Haydn composed this lesser-known but nevertheless highly inventive and charming work during his first stay in London in 1791-92. Its inner symmetry and Mozartian delicacy easily place it on a par with Haydn’s more famous compositions. The prominence accorded to the two violin parts (a tribute to the violinist Salomon) in the slow movement lends the latter an almost concertante air. With its toe-tapping brightness, the minuet is especially attractive; the finale also typifies the sense of gaiety and sheer high spirits found in all of Haydn’s music. Leonard Bernstein began conducting Haydn’s orchestral works when he was still Music Director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Since then, his interpretations of the symphonies have consistently met with unreserved critical acclaim. He, of all conductors, possessed precisely the qualities which Haydn’s music requires: grace, charm and a generous measure of wit. This production with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra was recorded in 1984.
Schumann, Piano Concerto in A minor, op.54
Schumann dedicated his piano concerto to Ferdinand Hiller, but it was his wife Clara Schumann who premiered it on 1 January 1846 in Leipzig, thus ensuring its overwhelming success. Written after a profound study of the works of Bach, the piece bears no trace of learned polyphony or complex counterpoint. It seems to flow effortlessly, without flashy virtuosity or Beethovenian drama. Not surprisingly, it is one of the most popular piano concertos in the repertoire. Following the cycles of orchestral works by Mahler, Beethoven and Brahms, Unitel chose to honor Robert Schumann in 1984/85 with this cycle performed by the Vienna Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein. Schumann’s orchestral works are firmly established in the repertoire of the Vienna Philharmonic. The glowing, romantic sound of this orchestra and Leonard Bernstein’s expressive interpretation complement each other in an ideal way to produce a perfect rendering of Schumann’s symphonic oeuvre. Schumann’s four symphonies, his piano concerto, the violoncello concerto and the Manfred Overture have been filmed and recorded in the “Golden Hall” of the Vienna Musikverein, held to rank acoustically among the world’s best halls. The soloists are Justus Frantz, piano, and the cellist Mischa Maisky.
Haydn, Sinfonia Concertante in B flat major
In his Sinfonia Concertante for violin, violoncello, oboe, bassoon and orchestra, Haydn combined typical stylistic features of the solo concerto with elements of the classic symphony. As a conductor, he was keenly aware of the extent to which individual orchestral players hankered after recognition as solo performers. Consequently this work, which was first performed in London on 9 March 1792, offers an opportunity for four soloists to demonstrate their virtuosity in competition with the orchestra. By making the violin the most prominent of the solo instruments, Haydn expressed his gratitude to the violinist Johann Peter Salomon, who was also the organizer of the London concerts. Leonard Bernstein began conducting Haydn’s orchestral works when he was still Music Director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Since then, his interpretations of the symphonies have consistently met with unreserved critical acclaim. He, of all conductors, possessed precisely the qualities which Haydn’s music requires: grace, charm and a generous measure of wit. This production with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra was recorded in 1984.
Bernstein, Divertimento for Orchestra
Leonard Bernstein was one of the greatest and most universal musical personalities of our time. He secured an international reputation as a performing artist (conductor and pianist) and as a composer. With regard to his creative activity, it should be noted that he was just at home in the world of serious, “avant-garde” music as in that of sophisticated “light” music. His first works betrayed the distinct influence of Aaron Copland, Igor Stravinsky and Paul Hindemith. However, they already included stylistic traits derived from jazz. Bernstein’s music is stamped by exceptionally expressive melodies and striking rhythms. This and their primeval vitality helped them become popular all over the world.
Schumann, Symphony No.1 in B flat major, op.38
Following the cycles of orchestral works by Mahler, Beethoven and Brahms, Unitel chose to honor Robert Schumann in 1984/85 with this cycle performed by the Vienna Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein. Schumann’s orchestral works are firmly established in the repertoire of the Vienna Philharmonic. The glowing, romantic sound of this orchestra and Leonard Bernstein’s expressive interpretation complement each other in an ideal way to produce a perfect rendering of Schumann’s symphonic oeuvre. Schumann’s four symphonies, his piano concerto, the violoncello concerto and the Manfred Overture have been filmed and recorded in the “Golden Hall” of the Vienna Musikverein, held to rank acoustically among the world’s best halls. The soloists are Justus Frantz, piano, and the cellist Misha Maisky.
Schumann, Symphony No.3 in E flat major, op.97
Following the cycles of orchestral works by Mahler, Beethoven and Brahms, Unitel chose to honor Robert Schumann in 1984/85 with this cycle performed by the Vienna Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein. Schumann’s orchestral works are firmly established in the repertoire of the Vienna Philharmonic. The glowing, romantic sound of this orchestra and Leonard Bernstein’s expressive interpretation complement each other in an ideal way to produce a perfect rendering of Schumann’s symphonic oeuvre. Schumann’s four symphonies, his piano concerto, the violoncello concerto and the Manfred Overture have been filmed and recorded in the “Golden Hall” of the Vienna Musikverein, held to rank acoustically among the world’s best halls. The soloists are Justus Frantz, piano, and the cellist Misha Maisky.
