Surrounded by Bernstein at 100

[humprof]

Today, the 100th anniversary of the maestro's birth, marks the official start of the Leonard Bernstein centenary. (Here's the obligatory Google Doodle.) I don't know if anyone else is as interested in this as I am, and I know Bernstein has been discussed in a couple of earlier threads. But I thought it would be nice if there were a sticky devoted to Bernstein in surround. I'll start with a compilation of surround recordings representing Bernstein as composer, and I hope those more expert than I will suggest additions and/or corrections. If anyone wants to start a section of Bernstein as conductor, I'm sure that would generate a much longer list.

Bernstein in Surround

As a composer (ordered by date of first listed composition):

Symphony No. 1 ("Jeremiah") (1939-43) and Symphony No. 2 ("The Age of Anxiety") (1945-49, rev. 1965).

Arctic Philharmonic, Christian Lindberg. Anna Larsson, Roland Pontinen. SACD (Hybrid MCh/St) / digital download. BIS SACD-2298 (2020).​

Trouble in Tahiti (1951).

Columbia Wind Ensemble, Leonard Bernstein. Nancy Williams, Julian Patrick. SQLP / Q8. Columbia Masterworks KMQ 32597 / MAQ 32597 (1974). Mixed by Larry Keyes.​

Wonderful Town (1953).

London Symphony Orchestra/Chorus, Sir Simon Rattle. Danielle de Niese, Alysha Umphress, Nathan Gunn. Live December 2017 recording. LSO Live LSO0813 (2018).​

On the Waterfront – Symphonic Suite (1954) / West Side Story – Symphonic Dances (1957) / Candide – Overture (1956) / On the Town – Three Dance Episodes (1946) / Fancy Free – Three Dance Variations (1944).

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Christian Lindberg. SACD (Hybrid MCh/St) / digital download. BIS 2278 (2017).​

Candide (1956, revised libretto 1973).

Unnamed orchestra, John Mauceri. OCR of 1974 Broadway production by Chelsea Center of Brooklyn. 3xSQLP / 2xQ8 (Q8 ver. slightly edited/truncated). Columbia Masterworks Q2S 32923 / QSA 32923 (1974). Mixed by Ray Moore.​

West Side Story (1957).

Unnamed orchestra & chorus, Leonard Bernstein. Kiri Te Kanawa, Jose Carreras. 2xSACD (Single-Layer MCh/St). Deutsche Grammophon 471 632-2 (2003 [1985]). Remastered, with new 2.0 and 5.0 remixes by Rainer Maillard.​

​

Jazz big band with strings, guest soloists and vocalists, Dave Grusin. Dave Grusin Presents West Side Story (selections). Arr. Dave Grusin, Don Sebesky, Michael Abene, Tom Scott. 5.1 DTS-CD / DVD-V. N2K Encoded Music DTS CD 1013 (1997), DTS Entertainment 71021-51013-2-3 (2001) / N2K Encoded Music N2KD-10021 (1998). Prod. Phil Ramone. Mixed by Frank Filipetti.​

​

San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas. Alexandra Silber, Cheyenne Jackson. 2xSACD (Hybrid MCh/St). SFS Media 821936-0059-2 (2014).​

Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (1957); Three Dance Variations from Fancy Free (1944); Three Dance Episodes from On the Town (1946); Candide Overture (1956).

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Carl Davis. SACD (Hybrid MCh/St). Membran 222815 (2005).​

Symphony No. 3: Kaddish (1963) / Chichester Psalms (1965) / Missa Brevis (1988).

BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Leonard Slatkin. Jaimie Bernstein. Chandos CHSA 5028 (2004).​

West Side Story Medley (a/k/a West Side Story Suite, a/k/a West Side Story Overture & Medley) (1966).

