Search - Beethoven, Bernstein, Nyp :: Symphonies 2 & 7

Leonard Bernstein's Beethoven symphonies always raised a smirk among the music snobs--until he rerecorded them all with the Vienna Philharmonic and blew his critics away. Well, now we should be in a position to think a bit more objectively about his first cycle too. The fact is, they're largely very good. The Seventh, in particular, was a favorite piece that he always conducted with tremendous gusto. No one has surpassed the excitement that he generates as the finale hurtles to its final bars. In fact, this symphony even figured in his final public concert. By then he was a Grand Old Man, but these performances offer a welcome reminder of his breezy youth. --David Hurwitz