Introduction to Brahms, Symphony No.2 in D major, op.73
Brahms’s sunny Second Symphony is as warm and lyrical as his First had been stormy and dramatic. It quite possibly reflects the idyllic nature around Lake Wörth in Austria, where Brahms composed it in the summer of 1877. Brahms himself, however, called attention to the melancholy current that undermines the pastoral serenity (“You’ve never heard anything as world-weary as this”, he wrote to his friend Schubring). Despite the apparent simplicity of the symphonic writing, the work is strengthened and enriched by many thematic threads that run from one movement to another. It has been a special favorite among music lovers since its premiere in Vienna on 30 December 1877. The celebrated 19th-century music critic Eduard Hanslick wrote that it was for “all who long for good music, whether they understand its complexity or not”. Between 1981 and 1984, Leonard Bernstein recorded nearly all of Brahms’s orchestral works with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra to honor the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth in 1983. Today, the cycle is considered as a landmark in the interpretation of Brahms’ music. Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic have underscored both the classicism and romanticism, the dramatic intensity and the sober restraint of Brahms’s music. The venue was Vienna’s Musikvereinssaal, where two of Brahms’s symphonies were premiered and where Brahms himself conducted. In his introductions, Bernstein speaks with an eloquence and conviction that go far beyond the opening words to a traditional concert performance. With his stimulating theories on Brahms and his music, Bernstein prompts viewers to listen to the music with an open mind.
Introduction to Brahms, Symphony No.3 in F major, op.90
A particularly mellow, burnished glow radiates from Brahms’s F major Symphony. The work was written chiefly in Wiesbaden, where Brahms spent the summer of 1883. He had just turned fifty – and had possibly fallen in love with the much younger singer Hermine Spiess, who happened to live in Wiesbaden. Like most of his symphonies, the Third is also permeated by a melodic motto. This one consists of three notes which not only open the symphony but are frequently woven into its texture and return with dramatic emphasis at crucial moments in the later movements. The unexpectedly quiet close of the Third sets it off against the previous two symphonies and calms the electrifying tension of all four movements before reaching a tension-releasing “transfiguration” (Clara Schumann). Between 1981 and 1984, Leonard Bernstein recorded nearly all of Brahms’s orchestral works with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra to honor the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth in 1983. Today, the cycle is considered as a landmark in the interpretation of Brahms’ music. Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic have underscored both the classicism and romanticism, the dramatic intensity and the sober restraint of Brahms’s music. The venue was Vienna’s Musikvereinssaal, where two of Brahms’s symphonies were premiered and where Brahms himself conducted. In his introductions, Bernstein speaks with an eloquence and conviction that go far beyond the opening words to a traditional concert performance. With his stimulating theories on Brahms and his music, Bernstein prompts viewers to listen to the music with an open mind.
Introduction to Brahms, Symphony No.4 in E minor, op.98
Composed during the summer months of the years 1884 and 1885 in Mürzzuschlag, southwest of Vienna, the Fourth Symphony tended to disconcert the public at first and had to prove itself in the concert circuit before gaining recognition as a masterwork of epoch-making stature. What Brahms’s contemporaries regarded as difficult and bewildering were above all the extreme constructive density of the score, the unusual layout, especially of the third and fourth movements, a number of archaic elements pointing back to the formulae and techniques of “early music” (the passacaglia in the fourth movement) and the austere, elegiac mood that permeates the entire work. The premiere of the Fourth Symphony performed by the Meiningen Court Orchestra in Meiningen under Brahms’s direction on 25 October 1885 was a great success. The work became the chief feature of the orchestra’s ensuing tour, with Brahms conducting it in nine cities. Between 1981 and 1984, Leonard Bernstein recorded nearly all of Brahms’s orchestral works with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra to honor the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth in 1983. Today, the cycle is considered as a landmark in the interpretation of Brahms’ music. Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic have underscored both the classicism and romanticism, the dramatic intensity and the sober restraint of Brahms’s music. The venue was Vienna’s Musikvereinssaal, where two of Brahms’s symphonies were premiered and where Brahms himself conducted. In his introductions, Bernstein speaks with an eloquence and conviction that go far beyond the opening words to a traditional concert performance. With his stimulating theories on Brahms and his music, Bernstein prompts viewers to listen to the music with an open mind.
Introduction to Brahms, Academical Festival Overture op.80
“A merry medley of student songs à la Suppé” is how Johannes Brahms characterized his Academic Festival Overture, which he wrote in 1880 as a musical “thank-you note” for the honorary degree conferred upon him by the University of Breslau in 1879. The overture focuses on four traditional German student songs, which are integrated with subtly related themes of Brahms’ own invention. The first student tune, “Wir hatten gebauet ein stattliches Haus”, is a nostalgic lament for the glorious days of the student associations or “Burschenschaften”. The next two songs are the “Hochfeierlicher Landesvater” and the initiation song “Fuchsenritt”. After a brief development, the principal themes are reprised and merge into an exhilarating coda built on the joyous “Gaudeamus igitur”. Between 1981 and 1984, Leonard Bernstein recorded nearly all of Brahms’s orchestral works with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra to honor the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth in 1983. Today, the cycle is considered as a landmark in the interpretation of Brahms’ music. Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic have underscored both the classicism and romanticism, the dramatic intensity and the sober restraint of Brahms’s music. The venue was Vienna’s Musikvereinssaal, where two of Brahms’s symphonies were premiered and where Brahms himself conducted. In his introductions, Bernstein speaks with an eloquence and conviction that go far beyond the opening words to a traditional concert performance. With his stimulating theories on Brahms and his music, Bernstein prompts viewers to listen to the music with an open mind.