Customer Reviews

Bernstein: Mass

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4 star:		(3)
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It hardly seems possible to a geezer like me that Bernstein's Mass was premiered almost forty years ago. I remember like yesterday the bombshell it set off with pedantic critics hating it -- Harold Schonberg of the New York Times called it "the greatest mélange of styles since the ladies' magazine recipe for steak fried in peanut butter and marshmallow sauce" -- and other more adventurous critics clutching it to their breast like a prodigal son. I consider myself to be on the pedantic side, but I loved it from the start. It was startling, yes, that Bernstein mixed so many musical styles -- romanticism, neoclassicisim, jazz, atonality, rock, pop, chant, hymnody, spoken word -- in disconcerting ways. But that approach perfectly matched the struggle inherent in the text. Bernstein's energy, ability to write memorable tunes and to require rhythmic subtlety drew me to it and I practically wore out the original LP with Bernstein conducting. I also attended three different live productions -- yes, 'productions': it IS, after all, subtitled 'A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers' that literally requires over one hundred participants -- and was caught up in the delirium they engender. Perhaps because there are some similarities between today's world situation -- a populace at odds with their governments over wars, politicians held in low regard and friction between contending faiths -- and that of the early 1970s, 'Mass' has lately had a rising number of productions world-wide. Its pleas for peace, for cooperation between people and nations, and for progressive ideas strike a chord with modern listeners.

There has been one other relatively recent SACD recording of the work with Kent Nagano conducting and Jerry Hadley as the all-important Celebrant. It is a dud both aurally and musically.

This recording, on the other hand, is a clear triumph. Conductor Kristjan Järvi (the younger of two conductor sons of noted conductor Neeme Järvi) leads an ensemble he founded in 1993, the Absolute Ensemble, combined with the Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich (of which he is the music director), the Tölzer Knabenchor, the Chorus sine nomine, and the Company of Music (who sing as the street chorus), plus Randall Scarlata as the Celebrant. Most of the vocal soloists are Austrian, taken from the participating singing groups, and it is wonderful to hear their fluent American accents in this quintessentially American text.

One cannot erase memories of Alan Titus's magnificent Celebrant in the original recording, but the American baritone Randall Scarlata gives him a run for his money. Titus was only 26 when he created the part of the Celebrant and he certainly sounded a confused and conflicted young man. I was surprised to see the picture of Scarlata, who sounds equally young, and discover that he is middle-aged. He is a consummate actor in the part and completely satisfying, especially in the work's fifteen-minute-long mad scene, 'Things Get Broken.'

One cannot praise highly enough Järvi's musical direction. He gives the piece rhythmic snap, beautifully calculated balances, architectural flow and dynamic shaping that mark him out as a conductor to watch. As for the SACD recording, I can only say that it is among the best I've heard, particularly since the varied types of music and musicians must be enormously difficult to record. The score calls for quadraphonic tapes to be played occasionally and in SACD they are startlingly antiphonally present, something I've only ever experienced in live performance of this work. Chandos' engineers deserve kudos for what they have achieved. For those who will be listening to this set in plain vanilla stereo, it sounds terrific that way, too. Add to this that the set is at mid-price (almost half the cost of the Nagano set), and you have a certifiable winner.

Unequivocal and enthusiastic recommendation.

Scott Morrison

I have known this work since its premiere in 1971, and saw it performed live a couple of times then. The original Leonard Bernstein recording was at that time one of my favorite records; I wore out more than one vinyl copy. So of course when it became available on CD, even though I hadn't heard it for quite some time, I was delighted to purchase it.

Only to find my enthusiasm for the work, as presented on that old favorite recording, had, to my great disappointment, waned considerably in the intervening years: listening in the 21st Century, I winced as often as I smiled; some of the 1970s anachronisms, in the lyrics and in the orchestrations, sounded nothing less than hokey and painfully embarrassing. Sadly, I put the work aside.

Reading the poor reviews, I avoided the recording of a few years ago, but was thrilled to discover this new recording, and that it had garnered very favorable reviews. Listening myself, I find I agree entirely with the other reviewers' enthusiasm. Gone are many of the cornier lyrics (yay! No more "local vocal yokels"!); the orchestration has been re-worked to eliminate the worst of the 70s cliches as well. NOW this sounds like the classical work I honestly didn't know it was all along! And it's nothing short of magnificent. I adored Alan Titus' performance of the Celebrant, but Randall Scarlata is easily his equal.

I had hesitated to introduce friends interested in musical theater to Mass in its original recording, but now, I am very pleased that I can let them discover the true beauty of this work through this very fine new recording.

This is a fine recording; it just lacks the spontaneity of the Bernstein recording. I also feel that the tempi are generally too bright and somewhat metronomic. I am thrilled that this masterpiece of twentieth-century eclecticism is finally being recorded, however, and this is certainly worth buying.

I come to Mass in a much more personal way than any of the other reviewers, as I was a soloist in the Street Chorus, Washington 1971 and for the New York performances 4 months later. Leonard Bernstein was a great mentor, and he returned the compliment by taking something I said to him in a conversation about Judaism, and incorporating it into the Mass (I believe in God, but does God believe in me). I did not sing this solo, as once it was written, it was simply too high for me to have survived a series of performances. I had solos other places, notably I don't know Lord, I don't know. Ok, there it is.

Bernstein's version and vision of the Mass in under my skin and never will get out. That pretty much killed Kent Nagano's version for me, it was different without offering a clear view of its own and so much of the singing was so completely awful. Now a new version, with yet another on its way. Wow!

Jarvi is SIMPLY AMAZING. It is very different than Bernstein, sometimes more agressive, more Mahler like in the 3 meditations, less agressive in the entrance of the band in Gloria. I love it all, every single bit of it. Jarvi simply blends all the elements a little better, Lenny wanted them clashing. All the singing is wonderful, which is so important with so many soloists. Especially wonderful are I don't Know Lord, Hurray and I believe in God. Jarvi also re recorded the opening Kyrie and Alleluia, meant to be heard on tape in the theater. Nagano used the same tapes Bernstein had used. The new performances are fabulous. The alleluia has a wonderful bounce as they sing Du Bing, du bang, du bong (I was featured on the Bernstein recording of this). The Kyrie allows us to hear more clearly more of the dissonant lines. Actually the only moment in the entire performance that I'm not sure I like all that much is the gospel serman, God Said. The piece lives or dies with the singer singing The Celebrant. Jerry Hadley was all wrong, possibly because Kent Nagano was wrong so many places. Randall Scarlatta is more Baritone than was Alan Titus. I like it. He is a little older, more almost middle aged than young man. It works for me. The transition from believer to questioner is deeper, more profound. The shattering of the Vessils and all of the mad scene is overwhelming to me at my now older age. This is an incredible achievment. After Nagano, I thought there would never be another recording of Mass, let alone one that may even top Bernsteins. I am not getting rid of Bernstein's performance (hey, I'm on it), but I sure as heck am making room for this one to stay around.

BTW: Bernstein's family sent me a disc of excerpts from Marin Alsops performance, to be released (at a bargain price no less) in August. From what I can hear, there is much that is very good with this one, but until I can hear the whole cumulative effect, I won't make up my mind.

«Certainly the works best modern recording.»

Geoff Brown, THE TIMES

Editor's Choice

GRAMOPHONE May 2009

«Kristjan Järvi [...] sounds infallible. [...] Järvi and his celebrant Randall Scarlata are profoundly uninhibited and the instrumental playing - wether evoking Sousa, edgy rock of free jazz-like liberation - is proudly physical, and locks into whichever idiom Bernstein demands in the moment with horse-sure certainty. An unassailable modern version?»

Philip Clark, GRAMOPHONE

«This new recording is likely to be a powerful advocate in its widespread reassessment. Kristjan Järvi conducts his many and varied forces with high-octane energy, while Chandos delivers thrillingly clear and immediate sound.»

James Inverne, GRAMOPHONE

«Engineered over a colossal dynamic range, the sound is sensational.»

