PRELUDE, FUGUE News for Friends of Leonard Bernstein RIFFS Fall/ Winter 2002 Bernstein's Mahler: A Personal View @ by Sedgwick Clark n idway through the Adagio £male of Mahler's Ninth M Symphony, the music sub­ sides from an almost desperate turbulence. Questioning wisps of melody wander throughout the woodwinds, accompanied by mut­ tering lower strings and a halting harp ostinato. Then, suddenly, the orchestra "vehemently burst[s] out" fortissimo in a final attempt at salvation. Most conductors impart a noble arch and beauty of tone to the music as it rises to its climax, which Leonard Bernstein did in his Vienna Philharmonic video recording in March 1971. But only seven months before, with the New York Philharmonic, His vision of the music is neither Nearly all of the Columbia cycle he had lunged toward the cellos comfortable nor predictable. (now on Sony Classical), taped with a growl and a violent stomp Throughout that live performance I between 1960 and 1974, and all of on the podium, and the orchestra had been struck by how much the 1980s cycle for Deutsche had responded with a ferocity I more searching and spontaneous it Grammophon, are handily gath­ had never heard before, or since, in was than his 1965 recording with ered in space-saving, budget-priced this work. I remember thinking, as the orchestra. Bernstein's Mahler sets. Some, but not all, of the indi­ Bernstein tightened the tempo was to take me by surprise in con­ vidual releases have survived the unmercifully, "Take it easy. Not so cert many times - though not deletion hammerschlag. The second fast." By the climactic cymbal always to such a degree! I attended cycle, filmed by Unite! in the crash my heart was pounding and I no less than five Resurrections, a 1970s, formerly on videotape and was gasping for breath, dripping First, two Thirds, a Fourth, a Fifth, laserdisc is now available singly on with sweat. My date thought I was a Sixth, a Seventh, and another Japanese Deutsche Grammophon having a heart attack. Throughout Ninth. Alas, that uniquely harrow­ DVDs, imported by dinner afterwards I sat stunned, ing 1970 Ninth was performed www.leonardbernstein.com. unable to speak. when Philharmonic broadcasts In general, the first go-around is Such was Bernstein's Mahler. had temporarily ceased. But my faster, galvanized by the thrill of No one in my experience put his memory of it remains undimmed. discovery. The third cycle reflects life on the line in concert or on How fortunate that he recorded Bernstein's penchant for slower record like Leonard Bernstein. No Mahler's symphonies no fewer tempos in his later years and the one communicated Mahler's inner than three times - each perform­ insights of a lifetime with these conflict and spiritual striving more ance offering fresh insights. works. The videos lie somewhere vividly than Leonard Bernstein. The audio-only recordings have in between, but closer to the earlier never been out of the catalogue. (continued on page 2) In this issue ... Festival Updates ... page 6 Bernstein's Mahler: A Personal View, continued To Our Readers (continued from page 1) niably exciting, and his integration conceptions, and offer glorious of the various moods and tempos playing by the Vienna of the movement is flawless. You Philharmonic. Their reappearance want it slower? His timing for the provided the final impetus for me third cycle's Sixth is fully ten min­ s Joni Mitchell wrote, "Don't to buy a DVD player, even though utes longer overall. All three are A it always seem to go/ That I own the laser discs. dynamite performances, and in the you don't know what you've got Random notes: The video Bernstein sports a beard. till it's gone ... " Resurrection Symphony in Sony He was scheduled to record the In some ways, Leonard Classical's set is the 1963 New Eighth in New York in 1990 to Bernstein makes himself felt even York recording, not the 1973 complete his third cycle, but fate more palpably in his absence. In London Symphony one, which intervened. The 1966 London the field of education, for exam­ was taped at the same time as the Symphony recording in the Sooy ple, young musicians continue to video version. The LSO recording set is excellent, but a 1975 VPO cite Bernstein as a transforming was most recently available as part performance - made at the same influence in their lives. The of the label's Royal Edition - but time as the video - was substitut­ Leonard Bernstein Center, guided why not get the DVD and watch ed on DG and is even better. The by the Grammy Foundation, is Bernstein conduct? orchestral introduction to the sec­ adding ever more teachers and In my