Released to coincide with what would have been famed conductor Leonard Bernstein's 90th birthday (as well as the 50th anniversary of his appointment as musical director of the New York Philharmonic), this boxed set tribute is curious in several respects. None of the performances feature the Philharmonic, nor are any pieces by composers with whom Bermstein was most closely associated, such as Mahler. All stem from late in his career, after Bernstein had left the New York post and was working as a guest conductor with orchestras throughout the world. Two of the five discs feature the Vienna Philharmonic playing pieces by Mozart (“Symphony No. 39” and “Piano Concerto No. 17”) and Bruckner (“Symphony No. 9”), while another showcases the Israel Philharmonic in two Brahms symphonies (1 & 3), and a third includes readings of Franck's “Symphony in D Minor,” and two pieces by Milhaud (“La Creation du monde” and “Le Boeuf sur le toit”) with the Orchestre de Paris. The final disc presents the famous concert that Bernstein conducted in Berlin shortly after the 1989 fall of the Wall, featuring an ad hoc orchestra of players from both East and West Germany—as well as other nations—and a chorus with children, in a performance of Beethoven's Ninth that changed the culminating “Ode to Joy” (Freude) into an “Ode to Freedom” (Freiheit). As these performances reflect, Bernstein was always more noted for his passion than his precision: as witness the tempos in the frenetic Franck, the fizzing Brahms, and the lugubrious Bruckner, while the Mozart performances are ripely romantic (and as a soloist in the concerto, Bernstein is hardly note-perfect). As for the Beethoven, it's very slow—more of an occasion than a finished performance—while the conductor seems most at home in the jazzy Milhaud pieces. Despite the musical unevenness, however, Bernstein's characteristic enthusiasm and showmanship come through splendidly. On balance, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Leonard Bernstein
(2008) 5 discs. 419 min. DVD: $79.99. EuroArts (dist. by Naxos of America). Volume 23, Issue 6
Leonard Bernstein
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: