Throughout his life, Leonard Bernstein had held the music of W.A. Mozart in the highest esteem and particularly enjoyed conducting the piano concertos from the keyboard, playing the solo part himself, as in this recording. In a televised lecture-concert with the New York Philharmonic from Venice’s La Fenice Opera House in 1959, Bernstein played the second and third movements of the Piano Concerto in G major K. 453, which he prefaced with the words: “If I absolutely had to name my all-time favorite piece of music, I think I would vote for the Andante we are to hear now. It is Mozart at the peak of his lyrical powers, combining serenity, melancholy, and tragic intensity in one great lyric improvisation. You will hear the tranquillity of a Schubert Lied, the filigree of a Chopin, the brooding of a Mahler. And I would like you to be aware, particularly, of the beauty of its orchestration. This concerto is orchestrally rather modest, even within the already limited frame of the 18th-century orchestra. For instance, it employs neither trumpets nor drums nor clarinets; and yet, wait till you hear the wonders Mozart produces with three solo woodwinds, blending like three glorious voices in an operatic trio, or the rich pathos he can create with a little inner melody played by the violas. Again, even in his orchestration Mozart has transcended his time. […] And now we emerge from the contemplation and mystery of that almost sacred Andante, into the brilliant light of the Finale. Brilliant – that is the word for this marvelous rococo set of variations. The whole movement is bathed in a glitter that could have come only from the 18th century, from that age of light, lightness, and enlightenment. It is a perfect product of the age of reason – witty, objective, graceful, delicious. And yet, over it all hovers the greater spirit that is Mozart’s – the spirit of compassion, of universal love, even of suffering – spirit that knows no age, that belongs to all the ages.”
Brahms, Academic Festival Overture in C minor, op.80
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. For Bernstein, Brahms was “a true Romantic, containing his passions in classical garb”, but also a “North-German classicist swept away to Vienna, and fired by Danubian, Carpathian and gypsy passions”. Bearing this dualism in mind, 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. For the concertos, Bernstein enlisted the services of some of the finest Brahms interpreters of the time: the violinist Gidon Kremer, the cellist Misha Maisky and the pianist Krystian Zimerman.
Brahms, Tragic Overture in D minor, op.81
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. For Bernstein, Brahms was “a true Romantic, containing his passions in classical garb”, but also a “North-German classicist swept away to Vienna, and fired by Danubian, Carpathian and gypsy passions”. Bearing this dualism in mind, 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. For the concertos, Bernstein enlisted the services of some of the finest Brahms interpreters of the time: the violinist Gidon Kremer, the cellist Misha Maisky and the pianist Krystian Zimerman.
Beethoven, Symphony No.1 in C major, op. 21
The symphonies are part of the complete cycle of Beethoven symphonic and choral works featuring the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam conducted by Leonard Bernstein. All the works were recorded live in Vienna: Unitel produced the video recordings and Deutsche Grammophon released the
soundtracks in a special edition. The series won the Ace Award, the National (U.S.) Cable TV Association’s top award for outstanding quality and entertainment value.
Beethoven, String Quartet No.14 in C sharp minor, op.123
The introverted and personal quality of Beethoven’s late style is evident in this string quartet, written the year before the composer’s death. At this stage in Beethoven’s life, he was composing more for himself than for an audience, for he no longer felt it necessary to prove himself to his public. Despite the popular belief that Beethoven (at that time) was indifferent to the sound of his music because of his deafness, his sketchbooks show that he rewrote the last four bars of the variations of the quartet 12 times. It is the music of a man who has experienced life. The composer thought that this was his greatest string quartet. A traditional string quartet consists of two violins, one viola and one cello, and is usually in four movements; the String Quartet in C sharp minor contains seven movements, played without a pause. Leonard Bernstein said: “The C sharp minor Quartet seems to cry out for the whole string section.” In this performance, the work is played by an orchestra of 60 strings. This recording is part of Leonard Bernstein’s Beethoven cycle, recorded primarily with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in the early 1980s. Writing in The New York Times, critic John J. O’Connor stated: “As Mr. Bernstein says, there is ‘no single body of work in the universe of orchestral music that is in any way comparable to this one.’ Conducted with intense dedication and soaring spirits by Mr. Bernstein, these recordings are superb, both visually and aurally.”