Arr. for jazz big band by Bill Reddie. Live 1985 recording on Buddy Rich, Mr. Drums: Buddy Rich & His Band Live on King Street. 3x(SQ?)LP / 2x(SQ?)CD. Café Records/Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab MFSL 3-732 / CAFE CD 2-732 (1986). Reissued on Buddy Rich and His Band, The Lost West Side Story Tapes. DVD-V with 4.0 Dolby and DTS soundtracks. MVD Visual (2001). Also on Buddy Rich and His Band, The Lost Tapes. DVD-V with 4.0 Dolby and DTS soundtracks. Lightyear Entertainment (2005).​

​

Arr. for violin & orchestra by William David Brown. Joshua Bell, violin. Philharmonia Orchestra, David Zinman. SACD (Hybrid MCh/St). Sony Classical SS 89358 (2001). (Also includes "Lonely Town" from On the Town, "Make Our Garden Grow" from Candide, "Serenade after Plato's Symposium," and "New York, New York" from On the Town.)​

Mass (1971).

Unnamed orchestra, Leonard Bernstein. Alan Titus. 2xSQLP / 3xQ8. Columbia Masterworks M2Q 31008 / QMA 31008 (1972). Mixed by Don Puluse & Larry Keyes.​

​

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Kent Nagano. 2xSACD (Hybrid MCh/St). Harmonia Mundi HMC 901840.41 (2004).​

​

Tonkünstler Orchestra, Kristjan Järvi. Randall Scarlata. 2xSACD (Hybrid MCh/St). Chandos CHSA 5070(s) (2009).​

Dybbuk (Complete Ballet) (1974).

New York City Ballet Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein. SQLP / Q8. Columbia Masterworks MQ 33082 / MAQ 33082 (1974). Mixed by Larry Keyes.​

 

[4-earredwonder]

Today, the 100th anniversary of the maestro's birth, marks the official start of the Leonard Bernstein centenary. (Here's the obligatory Google Doodle.) I don't know if anyone else is as interested in this as I am, and I know Bernstein has been discussed in a couple of earlier threads. But I thought it would be nice if there were a sticky devoted to Bernstein in surround. I'll start with a compilation of surround recordings representing Bernstein as composer, and I hope those more expert than I will suggest additions and/or corrections. If anyone wants to start a section of Bernstein as conductor, I'm sure that would generate a much longer list.

Bernstein in Surround

As a composer (ordered by date of first listed composition):

Trouble in Tahiti (1951).

Columbia Wind Ensemble, Leonard Bernstein. Nancy Williams, Julian Patrick. SQLP / Q8. Columbia Masterworks KMQ 32597 / MAQ 32597 (1974). Mixed by Larry Keyes.​

Wonderful Town (1953).

London Symphony Orchestra/Chorus, Sir Simon Rattle. Danielle de Niese, Alysha Umphress, Nathan Gunn. Live December 2017 recording. LSO Live LSO0813 (2018).​

On the Waterfront – Symphonic Suite (1954) / West Side Story – Symphonic Dances (1957) / Candide – Overture (1956) / On the Town – Three Dance Episodes (1946) / Fancy Free – Three Dance Variations (1944)

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Christian Lindberg. SACD (Hybrid MCh/St) / digital download. BIS 2278 (2017).​

Candide (1956, revised libretto 1973).

Unnamed orchestra, John Mauceri. OCR of 1974 Broadway production by Chelsea Center of Brooklyn. 3xSQLP / 2xQ8. Columbia Masterworks Q2S 32923 / QSA 32923. (Q8 ver. slightly edited/truncated.) Mixed by Ray Moore.​

West Side Story (1957).

San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas. Alexandra Silber, Cheyenne Jackson. 2xSACD (Hybrid MCh/St). SFS Media 821936-0059-2 (2014).​

Symphony No. 3: Kaddish (1963) / Chichester Psalms (1965) / Missa Brevis (1988).

BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Leonard Slatkin. Jaimie Bernstein. Chandos CHSA 5028 (2004).​

MASS (1971).

Unnamed orchestra, Leonard Bernstein. Alan Titus. 2xSQLP / 3xQ8. Columbia Masterworks M2Q 31008 / QMA 31008 (1972). Mixed by Don Puluse & Larry Keyes.​

​

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Kent Nagano. 2xSACD (Hybrid MCh/St). Harmonia Mundi HMC 901840.41 (2004).​

​

Tonkünstler Orchestra, Kristjan Järvi. Randall Scarlata. 2xSACD (Hybrid MCh/St). Chandos CHSA 5070(s) (2009).​

Dybbuk (Complete Ballet) (1974).

