Bernstein

[DracoM]

Blimey! If I hear the name Bernstein AGAIN.....................
This is way, way, way OTT. Non-stop trails, programmes, John Wilson..............

Yes, I KNOW he had talent, charisma, influence and a huge fan base etc etc, but.................

[Barbirollians]

Do you feel the same about the name Debussy ?

[Serial_Apologist]

Anyone would think God had been born 100 years ago...

Debussy didn't believe in God.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Once the Beeb gets the bit between its teeth, nothing will stop it.

Playschool was a huge BBC success. Unfortunately, everything has become Playschool.

Oooooooooo!

[Bumfluff]

I want to apologise for this post in advance. I am very intimidated by the standard of posting here, so my contributions will be worthless in compaerion. However I am a regular reader, and an obsessive listener, so I want to write things when I confident and intoxicated enough to do so.

I don't get Bernstein as a conductor. He seems to distort every musical work he conducts, so it kind of becomes a sort of transatlantic stretched out mush. This is annoying to me, since I adore Bernstein the man so much. He stood for so many things that I love and value, rock music as much as neglected composers like Mahler. I don't know if he was asshole in real life or anything though. But I find it weird that I like the guy so much, I love his stage presence, his look as well, but I can't deal with very much of his muisc making. I don't even like his own composition, really, Chichester Psalms to West Side Story.

[Serial_Apologist]

I want to apologise for this post in advance. I am very intimidated by the standard of posting here, so my contributions will be worthless in compaerion. However I am a regular reader, and an obsessive listener, so I want to write things when I confident and intoxicated enough to do so.

I don't get Bernstein as a conductor. He seems to distort every musical work he conducts, so it kind of becomes a sort of transatlantic stretched out mush. This is annoying to me, since I adore Bernstein the man so much. He stood for so many things that I love and value, rock music as much as neglected composers like Mahler. I don't know if he was asshole in real life or anything though. But I find it weird that I like the guy so much, I love his stage presence, his look as well, but I can't deal with very much of his muisc making. I don't even like his own composition, really, Chichester Psalms to West Side Story.

At least you have a sense of humour - I presume!

[jayne lee wilson]

One of the most wonderful aspects of this year's Proms is inspiring me to actually listen to Bernstein's own orchestral music after so many years... result is that I now adore the Symphonies 1 & (especially) 2 - the latter has one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful beginnings of any 20thC Piano Concerto....do listen to it in Prom 60, and the Serenade in Prom 69, which I've just begun listening to but already feel very fond of... although immediately attractive, I've found that they do take some getting-to-know!

[DracoM]

But, JLW, I get the enthusiasm, but...but....we've had talks, concerts, recitals, endless, and I do mean ENDLESS trails one after the other.
As said upthread, when the Beeb decides to 'do' a significant birthday, they usually manage to suffocate, strangle it. Would you like chocolate or chocolate, or how about a bit of chocolate?

[Nick Armstrong]

Does Bernstein still hold the record for the slowest-ever 'Enigma Variations'?

You'll be able to review his way with it tomorrow evening on BBC4: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06j7wjh

[Lat-Literal]

"Counterpoint" is including questions on Bernstein throughout the current series.

Just to make sure.

I wasn't overly impressed by one unexpected answer - "Is it the Chichester Palms?"

[LMcD]

You'll be able to review his way with it tomorrow evening on BBC4: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06j7wjh

Many thanks - duly noted!

[Bryn]

You'll be able to review his way with it tomorrow evening on BBC4: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06j7wjh

The playlist looks a tad full for a programme scheduled to last but 1 hour (including trails for other programmes, both before and after).

[Nick Armstrong]

The playlist looks a tad full for a programme scheduled to last but 1 hour (including trails for other programmes, both before and after).

Televisual bleeding chunks will be all we'll get. A fiver says it's Nimrod from the Enigma...

[BBMmk2]

I must admit, R3 is doing an overkill..

I think I might promote my dad. Who was born in the same year as Lenny. He was a psychiatrist. His birthday is in December.

[jayne lee wilson]

Whilst I sympathise with those who feel there's just too much Bernstein at the moment, don't let it put you off his actual music...

Last night/early this morning (I'm never quite sure of the difference these days) I discovered (on Qobuz HiFi) the new release of the Symphony No.2 with Zimerman/Berlin Phil/Rattle... oh, it's poor value as a CD/download purchase yes, but the performance! Utterly wonderful, the subtlest and most beautiful I've heard yet, even alongside the more "operatic" Rana/Pappano.

I'd just heard the 1950 Foss/Bernstein (and still thought I'd never love anything more than the later Entremont/Bernstein)... I was about to return to bed, but scanning Qobuz Discover blear-eyed, I stumbled upon this new one, and the cat-on-me rule persuaded me to go one further. Thanks, Mizzy!
Anyone who loves Bernstein or the Symphonies in particular, needs to hear this any which way!

Oh and, check out Gramophone 8/18, for David Gutman's excellent Collection survey on the gorgeous Serenade...you see, I'd heard these works before, but never realised till now, just how wonderful they are...