A sense of frisson to receive Leonard Bernstein, Vol 1 - six dvd set, many new to DVD in pristine remastering, Unitel Classica, £40 99 + postage from the river people, about £14 less than a competitor.
A welcome companion set to LB's, Mahler Symphonies on DVD some years ago.
Couldn't wait to sample the two disc set of Sibelius Symphonies 1, 2, 5 & 7, VPO, recorded 'live' at Vienna's Musikverein, looking penny- plain without the floral additions for the New Year's Day concert, but the acoustic still crackles with electricity when the maestro is on the podium. Sadly,
his death 1990, left an incomplete cycle. I've only listened to Sym No 2 but the hushed intensity in the audience also speak volumes.
The remaining volumes include, Beethoven Str Qt No 16, version for string orchestra, VPO.
Haydn, Missa in Tempore Belli, Chor und Symphonie Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks,
Blegen, Fassbaender, Ahnsjo, Sotin.
Debussy's impressionistic sound worlds explored in Images, Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune,
La Mer. Orchestra Dell' Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia/LB.
Leonard Berstein, Larger Than Life. A 76 mins documentary includes interviews with Gustavo Dudamel, Stephen Sondheim, Kent Nagano, Marin Alsop, Peter Jonas, Christoph Eschenbach, Norman Lebrecht, members of the Vienna Philharmonics, Craig Urquhart and many others, including LB's children.
Tanglewood, 75th Anniversary Celebration; Emanuel Ax, Keith Lockhart, Yo-Yo Ma,
Anne-Sophie Nutter, Andris Nelsons, Peter Serkin, James Taylor, John Williams and
David Zinman. Total running time, 112 mins. Boston SO, Boston Pops,
Tanglewood Music Centre Orchestra play Copland, Bernstein, Selections from the Great
American Songbook, Tchai, Andante Cantabile, Sarasate, Carmen Fantasy, Ravel, La Valse,
and Beethoven's Choral Fantasy. A bit disappointed that they didn't include extracts from LB's 1988, 70th birthday concert which includes a hilarious parody by Sondheim of Jenny's soliliquy,
Lady in the Dark, "Jenny made her mind up..", changed to 'Lenny Made his mind up...' with frequent cuts to LB quite gobsmacked and outrageous! I still laugh after several hundred viewings. The Tanglewood Choir ended the evening with a gorgeous rendition of 'Make Our Garden Grow, (Candide) which deeply moved the maestro. I only saw him in concert, at a Barbican performance of On The Town, a couple of years before his death,
with Betty Comden & Adolph Green, Frederica Von Stade, Thos Hampson, Samuel Ramey,
Cleo Laine, Evelyn Lear, Marie McLaughlin and Tyne Daly as 'Hilde'. My only surprise was to note his slender stature, around 5' 6", nevertheless a giant with high voltage on the podium.
I'm impatient to resume viewing over the weekend.
A welcome companion set to LB's, Mahler Symphonies on DVD some years ago.
Couldn't wait to sample the two disc set of Sibelius Symphonies 1, 2, 5 & 7, VPO, recorded 'live' at Vienna's Musikverein, looking penny- plain without the floral additions for the New Year's Day concert, but the acoustic still crackles with electricity when the maestro is on the podium. Sadly,
his death 1990, left an incomplete cycle. I've only listened to Sym No 2 but the hushed intensity in the audience also speak volumes.
The remaining volumes include, Beethoven Str Qt No 16, version for string orchestra, VPO.
Haydn, Missa in Tempore Belli, Chor und Symphonie Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks,
Blegen, Fassbaender, Ahnsjo, Sotin.
Debussy's impressionistic sound worlds explored in Images, Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune,
La Mer. Orchestra Dell' Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia/LB.
Leonard Berstein, Larger Than Life. A 76 mins documentary includes interviews with Gustavo Dudamel, Stephen Sondheim, Kent Nagano, Marin Alsop, Peter Jonas, Christoph Eschenbach, Norman Lebrecht, members of the Vienna Philharmonics, Craig Urquhart and many others, including LB's children.
Tanglewood, 75th Anniversary Celebration; Emanuel Ax, Keith Lockhart, Yo-Yo Ma,
Anne-Sophie Nutter, Andris Nelsons, Peter Serkin, James Taylor, John Williams and
David Zinman. Total running time, 112 mins. Boston SO, Boston Pops,
Tanglewood Music Centre Orchestra play Copland, Bernstein, Selections from the Great
American Songbook, Tchai, Andante Cantabile, Sarasate, Carmen Fantasy, Ravel, La Valse,
and Beethoven's Choral Fantasy. A bit disappointed that they didn't include extracts from LB's 1988, 70th birthday concert which includes a hilarious parody by Sondheim of Jenny's soliliquy,
Lady in the Dark, "Jenny made her mind up..", changed to 'Lenny Made his mind up...' with frequent cuts to LB quite gobsmacked and outrageous! I still laugh after several hundred viewings. The Tanglewood Choir ended the evening with a gorgeous rendition of 'Make Our Garden Grow, (Candide) which deeply moved the maestro. I only saw him in concert, at a Barbican performance of On The Town, a couple of years before his death,
with Betty Comden & Adolph Green, Frederica Von Stade, Thos Hampson, Samuel Ramey,
Cleo Laine, Evelyn Lear, Marie McLaughlin and Tyne Daly as 'Hilde'. My only surprise was to note his slender stature, around 5' 6", nevertheless a giant with high voltage on the podium.
I'm impatient to resume viewing over the weekend.
, it was Candide! Lordy, me! 
I'm sure you recall the 'flu virus which hit London at the time, helpful for me as I got a 'return' when the performance sold- out on the day booking opened. Lenny was also stricken but Dr Theatre came to his aid. I've never forgotten the closing moment when he cued Adolph Green/Dr Pangloss who responded, "Any questions?" A spine-tingling interjection. 
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