Wagner, Overture to “Tristan und Isolde”
Sir Georg Solti (1912-1997), one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, was a testament to the elegance and impeccable tastefulness of Central European music-making. Born in Budapest in 1912, he studied with Béla Bartók, Ernö von Dohnányi, Zoltán Kodály and Leo Weiner. In 1937, Toscanini chose him to be his assistant at the Salzburg Festival. After the war, Solti was appointed Music Director of the Bavarian State Opera. Further stations in his career were the Frankfurt Opera, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the London Philharmonic. His remarkable partnership with the Chicago Symphony began in 1954; he was named Music Director in 1969 and held this post for a phenomenal 22 years. He is credited with greatly extending and enhancing the orchestra’s worldwide reputation. Solti died in September 1997, just before his 85th birthday. This recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was made in 1976 at the Orchestra Hall in Chicago.
Wagner, Overture to “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg”
Sir Georg Solti (1912-1997), one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, was a testament to the elegance and impeccable tastefulness of Central European music-making. Born in Budapest in 1912, he studied with Béla Bartók, Ernö von Dohnányi, Zoltán Kodály and Leo Weiner. In 1937, Toscanini chose him to be his assistant at the Salzburg Festival. After the war, Solti was appointed Music Director of the Bavarian State Opera. Further stations in his career were the Frankfurt Opera, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the London Philharmonic. His remarkable partnership with the Chicago Symphony began in 1954; he was named Music Director in 1969 and held this post for a phenomenal 22 years. He is credited with greatly extending and enhancing the orchestra’s worldwide reputation. Solti died in September 1997, just before his 85th birthday. This recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was made in 1976 at the Orchestra Hall in Chicago.
Mendelssohn, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Overture, Scherzo, Wedding March, Intermezzo, Finale)
“The last of the great international orchestral and operatic maestri” (The Times), Sir Georg Solti is a living testament to the elegance and impeccable tastefulness of Central European music-making. Solti’s remarkable partnership with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra began in 1954, when he first led the orchestra at the Ravinia Festival. After returning to conduct the ensemble several times during the following years, he was named Music Director in 1969 and held this post for a phenomenal 22 years. He is credited with greatly extending and enhancing the orchestra’s worldwide reputation. His recordings of Mendelssohn’s works with the Chicago Symphony date from the late 1970s and represent a mellower, more lyrically accented phase in the partnership between Solti and his orchestra.
Mendelssohn, Symphony No.4 in A major, op.90 “Italian”
“The last of the great international orchestral and operatic maestri” (The Times), Sir Georg Solti is a living testament to the elegance and impeccable tastefulness of Central European music-making. Solti’s remarkable partnership with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra began in 1954, when he first led the orchestra at the Ravinia Festival. After returning to conduct the ensemble several times during the following years, he was named Music Director in 1969 and held this post for a phenomenal 22 years. He is credited with greatly extending and enhancing the orchestra’s worldwide reputation. His recordings of Mendelssohn’s works with the Chicago Symphony date from the late 1970s and represent a mellower, more lyrically accented phase in the partnership between Solti and his orchestra.
Wagner, Overture to “Der Fliegende Holländer”
Sir Georg Solti (1912-1997), one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, was a testament to the elegance and impeccable tastefulness of Central European music-making. Born in Budapest in 1912, he studied with Béla Bartók, Ernö von Dohnányi, Zoltán Kodály and Leo Weiner. In 1937, Toscanini chose him to be his assistant at the Salzburg Festival. After the war, Solti was appointed Music Director of the Bavarian State Opera. Further stations in his career were the Frankfurt Opera, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the London Philharmonic. His remarkable partnership with the Chicago Symphony began in 1954; he was named Music Director in 1969 and held this post for a phenomenal 22 years. He is credited with greatly extending and enhancing the orchestra’s worldwide reputation. Solti died in September 1997, just before his 85th birthday. This recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was made in 1976 at the Orchestra Hall in Chicago.