Customer Reviews

Bernstein: Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety"; West Side Story Symphonic Dances; Candide

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Each of us probably has at least one favorite recording of the "Symphonic Dances from WEST SIDE STORY" and of the "CANDIDE Overture." If you own Sony's latest reissue of the original cast recordings, you already have definitive recordings of these two works. (The composer's 1957 & 1960 recordings with the New York Philharmonic are included as "bonus tracks" with the Original Cast Recordings.) ArchivMusic lists 33 different recordings of the "Symphonic Dances" & 46 of the "Candide" overture. Bernstein himself recorded these works with four different orchestras, and the majority of the releases feature the composer in different combinations.

So, who needs another recording of the Symphonic Dances or the Candide Overture, especially since there are so many excellent recordings available, including a "super audio" version of Bernstein's New York Philharmonic versions?

Well, we don't. Not really. But perhaps there is a space for another first-rate recording of Bernstein's Second Symphony, "The Age of Anxiety."

James Oestreich, of THE NEW YORK TIMES, wrote the following about this recording: "The opening "Candide" Overture is particularly poignant, for it reveals a band full of life and spirit eagerly responding to Mr. Judd's forward-leaning and even accelerating tempo. But perhaps the most valuable item here is Bernstein's Symphony No. 2, "The Age of Anxiety," a strong work -- alternately atmospheric and excitable, and ultimately carefree -- that is not overrecorded. Jean Louis Steuerman is a deft piano soloist, and the orchestra again does itself proud under Mr. Judd's steady hand."

Mr. Oestreich is probably referring to the excellent Mahler First that these forces recorded for Harmonia Mundi in 1994 and Walton's "Henry the Fifth" which commands a hefty asking price of $49.90 on Amazon.com. (Mr. Judd's recording of Bernstein's First Symphony, with the New Zealand Symphony, has received a 10/10 award from ArchivMusic.com).

Yes, it would have been nice for a major US record label to record these works with a major US orchestra, but it's been many years since a major US ensemble has had a recording contract. So, if it weren't for Naxos, we'd have to rely upon repackaged and recycled recordings from the major record companies, both European and domestic. And Naxos - The World's Leading Classical Music Label - does an outstanding job of bringing first-rate recordings to classical music lovers at an affordable price. Last year Naxos received 15 Grammy nominations; more than any other classical music label. And of the 1259 recordings that have received 10/10 ratings from ArchivMusic, 130 are from Naxos.

The Symphony No. 2, in my opinion, deserves a 10/10, and at Naxos' price you can easily justify buying this CD for only the one performance - especially since you probably already own the other two pieces.

Naxos is the budget price Classical music label based here in Hong Kong and run by Claus Heymann, and they achieve their enviable price-tags in a twofold manner. The first is by recording a piece only once, so that they are not in competition with themselves trying to sell twenty different versions of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. The second is through engaging lesser-known artists at bargain-basement prices and passing along the savings to you, the consumer. This can have great artistic effect, as there are plenty of excellent unknown musicians looking for a break, and it is also an opportunity to exploit the economic gap between the developed and emerging markets. But at its worst this approach can mean recordings of second or third tier performers led by second or third tier conductors performing second or third tier compositions. This particular CD from the American Classics series, of James Judd leading the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra with piano soloist Jean Louis Steurerman, falls somewhere in the middle. It presents three works by Leonard Bernstein, his much loved Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and the equally well-received Candide Overture with the lesser known but more adventurous Symphony #2, The Age of Anxiety. As such, this is clearly music worth having, but perhaps not in this performance. For example Somewhere, from West Side Story is one of Bernstein's most gorgeous pieces, but here, as in the performance of Candide Overture somehow it fails to fully engage me. Cool, from the same piece, fares rather better, as the orchestra is gradually allowed to open up a bit more.

Bernstein's Second Symphony, titled The Age of Anxiety after a poem by W. H. Auden, is more obscure than the other works, and certainly more challenging. It's a quite interesting piece, a musical portrayal of the paradoxical character of Bernstein himself--part classical, part jazz; part symphony and part piano concerto. Soloist Jean Louis Steuerman does a good job with the part that Bernstein himself played at the premiere. The piece is in two long movements, the first a series of variations, and the second containing three parts that correspond roughly to the three final movements of a traditional symphonic form.

