Stunning "Adagio," very good Copland, average Gershwin
Uluru II | United States | 08/31/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is one of only a few discs Bernstein made with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and it was a very fruitful partnership. In the early 80's this orchestra was in top form, and Bernstein was able to draw some fantastic sounds from them.
As the title states, this recording of "Rhapsody in Blue" is not one of the best - not bad, but a little too indulgent and quirky to be definitive. Bernstein's recordings with his own NY Philharmonic are definitely superior. It would still serve as a decent introduction to those unfamiliar with the piece, it's just unlikely to be the aficionado's favorite.
"Appalachian Spring" is excellent. Again, it may not eclipse Bernstein's own classic recording with the NY Philharmonic, or for that matter Copland's various versions, but nonetheless the playing is spirited and grand and this version ranks with the best. Bernstein was a longtime champion of Copland and knew the music as well as anyone, and his interpretation here is typically "just right."
The real gem of this disc, though, is Barber's "Adagio." Personally, I think it's the finest of the 8 or so versions I'm familiar with, and better than Bernstein's NY Philharmonic recordings. He finds the perfect tone for the piece - appropriately somber and elegiac, but with levity, and glowing, vibrant sound from the strings. The cellos, especially, give me chills and moist eyes when they take over the main theme, becoming almost unbearably beautiful as they near the climax of the piece. Bernstein was known for aggressively wringing emotion from slow and sad music, often to the point of melodrama, but here he is wonderfully restrained. The string orchestration of the piece, and the musical content, have enough weight on their own that the real trick is to keep things comparatively light and flowing, even at the slow tempo - no extra emoting is necessary, and Bernstein knows this.
There is no lack of intensity at the appropriate moments, however. Things move forward with a feeling of inevitability, the phrasing just right, the various lines surfacing and receding in a delicate, perfect way. The effect is devastating.
Any fan of the "Adagio" needs to hear this version! The recording quality of the disc is great as well - though these are all live performances, I cannot hear any evidence of an audience, and the sound is full, balanced and sonorous. The clarity is such that I assumed it was recorded digitally - it is not digital, just an excellent analog recording."
