This
recording is presumably taken from more than one concert,
not that one could easily tell. They were the last that
Bernstein gave with the Vienna Philharmonic, an orchestra
with whom he had recorded quite extensively, notably in
Brahms and Mozart. Bruckner 9 was certainly home territory
for the orchestra but it was the only one of the composer’s
works Bernstein had recorded previously – in New York back
in 1969. My prior expectation - perhaps biased by Bernstein’s
interventionist approach to Mahler - was that conductor
and composer were unlikely to be a good combination. Before
listening, I browsed the booklet and read David Gutman’s
piece which is unusual in providing a critical analysis
of the performance at hand. For example, Gutman wrote “Whether
you find the results uncomfortable or revelatory …” but
left little doubt which camp he was in.
The
first thing to say about the performance is that the playing
was predictably superb. There seemed to be a very high
level of rapport between conductor and orchestra, and Bernstein
was clearly inspirational to the orchestra. Wearing heart
on face, his total involvement is compelling to watch.
The camera spends more time on the conductor than in any
other orchestral DVD I have yet seen. There are no histrionics
and few idiosyncrasies. Bernstein opts for slowish tempi – these
are most obvious in the
gesangperiode of the first
movement and main body of the scherzo. But the music never
drags and concentration is sustained throughout a magnificent
rendition of the
adagio. Ultimately, I found this
both uncomfortable and revelatory – after all, this is
not comfortable music. The performance is gripping but
not one to experience too often. Just over six months later
Bernstein was dead; the cigarettes finally got him. He
must have been ill to some degree at the time although
you would hardly know it. Tremendous warmth of feeling
is evident all round in the applause – it is clear the
Viennese and Bernstein loved each other dearly.
There
is not a great deal to say about picture and sound quality
which are pretty standard for the medium and do not draw
attention to themselves. There are no extra features.
In
terms of competition on DVD, Giulini’s Stuttgart performance
is wonderful (see
review) and rather more
suitable for everyday listening. Nevertheless, this is
a performance that defied my pre-conceptions, and I urge
you to see and hear it.
Patrick
C Waller
BUY NOW
Crotchet
Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra/Leonard Bernstein 
[68:44] 
