Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Leonard Bernstein, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra :: Panorama: Ludwig van Beethoven, Vol. 3

Epic Works On One 2-CD Set

Erik North | San Gabriel, CA USA | 05/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Despite his increasingly poor health and the fact that he was totally deaf by 1823, Beethoven had once more defied the odds and produced two monumental masterpieces of Western music--his immortal Ninth Symphony, and the lesser-known but equally impressive Missa Solemnis. Incredibly, Deutsche Grammophon has managed to cram these two gigantic works into one 2-CD set as conducted by the late, great Leonard Bernstein.The Ninth Symphony, of course, is one of those works that always intrigues the listener, no matter how many times he or she has heard it. In this, Bernstein's second go-around with Beethoven 9 (his first was with the New York Philharmonic in 1964; his third and final one would be the immortal Berlin Celebration Concert of 1989), he has at his command one of the great orchestras of the world, the Vienna Philharmonic, plus the Vienna State Opera Concert Chorus, and four world-class soloists in the fourth movement's immortal choral setting of Schiller's "Ode To Joy." In spite of the fact that Vienna tended to be among the most anti-Semitic cities in the world and Bernstein himself was Jewish (or perhaps, in a twisted way, BECAUSE of it), the Vienna Philharmonic is at its usual world-class best under Bernstein's hand. This live 1980 recording, at 72 minutes, is only about one minute slower than the studio recording Bernstein did in New York in 1964.The Missa Solemnis, Beethoven's second and final setting of the Latin Mass (his first, in C Major, was more in the Haydn/Mozart tradition), is a work of intense grandeur, placing a great burden on conductor, orchestra, chorus, and soloists. But once again, in this 1979 recording, Bernstein is more than up to the task. This time, he is at the helm of Amsterdam's world-famous Concertgebouw Orchestra, along with the Hilversum Radio Choir. All five parts of the Mass are thoughtfully realized by Bernstein and his forces, with the "Kyrie" having a special poignancy, and the "Gloria" being given one of the most explosive and violent performances on record. If one reads the timings right, then Deutsche Grammophon has somehow managed to put an 82-minute recording onto just one CD when most single CD running times should be two minutes shorter!Two epic works on two CDs, presented with intensity and passion by one of the great conductors of the 20th century. Vigorously recommended!"