New York City Ballet Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein. SQLP / Q8. Columbia Masterworks MQ 33082 / MAQ 33082 (1974). Mixed by Larry Keyes.​

In looking over your list, humprof, I do have quite a few of those wonderful Bernstein surround discs with the [hopefully] brilliant new Wonderful Town [pre~ordered] from Rattle on LSO. I also have the two available mch Bernstein Mass SACDs but REALLY crave Bernstein's own [QUAD] version on SACD.

The newly acquired BIS On The Waterfront mch SACD is also worth noting and perhaps a great intro for neophytes who are really not familiar with Bernstein's film scores [other than West Side Story .... although it's included].

Nice list!

For further Bernstein discs available on SACD/BD~A, this from HRAudio.net: https://www.hraudio.net/search.php?format=0&keywords=leonard+Bernstein

 

[Soundfield]

Today, the 100th anniversary of the maestro's birth, marks the official start of the Leonard Bernstein centenary. (Here's the obligatory Google Doodle.) I don't know if anyone else is as interested in this as I am, and I know Bernstein has been discussed in a couple of earlier threads. But I thought it would be nice if there were a sticky devoted to Bernstein in surround. I'll start with a compilation of surround recordings representing Bernstein as composer, and I hope those more expert than I will suggest additions and/or corrections. If anyone wants to start a section of Bernstein as conductor, I'm sure that would generate a much longer list.

Nice job - I'm surprised there isn't more.
Note to Lenny fans in the UK - BBC 4 TV are showing tonight's Prom performance of On The Town at 7:30 (but you probably already knew that).

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Also had a "West Side Story ' set released in Tate SQ ( tape and cd ) and later in DTS DVD from Buddy Rich .

 

[humprof]

I also have the two available mch Bernstein Mass SACDs but REALLY crave Bernstein's own [QUAD] version on SACD.

Amen to that! (From your mouth to Michael Dutton's ear...!)

For further Bernstein discs available on SACD/BD~A, this from HRAudio.net: https://www.hraudio.net/search.php?format=0&keywords=leonard+Bernstein

Thanks for that, @4-earredwonder. I'll add the DG West Side Story and the Membran Symphonic Dances, etc. In the "conductor" category: I knew about the Sony Japan Mahlers (synthesized surround from 3-channel stereo, I think) and the Beethoven cycle (same?)--and of course the brilliant Carmen reissued on Pentatone Remastered Classics. But many of the others are new to me.

 

[humprof]

Also had a "West Side Story ' set released in Tate SQ ( tape and cd ) and later in DTS DVD from Buddy Rich .

Wacky! Do you have a link, fizzy? I can't immediately find it on Discogs.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Amen to that! (From your mouth to Michael Dutton's ear...!)



Thanks for that, @4-earredwonder. I'll add the DG West Side Story and the Membran Symphonic Dances, etc. In the "conductor" category: I knew about the Sony Japan Mahlers (synthesized surround from 3-channel stereo, I think) and the Beethoven cycle (same?)--and of course the brilliant Carmen reissued on Pentatone Remastered Classics. But many of the others are new to me.

I have both the DGG West Side Story [IMO, idiomatic performances*] and that 'double stereo' but nice Membran Symphonic Dances mch SACDs....although I consider both non essential [but glad I have them anyway]. Can't help it if I'm a 'pack rat!'

*The decision to cast heavily accented José Carreras as TONY was a gross miscalculation!

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Wacky! Do you have a link, fizzy? I can't immediately find it on Discogs.

Yeah, I know. Discogs DOESN'T have everything , they have most though.

Not at home , but I'll put up a picture of the DVD ,"Mañana".

The SQ cd was on the Mofi label fwiw , I "no glot " though.

 

[ubertrout]

I think this might be more helpful? It's only multichannel: https://www.hraudio.net/search.php?format=10&keywords=leonard+Bernstein

There's a lot of stuff - his Beethoven Cycle from Vienna, newly mixed into surround, his recordings of Tchaikovsky, Holst/Britten, and Copland on single-layer Sony SACDs, Dutton-Vocalion's recent release of his Haydn on quad SACD, plus all the stuff mentioned here already. And hopefully more to come?