Tim Ashley, THE GUARDIAN

Bernstein spent much of his late phase re-recording his own music, but he was smart enough not to touch "Mass" again. The 1971 premiere at the opening of Kennedy Center delivered a body blow to his reputation as a composer. "Mass" is cringe-worthy in its attempt to be hip and painfully sanctimonious. It's touching that the work has gained so many fans at Amazon, despite the score's embarrassing similarity to "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Hair," both of whom have a kind of cheesy sincerity that "Mass" aspires to. The best parts in this heady olla podrida are the orchestral interludes, which reflect Bernstein's modernist idiom fromn his symphonies.

If "Mass" can't claim religious significance, it can claim to be fun. Fueled by a committed conductor, there's relentless energy and creativity that transcends embarrassment. But no matter how catchy the tunes are, caught up in street-fair jubilation, nothing can excuse the mawkish, jejune libretto. Unindicted co-conspirator Stephen Schwartz's lyrics sink even lower than his work for Hollywood cartoons ("Pocahontas," "Prince of Egyp.") Bernstein seem so thave swallowed this junk whole.

Kristian Jarvi conducts with vividness and theatrical impact. He pulls back from the wild exuberance of the composer's version on Sony. Frankly, the music is gaudy enough to call for decent restraint. In the lead role of the Celebrant, Randall Scarlata has caught on that less is more, and compared to Bernstein's Alan Titus, he is more dignified and adult (despite his youthful-sounding light baritone, the booklet photos reveal that Scarlata is well over thrity; he's had a notably successful career over the years). This Celebrant lives closer to Peoria than Broadway.

The choral and orchestral forces are a trifle bland; even though the recording venue is Austria, the smaller solo parts sound idiomatic in their English. Chandos's sound can be a touch dull here and there but is overall close-up and vivid. The five-star brigade will hate the fact that anyone has a word to say against "Mass" -- if only they had been around for the savaging it received at the premiere -- but I find enjoyment in the music despite its flaws.

P.s. - good news for devotees of "Mass." Marin Alsop brought an acclaimed version to New York for last year's big Bernstein celebration, and now Naxos has released it. It bids fair to be better than bernstein's own version, and the very least is the leading contender among all other rivals. I will review it when Amazon allows reviews post release date.

It has been always my belief that American music just has to be performed by Americans. Well, here is one exception to that rule.

I am not going to go into the details about the work. Many have already done that. This review is about the recording itself, in particular, the SACD layer.

Much to my utter shock, this is a very American sounding recording. There is not a hint of accent in any of the vocalizations. No odd articulations or balances from the orchestra. The orchestra and chorus are tight and the rhythms are incisive. The soloists, including the Celebrant, really sound involved in their peformances. Some of the tempos sound particularly rushed; the Sanctus and Agnus Dei in particular. However, in all, this is a beautifully recorded performance that is alive and dynamic; one could almost say "in your face"; just the way "MASS" is suppose to be performed.

Now the technical stuff. This is a typical Chandos recording with everything presented upfront and vivid. Unfortunately, the SACD layer (which is the only way to really experience the way Bernstein intended it) is not as focused as it should be. The opening Quadraphonic Kyries sound rather muddled. Things start off alright, but become confused as the extra voices come in. One should be able to hear the four Kyries precisely from each individual speaker, but the end result sounds like a mess; almost cacophonous. Some of this could be atttributed to the venue it was recorded in.

Until someone decides to release Bernstein's Quadraphonic recording in its original 4-channel version (no 5.1 please), this is about as good as it is going to get. It is a peformance that is both exciting and, at times, rather moving.

I love this recording! It's my introduction to the piece and it's so engaging, melodic, surprising, very moving, and entertaining, all at once. The styles of music employed change every few minutes and they are all welcome because the new track is always as loveable as the last. Bernstein was a genius, no doubt, and this is just MORE proof. I will be playing this for the rest of my life. I can't imagine a version topping this new recording. It deserves a much wider audience, and this version should assure that.

Brilliant! Jarvi has set a new standard in this extraordinary recording of the BERNSTEIN MASS, featuring members of the Absolute Ensemble.