Music Reviews

Bernstein’s Best?


Here are two excellent recordings of a work that might be new to you: 

Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium). Quoting Bernstein, “The music, like Plato’s dialogue, is a series of related statements in praise of love.” The work is scored for Solo violin, harp, string orchestra, and percussion. It was premiered in 1954 in Venice with Isaac Stern, violin, with Bernstein conducting. Bernstein considered it his best “serious” work.

The recording with the amazing Salvatore Accardo was my introduction to the Serenade. It won me over from the first few bars. The Album also features conductor Krzysztof Penderecki’s own Violin Concerto.

Released just this year, the album featuring soloist James Ehnes, with Stephane Deneve conducting the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra also features John Williams’ Violin Concerto no. 1.

So, which one is the winner? They’re both excellent! You might decide on the basis of the additional works. There’s an old world magic to Accardo’s playing. James Ehnes is fine in the John Williams Concerto, as well as the Bernstein. I might lean toward the Accardo just a bit, but I wouldn’t want to be without either one.


You might also be interested in:

Written by

Bill Dodd

Bill is Senior Music Reviewer at NativeDSD. He lives in the Portland, Oregon area. He is an avid photographer too! Along with his early interest in broadcasting and high fidelity audio, he was exposed to classical music in small doses from age 5, was given piano lessons from age 9— Starting with Bach and including Gershwin. Successful morning personality in San Francisco at age 22. (true). Sang in choirs in high school and college. Although the broadcasting experience was all in popular music, his personal listening has been mostly classical his whole life—along with others including Benny Goodman, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Joni Mitchell, The Who, and Led Zeppelin.

Comments

No comments yet

Leave a Reply

Currency
Cart
Recently Viewed Products