 

[beerking]

Nice job - I'm surprised there isn't more.
Note to Lenny fans in the UK - BBC 4 TV are showing tonight's Prom performance of On The Town at 7:30 (but you probably already knew that).

Now watching it!!....not sure if our friends over the pond (Or elsewhere) can get this sometime in the future on BBC iPlayer.

Just checked, you can if you have a VPN linked to the UK, as the iplayer is geo-locked.
Plenty of advice on the net on how to do this..ahem.

 

[fredblue]

Today, the 100th anniversary of the maestro's birth, marks the official start of the Leonard Bernstein centenary. (Here's the obligatory Google Doodle.) I don't know if anyone else is as interested in this as I am, and I know Bernstein has been discussed in a couple of earlier threads. But I thought it would be nice if there were a sticky devoted to Bernstein in surround. I'll start with a compilation of surround recordings representing Bernstein as composer, and I hope those more expert than I will suggest additions and/or corrections. If anyone wants to start a section of Bernstein as conductor, I'm sure that would generate a much longer list.

Bernstein in Surround

As a composer (ordered by date of first listed composition):

Trouble in Tahiti (1951).

Columbia Wind Ensemble, Leonard Bernstein. Nancy Williams, Julian Patrick. SQLP / Q8. Columbia Masterworks KMQ 32597 / MAQ 32597 (1974). Mixed by Larry Keyes.​

Wonderful Town (1953).

London Symphony Orchestra/Chorus, Sir Simon Rattle. Danielle de Niese, Alysha Umphress, Nathan Gunn. Live December 2017 recording. LSO Live LSO0813 (2018).​

On the Waterfront – Symphonic Suite (1954) / West Side Story – Symphonic Dances (1957) / Candide – Overture (1956) / On the Town – Three Dance Episodes (1946) / Fancy Free – Three Dance Variations (1944)

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Christian Lindberg. SACD (Hybrid MCh/St) / digital download. BIS 2278 (2017).​

Candide (1956, revised libretto 1973).

Unnamed orchestra, John Mauceri. OCR of 1974 Broadway production by Chelsea Center of Brooklyn. 3xSQLP / 2xQ8. Columbia Masterworks Q2S 32923 / QSA 32923. (Q8 ver. slightly edited/truncated.) Mixed by Ray Moore.​

West Side Story (1957).

Unnamed orchestra & chorus, Leonard Bernstein. Kiri Te Kanawa, Jose Carreras. 2xSACD (Single-Layer MCh/St). Deutsche Grammophon 471 632-2 (2003 [1985). Remastered, with new 2.0 and 5.0 remixes by Rainer Maillard.​

​

San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas. Alexandra Silber, Cheyenne Jackson. 2xSACD (Hybrid MCh/St). SFS Media 821936-0059-2 (2014).​

Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (1957); Three Dance Variations from Fancy Free (1944); Three Dance Episodes from On the Town (1946); Candide Overture (1956).

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Carl Davis. SACD (Hybrid MCh/St). Membran 222815 (2005).​

Symphony No. 3: Kaddish (1963) / Chichester Psalms (1965) / Missa Brevis (1988).

BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Leonard Slatkin. Jaimie Bernstein. Chandos CHSA 5028 (2004).​

MASS (1971).

Unnamed orchestra, Leonard Bernstein. Alan Titus. 2xSQLP / 3xQ8. Columbia Masterworks M2Q 31008 / QMA 31008 (1972). Mixed by Don Puluse & Larry Keyes.​

​

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Kent Nagano. 2xSACD (Hybrid MCh/St). Harmonia Mundi HMC 901840.41 (2004).​

​

Tonkünstler Orchestra, Kristjan Järvi. Randall Scarlata. 2xSACD (Hybrid MCh/St). Chandos CHSA 5070(s) (2009).​

Dybbuk (Complete Ballet) (1974).

New York City Ballet Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein. SQLP / Q8. Columbia Masterworks MQ 33082 / MAQ 33082 (1974). Mixed by Larry Keyes.​

fab list, thanks for doing all that!

are these mixes all "concert hall sound"? or are there any discrete surround sound spectaculars among them?

 

[4-earredwonder]

fab list, thanks for doing all that!

are these mixes all "concert hall sound"? or are there any discrete surround sound spectaculars among them?

