1996

Bernstein: Arias & Barcarolles

London Symphony Orchestra

Works by Leonard Bernstein with Simon Carrington and the London Symphony Orchestra

Further proof that, despite the riches of the conducting legacy, Bernstein should have found time to compose more. Only he had such confident access to so many veins of inspiration, coupled with the invention to make them his own and the sheer chutzpah to be so shamelessly, but so successfully, eclectic. I’ve long judged Arias and Barcarolles a winner on the basis of the original piano-duet version. That glorious recording (on Koch International) is not superseded by this one but the orchestration opens up the work magnificently. It’s a suite of songs much concerned with family life (a bit elusive for Lenny), a musical journey from Berg to Broadway, phrases that can haunt you for days, a hummed epilogue which is the ‘Gymnopédie’ Satie never quite wrote. With two soloists, conductor and orchestra so closely associated with the composer, this performance couldn’t be bettered. How good, too, to have the Suite from A Quiet Place, making available some of the most sumptuous, jazzy, witty, listener-friendly music from the opera. Adding the West Side Story Dances was an act of generosity. I loved this disc.

- David Wilkins, BBC Music Magazine

Track Listing:

1. Arias and Barcarolles: Prelude
2. Arias and Barcarolles: Love Duet
3. Arias and Barcarolles: Little Smary
4. Arias and Barcarolles: The Love Of My Life
5. Arias and Barcarolles: Greeting
6. Arias and Barcarolles: Oif Mayn Khas’neh
7. Arias and Barcarolles: Mr. And Mrs. Webb Say Goodnight
8. Arias and Barcarolles: Nachspiel (Postlude)
9. Suite from ‘A Quiet Place’: Prologue
10. Suite from ‘A Quiet Place’: Sam’s Aria
11. Suite from ‘A Quiet Place’: Trio
12. Suite from ‘A Quiet Place’: Jazz Trio (‘Mornin’ Sun’)
13. Suite from ‘A Quiet Place’: Chorale
14. Suite from ‘A Quiet Place’: Postlude to Act I
15. Symphonic Dances From ‘West Side Story’: Prologue – Allegro moderato
16. Symphonic Dances From ‘West Side Story’: ‘Somewhere’: Adagio
17. Symphonic Dances From ‘West Side Story’: Scherzo: Vivace leggiero
18. Symphonic Dances From ‘West Side Story’: Mambo: Presto
19. Symphonic Dances From ‘West Side Story’: Cha-Cha Andantino con grazia
20. Symphonic Dances From ‘West Side Story’: Meeting Scene: Meno mosso
21. Symphonic Dances From ‘West Side Story’: ‘Cool’, Fugue: Allegretto
22. Symphonic Dances From ‘West Side Story’: Rumble: Molto allegro
23. Symphonic Dances From ‘West Side Story’: Finale: Adagio

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