Rare French music, incredibly performed
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 09/11/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Every conductor has a public image, and Bernstein's was formed around everything that seems un-French. He isn't known for delicacy, precision, finesse, or Gallic dryiness. But he was Koussevitzky's heir apparent, and this recordig shows just how wonderful he oculd be in Frnech music, like his mentor. the major work here is a little-layed Milhaud choral work, Les Choepores, taken from Greek drama, which competes so to speak with Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex. There's no comparison,r eally, but the Milhaud is probably his best work, and along with everything else on this disc--along with lots of Debussy and Ravel on other discs--Bernstein shows how thoroughly he can make French music his own wihtout distortion, just added passion and warmth."