opinion, two of the sym­ ond movement is a riveting exam­ school districts to its roster. In phonies are clearly superior on ple of Bernstein's peerless ability at addition, the legacy of the Young video. The slow movement of the maintaining note-to-note intensity People's Concerts is stronger than Fourth seems better paced (slower) at a slow tempo - and seeing bis ever, now that they can be seen on than on the later cycle, and the involvement on video is a gripping the Trio television channel. It's experience. surprising, and not a little dis­ No less essential is a live The 1966 Vienna Das Lied couraging, to realize that nothing von der Erde, available singly or has come along since to replace or 1979 concert performance in the DG set, is a "must." His improve them. of the Ninth Symphony gut-wrenching partnership with Leonard Bernstein's own Fischer-Dieskau astonishes anew compositions seem to gain signifi­ with the Berlin Philharmonic. with every hearing. After two cance with the passage of time. A botched CD transfers, Decca work like MASS, which was so irresistible twinkle in Edith finally got the sound right on its controversial at its birth in the Mathis's eyes as she sings the last­ mid-priced Legends series. Don't 1970's, is now even embraced by movement child's view of heaven is miss it! the Vatican, who once held it an irrefutable argument for the The 1972 Das Lied, with in contempt. video format. In the Fifth, all the Christa Ludwig, Rene Kollo, and As the United States makes its movements are faster on video than the Israel Philharmonic, recorded ominous sidling approach toward on the rather sprawling later at the same time as the Unitel war, we long for Leonard recording. These two performances video, is not included in the Sony Bernstein's fervent outspokenness on Sony are the weakest of that set. set for some reason but is avail­ in demanding a more enlightened The Third and Seventh on Sony able from Sony Century France; approach to the crises of the were Bernstein's first confronta­ the video has yet to appear on world. His devotion to peace and tions with these works. However DVD, but that only can be a mat­ brotherhood never, alas, looked fine the later ones, these seem to ter of time. For those who prefer a more apt. me the high points of the first woman's voice in the second, The re-release of many of cycle, conducted and played with fourth, and sixth songs, Ludwig is .,, Leonard Bernstein's recordings uncommon insight into Mahler's rivaled only by the legendary iil i: reflects the world's continuing exhilarating mix of dynamism, joy, British contralto Kathleen Ferrier a. excitement over those sensational !".,., and nostalgia. on the 1952 Walter recording. C: performances. More and more, IQ Bernstein's hardly less distin­ Ludwig herself has said that she C: 11> these recordings are gaining recog­ guished Sixth on Sooy has been fl<> never understood the work before ;;o nition as a body of work that criticized for its devil-may-care performing it with Bernstein. .,.,ai defines American musicianship in tempo in the first movement. Yes, No less essential is a live 1979 0, the 20th Century. ~ he certainly ignored the ma non concert performance of the Ninth s- J.B.T. • troppo part of Mahler's Allegro Symphony with the Berlin ~ N energico designation (Kubelik and 0 Philharmonic. In his only appear­ 0 N Solti are even faster), but it's uncle- ance with this orchestra, 0 Bernstein stomps and groans vir­ appear identical to those for the Dimitri Mitropoulos led many of tuosically as he pulls the Berliners laser-disc and VHS releases. the symphonies and vocal works kicking and screaming from their Reduction of the reds to eliminate at the New York Philharmonic customarily Karajanesque ivory the severe chroma noise on some alone. But it was Bernstein - tower. With no concern for of the LDs has resulted in rather coupled with the advent of stereo recorded permanence, the recre­ pasty complexions and drab back­ - who opened the floodgates. "I ative greatness of Bernstein's art grounds, however; one wonders if am Gustav Mahler," he used to is revealed here more than any­ new transfers from the original say, and after spending time again where else I know. The two-CD film materials might result in truer with these three extraordinary set on DG has been deleted in the color. Still, the video image is clear cycles, it's hard to disagree. • States, but imported copies are and the sound fine. We should be available at Tower Records' grateful that the Japanese have Sedgwick Clark is editor of Lincoln Center branch. Hurry! released the DVDs, for there's no Musical America.