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Leonard Bernstein Symphony No.2 “The Age of Anxiety” Berliner Philharmoniker Krystian Zimerman · Sir Simon Rattle Edward Hopper, “Nighthawks” (Nachtschwärmer), 1942 2 A Leonard Bernstein on “The Age of Anxiety” 1:48 3. The Seven Stages From an interview by Humphrey Burton J Variation 8. Molto moderato, ma movendo 1:49 K Variation 9. Più mosso. Tempo di Valse 1:20 L Variation 10. Più mosso 0:31 Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990) M Variation 11. L’istesso tempo 0:54 Symphony No.2 “The Age of Anxiety” N Variation 12. Poco più vivace 0:13 for piano and orchestra O Variation 13. L’istesso tempo 1:15 after the poem by W.H. Auden P Variation 14. Poco più vivace 0:34 PART I PART II 1. The Prologue 2:25 4. The Dirge B Lento moderato Q Largo 7:00 2. The Seven Ages 5. The Masque C Variation 1. L’istesso tempo 1:00 R Extremely fast 4:30 D Variation 2. Poco più mosso 1:29 6. The Epilogue E Variation 3. Largamente, ma mosso 1:26 S L’istesso tempo – Adagio – Andante – Con moto 8:19 F Variation 4. Più mosso 0:51 G Variation 5. Agitato 0:51 H Variation 6. Poco meno mosso 1:30 Krystian Zimerman piano I Variation 7. L’istesso tempo 2:00 Berliner Philharmoniker Sir Simon Rattle Live Recording 3 4 “Will you play this piece with me when I’m 100?” changed his emotional construction all of these were perfectly logical and immediately found its way into his inter- convincing. Krystian Zimerman talks about Leonard Bernstein pretations. “There’s a similarity with Simon: what Interview by Jessica Duchen “There was not really ‘a Bernstein inter- happens in the concert is not neces- pretation’ – it was something done ad hoc sarily the same as what happened in in the performance, so much so that it the rehearsal. We’ll set up a frame of was impossible to rehearse beforehand! functioning, but he knows that I at any hortly before Krystian Zimerman other musician quite like him,” says Zimer- He could make a dramatic change dur- moment can snap and I know that he at S found himself catapulted into an man. “There were so many interesting ing a concert, without rehearsing. That’s any moment can follow it, and vice versa. international career in the mid-1970s, he and inspiring thoughts in every minute of something I have never experienced When I make a joke, he does not let me had the chance to meet and play for his performances. He functioned as if in a with any other conductor, this courage get away with this – I will get it back in the Leonard Bernstein, who immediately in- different universe. There were pieces you and daring. next two minutes!” vited him to be one of the four pianists thought you knew, but they lived sudden- “I have found almost the same ap- Bernstein’s Symphony No.2, “The Age on his new recording of Stravinsky’s Les ly a different life when he touched them.” proach, however, in one other coduc- of Anxiety”, is unusual in that not only Noces. While they were touring Brahms’s tor: Simon Rattle,” notes the pianist. “It’s does it integrate a solo pianist into a sym- It was the start of a cherished partner- Piano Concerto No.2, Bernstein asked as if he becomes the music himself – phony orchestra, it also mingles classi- ship between pianist and conductor that Zimerman whether he had played any and Bernstein was exactly the same. I cal idioms with the soundworld of jazz. had a profound influence on the young of his, Bernstein’s, music. “When I said never thought of Bernstein ‘conducting’ Written in 1948-49, it followed George Zimerman. “The impression Bernstein’s I’d played the Second Symphony, he al- a piece: you thought it’s his piece, he’s Gershwin’s groundbreaking Rhapsody in approach to music made on me was very most fainted,” Zimerman recalls. “He said, composing the moment he’s on stage Blue – the original synthesis of jazz style clear,” he says. “He gave me the courage ‘How come I didn’t know?’ and I replied, with it. I always felt it’s completely unpre- and piano concerto – by just 24 years. and confidence to be daring with my ‘You never asked!’ He said: ‘We have to dictable what will happen in the next “The Age of Anxiety” is based on the interpretations, trying out musical ideas play it…’” 20 seconds because he’s doing things Pulitzer Prize-winning epic poem of the that were completely new.” When the time came, Zimerman says, on the spur of the moment, and can per- same title by W.H. Auden. The story fol- The two toured extensively together “Each performance was completely dif- suade the orchestra to do it without hav- lows four strangers who meet in a bar and recorded the two Brahms piano ferent. That was the very special fea- ing rehearsed it before. And there were and spend the night deep in discussion; concertos, as well as Beethoven’s Piano ture of his music-making: he was always sometimes big changes in tempi, in end- the poem reflects the atmosphere of Concertos Nos. 3, 4 and 5. “There was no totally honest. The smallest thing that ings of phrases and other details – yet inner turbulence and disillusionment that 5 followed World War II, as the protagonists To Zimerman, the symphony is a work sense the gulf between the relentless of genius. “The slow movement is incred- superficial jollity of the outer world and ibly emotional and heart-rending – it’s the emptiness gnawing within. “It’s almost wonderfully deep music,” he says. The a theatre piece,” Zimerman observes. “It’s piano solo of “The Masque” he describes always about the text.” as “Five minutes of horror on stage – this “I know that Bernstein received a lot is really a dangerous roller-coaster if you of criticism for this piece, because he lose concentration for even a fraction of never really said anything good about it. a second…” He seemed almost reluctant to support Above all, revisiting the work in Bern- it. Perhaps he was afraid. He told me stein’s centenary year held special personally that the first time he played meaning for him. “In one performance it himself, with Koussevitzky, Kousse- Lenny asked me: ‘Will you play this piece vitzky didn’t like parts of it and asked him with me when I’m 100?’ And that’s why I’m to rewrite it... That’s where we differed. playing it now,” he says. “I realised two I always liked the piece and believed years ahead of the centenary that he’s in it. Bernstein knew that this is exactly about to be 100. So I looked into the music the advantage that an interpreter or again – and it’s great. It’s so much fun. actor has: the ability to give a piece a And it’s so much like him – with all the life that the composer is sometimes too freshness and flexibility and craziness of ashamed, too modest or too uncomfort- his character.” able to present in the work himself.” 6 »Spielst du dieses Stück mit mir, wenn ich 100 bin?« steins Musizieren: Er war immer absolut Änderungen in den Tempi, in der Phrasie- ehrlich. Das kleinste Etwas, das ihn emo- rung und bei anderen Details – aber alles Krystian Zimerman spricht über Leonard Bernstein tional berührte, fand sofort einen Weg in war absolut stimmig und überzeugend.« Interview von Jessica Duchen seine Interpretation.« »Bei Simon ist es ähnlich: Was im »So etwas wie ›die Bernstein-Interpre- Konzert geschieht, gleicht nicht unbe- tation‹ gab es eigentlich nicht – sie ent- dingt der Probe. Wir stecken einen Rah- stand im Moment während der Auffüh- men ab, aber er weiß, dass ich jeden urz bevor Krystian Zimerman Mitte Grunde war kein anderer Musiker wie er«, rung, sodass es nicht möglich war, sie Moment ausbrechen kann, und ich Kder 1970er-Jahre quasi über Nacht sagt Zimerman. »Jeder Augenblick seiner vorher zu proben. Bernstein konnte sich weiß, dass er jederzeit folgen wird, und weltberühmt wurde, hatte er die Chance, Aufführungen war durchdacht und inspi- während eines Konzerts für eine drama- umgekehrt. Erlaube ich mir einen Spaß, Leonard Bernstein zu begegnen und ihm riert. Er schien sich in einem anderen Uni- tische Änderung entscheiden. Das habe lässt er mir das nicht einfach durchge- vorzuspielen. Bernstein zögerte nicht, er versum zu bewegen. Es gab Stücke, die ich bei keinem anderen Dirigenten erlebt, hen – die Revanche folgt innerhalb der lud Zimerman sofort ein, als einer der vier man gut zu kennen meinte, aber wenn so viel Mut und Risikobereitschaft.« nächsten zwei Minuten!« Pianisten bei seiner neuen Aufnahme von er sie anfasste, erhielten sie plötzlich ein »Nur bei einem einzigen Dirigenten, da Bernsteins Symphonie Nr. 2 »The Age Strawinskys Les Noces mitzuwirken. anderes Leben.« war es ähnlich – bei Simon Rattle«, sagt of Anxiety« ist recht ungewöhnlich, und Das Band war geknüpft zwischen Pia- Während sie mit Brahms’ Klavier- Zimerman. »Es ist, als würde er selbst zur zwar nicht nur, weil sie ein Soloklavier ins nist und Dirigent, es entstand eine Bezie- konzert Nr. 2 auf Tournee waren, fragte Musik – bei Bernstein war es genau das Symphonieorchester integriert, sondern hung, die großen Einfluss auf den jungen Bernstein den Pianisten, ob er je eines Gleiche. Ich hatte nie die Vorstellung, dass auch, weil sie klassische Elemente mit Zimerman haben sollte. »Bernsteins Art zu seiner Werke gespielt habe. »Als ich ant- Bernstein ein Stück dirigierte, vielmehr der Klangwelt des Jazz mischt.

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