, a Sanctus, and an Agnus Dei, but there's much much more going on.

"Mass" is described a "A Theater Piece for Singers" and thinking of the work in this light elucidates much of the structure of this recording. For example, the "Things Get Broken" segment on Disc 2 (one of the more controversial parts of "Mass") seems overly drawn out when listening to it on CD. The reason this seems so is because there is a lot theatrically going on. The focus of this segment is more on theater than music, and so it's less exciting musically (it's still a great segment, though).

Judging from what's been written about this work, this recording of "Mass" is the only complete recording available right now. It includes the original cast and is conducted by Berstein himself. Someone had foresight.

It's easier to listen to this work as a theater piece. Sections of a traditional mass are interspersed with solos (by singers with titles such as "Rock Singer", "Blues Singer", "An Older Man", "A Young Girl") that usually function as commentary or embellishment to the traditional religious setting. The best example of this is during the "Confession". Following the singing of a more or less traditional Catholic confessional (complete in Latin and English), the Rock and Blues Singers provide their own unique perspectives. The First Rock Singer complains that he's not sure how to confess, because he's so messed up he doesn't know what he wants or feels at any time:

What I say I don't feel
What I feel I don't show
What I show isn't real
What is real, Lord - I don't know

The First Blues Singer than chimes in to say just how easy it is to get blessed if one just goes through the motions or says what people want to hear. A second blues singer sings an almost outright paean to lust:

It's easy to keep the flair in your affair
Your body's always ready, but your soul's not there
Don't be nonplussed
Come love, come lust,
It's so easy when you just don't care

Doubtless passages such as this in the context of a religious mass served to heighten the controversy around the work as a whole.

Berstein's incredible music pervades "Mass" - the stunningly beautiful "A Simple Song"; the incredible "Meditation No.1", "Gloria Tibi", the boy's choir-led "Sanctus". A mishmash of musical styles somehow blends together to form a coherent whole. There's traditional classical music (orchestra and choir), rock music, scat, jazz, blues, spoken word, quadrophonic tape, music for the stage, and others that weave in and out of the musical mesh. One gets the impression that Berstein was an incomprehensibly astute composer. This work alone proves that.

This piece was commissioned for the Kennedy Center opening (supposedly by Jacqueline Kennedy herself in honor of JFK - I have yet to read anywhere what she thought of it). That fact along with the highly religious context made this a very controversial work. The juxtapositions of the sacred and the profane were not appreciated by various religious communities at the time. "Mass" was called "Vulgar" and "sacreligious". Seeing that an altar is desecrated during the end of the piece, by the same character that sang "A Simple Song", there was probably much fodder for criticism. In truth, the piece is about crisis in faith, and it is a religious, though a very probing, work. Much of the commentary probably rings true for many: the hypocrisy of certain popular manifestations of religion and the double standards people sometimes apply to their religious and daily lives. In the end, "Mass" is more critical of people who claim religiosity than it is of religion in general. It is a beautiful, challenging, and inspiring piece of music. It does not deserve to be buried under trite controversy. Give it a listen, read the text, and, if nothing else, drown in the music.

I was a very fortunate lad of 13 and singing in the Berkshire Boys Choir in the summer of 1971 when some of us were told that we were to go to Wash. DC to sing with Lenny Bernstein. Most of us knew who he was but really didn't feel the significance of it. After the first rehearsel(which Ted Kennedy and family attended) we understood. Mr Bernstein was a marvel.He had so much energy and somehow knew exactly how things should be. The work itself is a grand scheme.With pit orchestra, stage brass,woodwinds,and rock bands, mixed choir,boy choir,street singers and the Alvin Ailey dancers; the stage logistics were enormous.Then there is the music: starting with quad tape in a kind of serial vocal colage' going straight into a "simple" folk tune. Musical genres of every kind follow;folk,scat,blues,12 tone,plain chant. Only a master of composition on the order of Bernstein could/would attempt such a thing. The storyline of wrestling with faith is a powerful and relational experience. Everyone goes through it(for most of our lives). We all finally come to the point where we have to talk to god with a "secret song". Bernstein knew these issues of faith all too well.And so do you. Being a oringinal cast member, I disqualify myself as a reviewer. Needless to say it was the greatest experience of my life. It changed my life the way few pieces can.