It's hard to know whether the faults of the disc lie with the conductor holding back the performers, the performers themselves--as a whole I'm disappointed with the horn section, while the percussion shines in contrast, and surely much blame lies with the recording engineers. (In fact, the orchestra almost folded soon after making this recording and the music director left the organization.) The performance polish isn't quite there, and neither is the sound. The splash of the crash cymbals, for example, is almost as vibrant as a piece of wet cardboard. Worse, the tempo of Candide, while vigorous, is inconsistent. While this disc would be a good buy if the music wasn't available elsewhere in better renditions. As it is the biggest redeeming quality is the price.

I agree with other reviewers, that there are LOTS of other and certainly many better recordings of the Candide and West Side Story material. I found the Candide to be quite rushed, and the playing isn't as clean as it might be as a result of the impossible tempo.

BUT - I had never heard Bernstein's #2 until a couple weeks ago at the New York Philharmonic, Joyce Yang was the thrilling soloist, and it was a terrific performance. I ran to find a recording of the piece, and was glad to see it in the Naxos bin.

This is a young, vital Bernstein. He's heavily influenced by (or maybe just imitating) his heroes - the "Masque" sounds a lot like the orchestral Gershwin; the marvelous, sweeping "Epilogue" is distinctly Copland. But it's such a strong, confident piece of music, and this soloist clearly has the style and feel under his fingers.

I'm very glad to have this super performance of the Symphony which I've listened to a dozen times in the last week (and skip the West Side/Candide). I would easily give 5 stars to the Age of Anxiety recording alone, but in honesty felt that I had to subtract one for the other material.

This installment in Naxos's Bernstein cycle is also an elegy for the late, lamented Florida Phil., which collaapsed fiancially despite James Judd's ability to raise its musical standards. These performances are full of life and spirit, and although Judd's earlier CD of the 'Jeremiah' Symphony was estimable, the New Zealand orchestra on that recording doesn't have the instinctive swing and jazziness of this group. The 'Candide' Over. and West Side Story suite are as good as it gets aside from the composer's definitive recordings, and they better Bernstein's in keeping the music from overinflating. (This isn't the 'Eroica,' after all.)

The real test comes in Bernstein's strongest symphony, the 'Age of Anxiety' from 1949 -- he was hitting his stride and would continue to roll out unforgettable music for another decade. Despite its anxious title, this work is dominated by the jazzy piano solo and by Bernstein's tremendous melodic gifts. The composer gave us one of his most capativating recordings with Lukas Foss as soloist (Song), and I'm glad that Judd doesn't try to out-Herod Herod. He creates his own atmosphere, more relaxed and lower-voltage. This work is tied into a postwar ethos that is hard for young performers to recapture, a blend of sailors on shore leave, Billie Holiday singing in the Village, and enormous confidence in the future that's tinged with premature cynicism among the young.

To the extent that he can, Judd gives us those flavors, and he's enormously helped by a powerful pianist, Jean Louis Steuerman, who plays with real personality -- he knows how to swing, as witness the "Masque,' which serves as the work's jazz-baby scherzo. Foss went in for glittery cocktail-lounge slinkiness, but Steuerman holds his own. In all, this is a vry convincing collection, one of the best in the Naxos series, which has had quite a few high points. (Note to enthusiasts: the other unmissable CD is Gerard Schwarz's riveting version of Sym. #3 'Kaddish.')

One of the main reasons for acquiring this disc is the sound engineering. It is absoutely gorgeous, although the piano in the symphony sounds a little recessed. The engineer was Peter McGrath, whom I believe also works for Harmonia Mundi. Given the excellence of the playing on this CD, it is a great shame that the Florida Philharmonic went bankrupt and is no more. The Candide Overture here is bright and perky, with beautiful tone colors. The Symphonic Dances from West Side Story are apt to divide listeners. The performance lacks the jazziness of the composer's own recordings of it. One almost might call this reading sedate. Nevertheless, it is beautifully played, and one might want to hear a clear reading like this as another take on the music. I have no reservations about the performance of the Symphony. Steuermann is a terrific soloist, whether in the meditative or jazzy moments. Judd holds the performance together very effectively, and the big moments are wonderfully sonorous, especially the brass. The main reason to buy this CD is to hear a good performance of the symphony in state of the art sound, but as I've mentioned I enjoyed the entire CD.