Customer Reviews

Rhapsody in Blue / Grand Canyon Suite

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Bernstein was a vastly underrated pianist. Here, the subtlety of his handling of the smallest semi-quavers is arresting. There are so many moments that catch the ear because of the directness and honesty of the playing. This is no standard bravura performance. Bernstein has no need to pound the cross-hand octaves or over-exaggerate the jazzy rhythms: they are rendered with character and a unique, personal insight. There is a freshness here forever captured by the great producer John McClure.

The Columbia pickup orchestra was often mostly the NY Philharmonic by another name. You will be hard-pressed to hear a difference with the sharp stylistic playing. This is no ordinary pickup ensemble. In the tone poem, the NY Philharmonic is outstanding. This ensemble, which within ten years from the time of this recording would deliver regular jaded live performances in Philharmonic Hall, was always incomparable in the recording studio. This is one hot orchestra - Lenny's band at its best. You will not find better performances of either the Rhapsody or "American In Paris."

On the negative side. This recording from the late 1950s was one of the first stereo efforts of Columbia Records and it suffers slightly with exaggerated, gimmicky stereo separation. Sadly, the editing is crude. There is an embarrassing insert at 6 minutes in with a radically different acoustical environment/mic placement and loud, distracting extraneous noises that seem to indicate the passage was taken either from a live performance or a warm-up mic test. Several entrances are cut late and jump in.

But overall, this recording is not to be missed - it is an historical document of an outstanding pianist and an American orchestra that could, when it wanted to, play better than any ensemble in the world. In spite of its flaws, this disc is a treasure to me.

I always hesitate to tell someone that any recording is a must have - but this one is firmly placed on my shortlist. Buy, Buy Buy. And enjoy!

Bernstein delivers an uneven interpretation of some American classics on this album. The grand middle theme of "Rhapsody in Blue" has never sounded more magnificent than it does here. The piano solo, however, is so stylized (including a bizarre pause after some descending notes which draws some awkward attention to the performer rather than to the composer) that it takes away from the piece and ruins the pacing. "An American in Paris" starts out jaunty but Bernstein can't resist overdoing some of the later themes with too much volume and force. "Grand Canyon Suite" is one of the less effective versions that I have heard. If you are looking for wonderful performances at a value price, see "The Complete Gershwin". You get two cd's for less than 15$ and the music there is superior.

I appreciate Bernstein's allowing those beautiful violins to soar over the other instruments in the the final expression of the main melody so well presented by the piano. No other orchestra has been able to permit the violins to be so expressive in the Rhapsody led by the piano.

My classical music infatutation has come and gone many times over the last 30 years. I've drifted off to "world" music, jazz, pop, and more. But no matter what period I'm in, this is one of a handful of performances that makes me sit back in my chair in wonder. It is stylized, as someone here noted, but what style! Bernstein soars from the first time the piano comes in and, oh my, that middle portion and the finale are just grand. This CD, which I'm just now online buying for a friend, is something to treasure.

This is outstanding recording of three monumental American compositions: Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and Grand Canyon Suite.

The Rhapsody in Blue is outstanding. Especially solid in my opinion is the brass on this recording. Their sound is clear, not blaring and dominating as some do.

Grand Canyon Suite is thrilling rendition.

Worthy addition to your collection.

I have been searching for the full version of "Rhapsody in Blue" that matches a live performance I heard when I was young. This is one of the best recordings I have heard, but would you expect less from Bernstein? This is going in my library.

Bernstein treated Gershwin with awe and reverence. These recordings were an attempt to sell Gershwin as a "really important composer." In those days that meant that all jazz influence had to be carfully filtered out. What is left are tempi so ponderous that the music becomes nearly inert. There is nothing left of the propulsive energy that is so central to the Rhapsody. If you envision Gershwin and Bruchner as soulmates, then this is the recording for you. For a recording of the Rhapsody exhudes the brash insouciance of the 1920s, consider Michael Tilson Thomas and the LA Philharmonic.

The 'Rhapsody in Blue' conducted by Bernstein can truly reflect the kind of dynamic and spirit of the music. Every time I heard about it I want to stand up and dance according to its rhythm, melody and 'energy'...

Even if you've never heard Gershwin, you should enjoy this CD. Excellent quality, perfectly played. Rhapsody in Blue is more than the theme music for United Airlines ... it's one of the best pieces every written.

This album shows Gershwin, Grofe, Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in characteristic form. Exemplary. Bernstein conducts with swagger and bravado. While I prefer Leonard Slatkin's "Rhapsody in Blue" and "American in Paris", I have lived a better life for having heard Bernstein's, too. I've listened to this recording many times.