Leonard Bernstein has never recieved the recognition he deserves as a composer. He is known by his weaker music; namely, his broadway scores, like West Side Story and On the Town. His MASS strikes most listeners as being wierd. Those who have actually listened to it usually come to the conclusion that it is an expression of Bernstein's disdain for Catholicism. Allow me to obliterate both of these notions for you. What it really is is the story of the celebrant; he is an island of piety in the midst of a agitated and doubtful congregaion. He manages to keep things more or less together through the first hour and a half or so, but when disgruntled members of the congregation begin to throw accusations at God, he finally suffers a crisis of faith himself, during the hair-raising 'Trope: Things Get Broken.' He dissapears from the scene. The congregation is left to try and worship without him. After a rather awkward beginning, the entire congegation ultimately ends up singing, in a gorgeous canon (that's a round), and reaffirming their faith. At this point the celebrant rejoins them, reaffirming his faith as well. Then, they all (including the stage orchestra) sing a beautiful, contemplative chorale that is a prayer.

Some of the music may not be for everyone, but its profoundly moving message of reconcilliation is certainly one that is for everyone.

'MASS' is nothing less than MASSively magnificent, and it is Bernstein at his best, both as a composer and as a conductor.

One of the important distinctions to make about this piece is that it is NOT a Mass as Mozart's Great C Minor Mass or Bach's Mass in B Minor are. Those pieces set the text with no additions or commentary. They are concert pieces. This MASS, however, is a theater piece that uses the timeless text of the Roman Ordo Missae along with other lyrics, to tell a story.

Bernstein composed MASS for the opening of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and was assured that cost would not be a factor in the writing of the dedicatory piece. As a result, Lenny allowed his imagination to roam freely, and the product of that imagination is the overflowing of talent that is MASS.

Some commentators (Christians) have dismissed this work as vulgar or blasphemous, and, from a certain standpoint, the piece can certainly be viewed that way. However, as a Christian myself, it has been important to approach this piece open-mindedly. It is, in every possible sense of the word, a masterpiece.

Bernstein effortlessly blends diverse and sometimes antithetical musical styles throughout the work, from the pealing dissonance of the opening Kyrie, played over a quadrophonic tape, to the simple, Bach-chorale type quality of the final chorus. In between are sections in blues, rock, and skat styles.

The piece alternates religious severity, as evoked by the Latin texts, with tongue-in-the-cheek irreverence and sarcasm in the English commentaries and chorales.

There are two recordings of MASS in the catalog. Kent Nagano, with the Berliner Philharmoniker, attempted the piece recently. His recording should be avoided at all costs, even if the Sony version goes out of print.

Bernstein's reading - this recording - is the other in the catalog, and it is unsurpassed. Alan Titus is competely involved throughout the entire piece, from the lilting Simple Song to the unexpurgated sarcasm of the Fraction: Things Get Broken. Throughout the course of MASS, the assorted vocal soloists give their full committment to this music, with a precision and emotional involvement that is unmatched by Nagano's forces.

Sound quality is error-free and sonically powerful, despite the age of the recording. The engineers went to lengths unknown to capture the spatial effects (quadrophonic tapes, a multi-level performance area) in stereo, and one can hear the results of their labors in the very first track.

MASS is a powerful work that offends many simply because it is so devastatingly honest, and for that reason, it deserves our attention. The sheer overflowing of musical talent is overwhelming...you will have to hear this more than once.

Required Listening for any 20th-Century Classical Music or Bernstein enthusiast.

Bernstein's "Mass" is far from being a "simple song". It is a highly complex, advanced, challenging, maybe even offending work based on the Catholic mass tradition. The music is as diverse as the human mankind: simple chorales and children choirs, popular song forms, witty (ironical - cynical) marches, shouts, cries, and the beats of the "sex, drugs, and rock'n roll" age. The diversity implies that there is something for everybody, for traditionalists, for modernists, for agnostics, for disappointed people etc., but there is also always something to dislike.

Bernstein challenges the faith and perspectives of the audience contrasting the traditional texts with reflections on the situation and feelings of people. What is sin, where have I failed? How glorious is our world today? What is our society like? God's own conuntry or social Darwinism? Is there something holy, or are we allowed to do everything ourselves?

The character of the celebrant is central to the piece which was originally set for a dramatical performance on stage. The celebrant's honesty and religious attitude contrasts to somewhat bizarre and ancient forms (e.g. Confiteor) as well as the permanent doubts, criticism, and "perversions" of faith. The emerging conflict is impressively described in the "breaking of the bread". Unity and hope despite the differences and the conflicts is finally espressed in the ending which is typical for Bernstein, an appeal to the greater good.

