Bernstein Century - Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, etc / Bernstein, New York PO

The Billy the Kid and Rodeo suites are quite wonderful and magical. My personal favorite in this set is the Appalachian Spring. I always prefer the full ballet versions of most works in lieu of suite reductions but Copland's suite is one exception. Bernstein is at his absolute best at interpreting his good friend Copland mostly because they understood and had a great respect for one another. The playing is clean and clear, the strings very lush, the winds precise and very smooth sounding, the tempos are dead-on, everything is wonderfully shaped--it's as perfect as Copland had intended.

I highly reccommend this recording for it's preciseness, thoughtfulness, virtuosity, and beauty, elicited by the late-great Leonard Bernstein.

I know that Leonard Berstein is the recognized master at interpreting his good friend Copland, but this recording simply isn't the best one out there. Sure, the 3 Copland pieces are classics and absolutely wonderful to listen to, but I found Berstein's interpretation a bit lacking at times.

For example, the brass seems inexplicably weak throughout most of Appalachian Spring--just when they should be making their triumphant entrance. And at times, we hear Berstein's constant love of slowing down all pieces he does. It doesn't work so well here.

No doubt about it, any lover of music needs these three pieces on CD, but you can do better. Eric Kunzel's relatively recent Cincinnati Pops recording seems to evoke the true emotion of Copland better, for example.

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   Written on October 9, 2001
   Summary: Great recording but, ..........
This listener agrees that this is a five-star recording but, the old RCA recording by Morton Gould is still the very best. The Bernstein recording is an orchestral production whereas the Gould recording is pure music. In an orchestral production, we hear the composition as a collection of instruments (although in the hands of someone like Bernstein the effect is certainly impressive).

In Gould's version however, we are conscious of only the music's effect on one. That is to say, we are caught up in the music as a participant, rather than as merely an observer.

It is very unfortunate that there is no CD version of the Gould performance.

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   Written on October 9, 2001
   Summary: Great recording but, ..........
This listener agrees that this recording deserves a five-star rating BUT,the old RCA recording by Morton Gould is still the very best. The Gould version is music in the fullest sense, whereas the Bernstein version is an orchestral production. One can hear every instrument in the Bernstein version but, it still not the kind of MUSIC Gould portrays.

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   Written on August 16, 2001
   Summary: Bernstein at his best
I am not a big fan of Bernstein. He usually has a very heavy hand, lacks subtlety, projects his own personality too much into the performance. This collection is an exception. Bernstein and Copland were made for each other. Bernstein's passion for American music is, for a change, reverent here and leads to an intelligent and sensitive reading. His performance of Appalachian Spring is definitive. Absolutely gorgeous. One of the best recordings of Copland around. Highly recommended.