Bernstein: Candide; West Side Story; On the Waterfront; Fancy Free

Leonard Bernstein (Composer), Leonard Bernstein (Conductor), New York Philharmonic (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: New York Philharmonic
• Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
• Composer: Leonard Bernstein
• Audio CD (October 28, 1997)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000029XI
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,929 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #3 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( B ) > Bernstein, Leonard
  #7 in	Music > Classical > Ballets & Dances > Historical Periods > Modern & 20th Century
  #10 in	Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music > Overtures

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This release comes from Sony's immense backlog of famous recordings of Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. In fact, these works trace the evolution of the New York Philharmonic into a world-class orchestra in the late 1950s under Bernstein's hand. At this remove in time, we can almost hear New York in these works. Bernstein deftly captures the shimmering glamour of his music, particularly in Overture to Candide and the astonishing Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. If you don't own this music--and these performances--you should. --Paul Cook

Amazon.com
Fancy Free provided Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and Adolf Green with the inspiration for the his hit musical On the Town. The ballet describes the adventures of three sailors on 24-hour shore leave in New York City, and does so with music typically jazzy and popular in style. Coupled with the marvelous dance music from West Side Story and the suite from Bernstein's only film score, On the Waterfront, this disc should quickly become the cornerstone of any Bernstein collection. One of the problems Bernstein's music has faced both on disc and in public performance arises from the simple fact that no one played it better than he did. As you can hear for yourself, he's a tough, but perhaps not completely impossible, act to follow. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive version, July 24, 1999

By	Jonathan Blumhofer (Chicago) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My initial encounter with the Candide overture was a result of my blundering into a recording of it on the radio one day. The performance turned out to be this one (the first of Bernstein's two readings of it), and having heard several other attempts at it since, I've always found this early '60s version to be the definitive edition. It's breathtakingly quick and the NYPO plays it with such panache and joie de vivre that every other recording (including LB's 1989 run-through with the London Symphony) comes off sounding stale and flat. This disc also contains Bernstein's only recording of the Symphonic Dances from WSS, and here, too, I feel that I have found my definitive reading. The "Mambo" is frenetic, the percusion riffs at the climax of "Cool" are phenomenal, and the last "I have a love..." movement is gorgeous. The score to "On the Waterfront" was nominated for an Academy Award, but lost; this music is still wonderful and very worthy to hear. "Fancy Free" was written by a 25-year old LB in 1944 and is the piece which established him as a composer. From the first four quick rim-shots to the final chords, it's the most endearing, energetic picture of on the go, wartime NY you can imagine. Once again it's the definitive recording: nobody has proven that they can top Lenny and the Philharmonic yet.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Music!, December 26, 1999

By	Noah Lambert "Noah Lambert" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This CD contains some of the most wonderful music ever written. I love Fancy Free and Candide, and the recordings here are just as they should be, lots of "punch"!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific performances, January 26, 2003

By	Jack H. Lee "yankeeterp" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this CD a few years ago just to for the "Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront," which is one of my all-time favorite classic film scores. The NYPO's performance is very robust and energetic, and easily the best version available of the piece. Bernstein recorded this same piece again many years later with the Israel Philharmonic, but I found it lacking the same drive and passion as the earlier one. The NYPO really captures the mood of New York and the struggle of the dockworkers, as Bernstein envisioned for the film. And they also splendidly perform the love theme, too.

The rest of the album is also very good, but they're largely his standards that you've probably once too often. "On the Waterfront" is certainly a treat for any fan of film music from Hollywood's Golden Age. One can only imagine what it would have been like had Bernstein scored more films, but apparently the experience he had (music was cut or removed around in the film) made him think twice. But this CD is a winner.