Take this challenge and listen to the music.

Ok, Ok, so it's true. I grant it all. Is it derivative? Yes. Stephen Schwartz wrote the libretto after he had finished Godspell. Does it lack a spiritual center? It sure does. But intentionally so. The piece portrays what happens when you embark on a religious life groaning like a camel under the weight of doctrine, when said doctrine is not part of your experience, but is simply imposed from the outside. Bernstein's Mass is a cautionary tale about what happens to a people who forget that spiritual crisis is a big part of religion. Without spiritual crisis there is no religion, just a ritual. Doctrine and ritual are insufficient support of a religious life. The spiritual crises of the community of faith provide the living nerve of religious life. The celebrant keeps trying to keep the lid on, to maintain order, but the result is greater and greater entropy until he surrenders to his own doubts and allows the faith that justifies to be that of another who transcends his own poor faith. You can say what you will about Bernstein's Mass, but for sheer profundity of message, and as a brilliant reflection of its era, it has no equal among its contemporaries. Not even close.

For the one who is looking for the "WOW" in their music collection, this is it. When I was first introduced to "MASS", I was 18 and looking for that something special in music. Here it is. Bernstein has a phenomenal way of making one think about their reason for being and to question the supposed unquestionable. Religion. There is always something "new and profound" every time I listen. When listening to 'God Said...', there is total amazement to how true everything is that is depicted in this song. To listen with one's heart is to hear the true meaning of life and Christianity. Conflict and Resolution. Everything in life can be attributed to these concepts and when put to the test, there is resolution. Thanks to Leonard Bernstein for putting everything into perspective with this worthwhile production. The choirs, musicians, and performers are to be commended for their fine contribution to the performing arts. This is a great way to introduce children to one of life's great adventures. Music. My children love it. From jazz, to rock, to the blues, and to classical, this production has it all. And now that I have finally found a new recording, mine on cassette can be retired after 13 years of use. A definite asset to any collection.

When I was given the job of creating a CD collection for our local library, this was the first recording I requested. I have loved this work since my 7th grade music teacher introduced it to my class in the early 1970's. Through the years it has provided a background to the turmoil of high school, study time at college, and now keeps me company at work and at home.

Anyone who has ever praised, questioned or criticized their God has a voice in this work. And by the end, the truth and simplicity of God's relationship to man shines through -- in spite of man's best efforts to complicate the matter.

Musically, there is something for everyone. Those who like classical, jazz, blues, rock & roll, and just plain fun songs will find at least one piece to listen to again and again. Having seen the full production of this work (on PBS when it was first performed and again at the 10th anniversary of its creation), I can fill in the visuals which go with the music, but the Mass is powerful and enjoyable enough to stand on its own.

I've heard that the true test of musical merit is how well it holds up over time. Since 1972 I've worn out several LP and Cassette versions of Bernstein's Mass, sung pieces of it both solo and with choirs, driven friends crazy extolling its virtues, and after 28 years am still moved and delighted each time I listen to it.

Now, if only someone will resurrect the PBS broadcast ....

I've read the previous reviews and all have seen the brilliance of this work. I first experienced this piece when it came out on vinyl, which I quickly wore out (now Im trying to wear out the CD). Maestro Bernstein really pulled out all the stops for this one!!

I had the joy of seeing it performed in Los Angeles at the Mark Taper Forum (a very small venue for such a massive work) in the early 70s. It lost its grandeur with the scaled-down singers, players and dancers (the string section was one violin!) but not its spirit!

I can sum up my feelings for this piece quite easily; I have been listening to this piece for 30 years now and if Im blessed with another 30, Ill still be listening to it!!!

I was in the children's choir for the Indiana University production of Mass at Leonard Bernstein's birthday celebration in Tanglewood, MA in 1988 - I think he was 70 at that time. (I would love to find a complete recording of our production, but alas all I have is selections for a radio show we did a few months later). It is an allegory that, although based on the Catholic mass, is at its simplest about the true meaning of faith. It was the first thing to teach me about faith when I was a surly, rebellious anti-religious teen, and continues to have a profound influence on my life whenever I need to revisit questions of faith.

I highly recommend this CD for everyone, and would recommend even more any opportunity to see it performed on stage (or, best of all, a chance to be a part of a performance).