Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Bernstein's Scheherazade, January 27, 2002
This was the piece he first conducted his first summer in Tanglewood. Is it inspired? Of course.
It has it's moments, particularly at the recap of the first movement theme in the last movement. It's absolutely breathtaking the way Bernstein is able to perpetuate such intesity from the orchestra. Bernstein conducts it much too freely, to my taste. His fermatas in the second movement are WAY too drawn out, and one can hear it in the orchestra. The sound just seems to be confused...a kind of "when is he going to move on" feeling. Some of the melodic lines are covered up by overzealous brass and the violin solos lack a sense of mystery, which one can hear in either the Ormandy/Philly or the Masur/NYP recordings. Of course, the virtuosity is there and the orchestra plays it's heart out. As for Lenny, his passion for the music is present, but not convincing. There are numerous other recordings that fair better (Ormandy's, Reiner's, and above all Beecham's and Masur's to name a few), but it's still a good recording.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely horendous!, November 30, 2003
Bernstein is one of my favorite conductors because of his careful attention to detail--he lets nothing slip by, no detail is unimportant, as is apparent on his numerous Mahler recordings. However, everyone has their moments, and unfortunately, this is one of Bernstein's worst--however, it's even worse for the New York Philharmonic.This is one of the worst recordings I have ever heard of this piece, and the simple reason is intonation--and it is the intonation of the woodwinds, the piccolo imparticular. This can in no way go unnoticed--string intonation problems are usually covered by the large number of string players in each section. Woodwinds are much more exposed, and the piccolo, in particular, has absolutely horrendous intonation throughout the entire piece--it is almost half a step falt the entire time! In general as well, the woodwinds are mostly out of tune, which is the first noticable thing. This is not an argument that can swing "Well can't you even look at the interpretation and give them credit for that...." NO, i can't, because the intonation is the most noticable thing in any recording, and when it is as bad as it is in this recording, I can't help but criticize it.....trust me, and if you don't, just listen to the beginning of the 3rd movement of Cappricio Espagnol......you'll understand then.......
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thrilling., April 29, 2000
To be honest, I am mostly not a big fan of Bernstein, but this is an instance where I must give credit where credit is due. Believe it or not, this recording outshines Reiner's recording with the Chicago Symphony, even where the Chicago brass is clearly superior. This is because Bernstein turns in an overall superior interpretation, not to mention some of the best solo performances of this piece on record. Could anyone beat the flawless piccolo virtuosity (taken at Bernstein's devilish tempo, no less)? The soulful violin soli? And in the final movement, if you don't feel like you ARE on The Ship that goes to pieces on a Rock Surmounted by a Bronze Warrior...well, listen again! Once again, thrilling.
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