Bavarian Radio Choir and Orchestra - Mozart: Mass in C Minor, K 427; Exultate, jubilate, K 165; Ave Verum Corpus, K 618
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Free Music Notes for Mozart: Mass in C Minor, K 427; Exultate, jubilate, K 165; Ave Verum Corpus, K 618
Free Music Review: Mozart c-minor Mass Bernstein
Hit: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful recording of the c-minor mass... My only complaint is that Bernstein blitzed the qui-tollis from the Gloria. It is surprising to me that he would have done this after having conducted the Lacrimosa from the Requiem with an extremely slow and justified tempo. I don't believe that Bernstein put as much time and attention into this work as he did with the Mozart Requiem, however it is still a wonderful recording; one of the Bernstein's final recordings. The Ave Verum Corpus is stunning! I can't say that I agree with the other reviewers that felt this recording was inferior to other recordings of the c-minor mass. The quality is exceptional.Free Music Review: Great bits and great mistakes
Hit: 2 Stars
Defiantly old fashioned, not always very well sung despite a good team of soloists, Bernstein's view of this unfinished masterwork veers from the insightful to the ordinary. It may be worth hearing once for the insights, but the rest - and that's a good 60% - will pall very quickly. Best avoided by all but Bernstien's most faithful fans.Free Music Review: a displeased choral fan
Hit: 2 Stars
As one would expect from Bernstein, this is a technically well done performace on the orchestra's part. However, a choral conductor he is not, and the chorus' work in this recording lacks a great deal. Both the Kyrie and Jesu Christe are ponderous where they should be intense, and the ...Sancto is disjointed rather than dancing through the runs. The Qui Tollis has wretched balance between the double choirs, and the chorus in the Gloria is overridden by an intrusive bass drum.As an alternative, I recommend John Eliot Gardiner's recording with the Monteverdi Choir. The solos could perhaps be improved, but the choral movements are unmatched by any other recording.
Free Music Review: Absolutely Beautiful
Hit: 5 Stars
The "Great Mass" on this cd is wonderful, which surprised me as I never really thought of Bernstein as being adept at this sort of work. What's more, the other two selections are very stirring as well -- particularly the Ave Verum Corpus. A religious experience.Free Music Review: Bernstein is up to task!
Hit: 4 Stars
Well, I've listened to many Berstein works in my time and have a few, but so what? That's nothing special, after all, of course he's one of the most known conductors that ever lived. It means absolutely nothing that I listen to some of his work, well, not unless you consider what that work normally consists of. You see, my opinion is that some rule one field while others rule quite a different one. I doubt I know many conductors that could stand up to the choral masterpieces of Robert Shaw after all, it's a field that he owned for his entire life. I just dont think you can disagree that he had choral music running through him. However, pure symphonic works is quite a different story alltogether. I can certainly tell you that when it comes to symphonic works where there is no vocal music or the vocal music is not the main star, you're better else looking for another conductor than my state's most beloved Robert Shaw.
This same theory applies to Leonard Bernstein who we can all agree had the symphonic angle of music very well in hand. However, choral music? Let's face it, though he doesnt do a bad job with choral music, he's not neccesarilly the best of the best in the choral music category and far from it. All this being said, I was more than a little skeptical in terms of getting a CD in which Bernstein had to conduct a work of vocal not symphonic importance. Yet, I bought it anyway.
You know what? I think I was on the mark with this one. I've only heard two versions of this and the other one I was a little to inconvenienced to actually know who the conductor or chorus was for that matter. It was something I simply came by on t.v. and said "Well, I think I'll watch the performance of this, it looks allright". At that time, I did not know it was the Mass in C minor until after I saw the credits at the end of the performance. After that, I knew I needed to get a recording of it (they didnt do a bad job by the way).
Bernstein delivers by not trying to treat this as something in which the symphony should shine while the chorus and singers sort of occupy the background. It is treated as it was intended to be treated, a choral work. Arleen Auger was accurate with her performance and so was Frederica von Stade. Frank Lopardo and Cornelius Hauptmann were also good though they obviously dont play a large part in this work.
The famous "Ave verum corpus" is absolutely beautiful without a shadow of a doubt. I enjoy it and wish I had bought this recording when I my high school chorus was performing so that we could hear how it actually sounds with strings and with style and not just piano as we performed it.
"Exsultate, jubilate" holds special meaning as it's famous Alleluia section was performed by me on several occasions when I was a small boy and actually had a voice high enough to do that sort of work. lol. To be honest though, I never heard it anything like this, with all the rises and falls as our beautiful soprano performs it here.
All in all, a great CD which I promise you that you wont be felt shorted out of good cash for. Leonard Bernstein certainly caught me by complete surprise, he was truly up to the task with this recording.