Customer Reviews

Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition / Night on Bald Mountain / Songs & Dances of Death (Bernstein Century)

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

 

 

Two things conspired to keep me from discovering this one-of-a-kind 'Pictures at an Exhibition' sooner. First, there are enough great recordings to go around from Reiner, Karajan, Stokowksi--name your own. Second, I assumed that Bernstien would conduct this thrice-familiar piece simply as a commercial duty. I was wrong: this is the most personal performance among the great ones. Bernstein has ideas and feelings in every section, and with the NY Phil. at its virtuosic best, the whole thing is an enchanting discovery.

Bernstein's secret is that he goes to the heart of the music rather than just conducting Ravel's brilliant orchestration. As a result, we feel we are looking at separate paintings on the wall, just as Mussorgsky intended, each with its own flavor, more often than not tinged with melancholy (after all, Mussorgsky's artist friend had died). Compared to this account, all the others I own seem a bit shallow and glittery--this one is pure soul.

The sound is impeccable in the current remastering, and we get two outstanding fillers. First, a thrilling Night on Bald Mountain that gives Stokowski's a run for its money while retaining more musical integrity. Second, Bernstein accompanies his great fried, mezzo Jennie Tourel, in four Songs and Dances of Death (in clean early Fifties mono). It's interesting to hear a non-Slavic voice in these pieces, and our two performers are so ebullient that they turn in one of the least grim versions on disc.

Just the Pictures on a Exhibition would have been worth it, but with the added Songs and Dances of Death, this CD is truly amazing. Get this CD.

After going through 8 different recordings of this Pictures at an Exhibition, I concluded that this one is the best of the lot. All the others were somewhat (or extremely) lackluster. This one is much more alive. I recommend it!

Songs and Dances of Death, here performed by Bernstein and Jennie Tourel, is the only reason why anyone would need this CD. However, given the relative brevity of the piece, it really can't save the entire CD. Bernstein's Pictures at an Exhibition is fairly mediocre...3 stars at best. For a more satisfying recording, try Fritz Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony on RCA's Living Stereo series. Though by now a cliché, the Chicago brass is really amazing in that recording. By comparison, the New York brass seems pinched and small. Just compare the trumpet solos on the first tracks of both CDs. Herseth (of Chicago) displays great control as always over his instrument, while the New York principal's high notes sound wobbled. And that's only 15 seconds into the CD!! The Reiner CD also includes Mussorgsky's Night on the Bare Mountain along with many other Russian show-pieces like Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave. Best of all is that the RCA CD costs just as much as the Bernstein CD!! Therefore, unless you are looking for a recording of the Songs and Dances of Death (mono recording here, by the way), you can do much better than this CD.

Bernstein's "Pictures at an Exhibition" is somewhat lackluster and flat sounding. I own a Stanley Black recording on vinyl that sounds better than this piece! However, "Songs and Dances of Death" is very good and may be worthwhile to you.