Adam, the 2 disc Thomas Mowrey produced CARMEN [from Pentatone] and the Michael Tilson Thomas WEST SIDE STORY do have discrete elements. Most of the others are ambience only.

San Francisco Symphony SFS 0059 (2 discs)
Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid
Classical - Crossover

https://www.hraudio.net/showmusic.php?title=9732

 

[ubertrout]

fab list, thanks for doing all that!

are these mixes all "concert hall sound"? or are there any discrete surround sound spectaculars among them?

My understanding is that the Columbia Quads are pretty discrete. You can listen to D-Vs SACD of Bernstein's Haydn for more of an idea of those. Bernstein's Mass in particular was conceived by Bernstein with quadraphonics in mind, and opens with a prerecorded quad tape (although I'll note that his Mass is more often called "interesting" than actually enjoyed - it's a bit of a mishmash of 70s vaguely avant-garde political art).

 

[fredblue]

My understanding is that the Columbia Quads are pretty discrete. You can listen to D-Vs SACD of Bernstein's Haydn for more of an idea of those. Bernstein's Mass in particular was conceived by Bernstein with quadraphonics in mind, and opens with a prerecorded quad tape (although I'll note that his Mass is more often called "interesting" than actually enjoyed - it's a bit of a mishmash of 70s vaguely avant-garde political art).

oh ok, thanks for the info. was everything Masterworks put out discrete? some of their Classical Quads they described themselves as being in "concert hall sound" (which I've interpreted as maybe being venue/ambience type mixes) and others as "surround sound" or "surround spectaculars" but I haven't heard enough of them to know and tbh I don't know where to start with the old Classical SQs and Q8s unless I just replicate what I did for the Rock & Pop stuff and just buy the proverbial "every-****ing-thing"! I was hoping DV would issue some more CBS Classical Quad on SACD but its been a while now, so maybe I better get back on the old Quad record buying horse! giddy up!

 

[fredblue]

Adam, the 2 disc Thomas Mowrey produced CARMEN [from Pentatone] and the Michael Tilson Thomas WEST SIDE STORY do have discrete elements. Most of the others are ambience only.

San Francisco Symphony SFS 0059 (2 discs)
Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid
Classical - Crossover

https://www.hraudio.net/showmusic.php?title=9732

thanks Ralpheeo! I'll pick that one up in due course

 

[ubertrout]

oh ok, thanks for the info. was everything Masterworks put out discrete? some of their Classical Quads they described themselves as being in "concert hall sound" (which I've interpreted as maybe being venue/ambience type mixes) and others as "surround sound" or "surround spectaculars" but I haven't heard enough of them to know and tbh I don't know where to start with the old Classical SQs and Q8s unless I just replicate what I did for the Rock & Pop stuff and just buy the proverbial "every-****ing-thing"! I was hoping DV would issue some more CBS Classical Quad on SACD but its been a while now, so maybe I better get back on the old Quad record buying horse! giddy up!

There were a few Masterworks quads that are surround spectaculars. The Boulez Bartok Concerto for Orchestra is an easy example - the cover shows how the instruments are distributed in a quad soundfield. Sadly Sony didn't keep the quad mix for SACD and instead did a neutered 5.0 mix that was very front heavy: https://www.discogs.com/Boulez-Cond...rmonic-Concerto-For-Orchestra/release/3789458

I don't have the system to play analog quads, so I'm reliant on transfers - others might have a better idea.

 

[humprof]

Yeah, I know. Discogs DOESN'T have everything , they have most though.

Not at home , but I'll put up a picture of the DVD ,"Mañana".

The SQ cd was on the Mofi label fwiw , I "no glot " though.

I think I've tracked it down, @fizzywiggs41. I've added the following to the list at the top of this thread (corrections welcome):

West Side Story Medley (a/k/a West Side Story Suite, a/k/a West Side Story Overture & Medley) (1966).

Arr. for jazz big band by Bill Reddie. Live 1985 recording on Buddy Rich, Mr. Drums: Buddy Rich & His Band Live on King Street. 3x(SQ?)LP / 2x(SQ?)CD. Café Records/Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab MFSL 3-732 / CAFE CD 2-732 (1986). Reissued on Buddy Rich and His Band, The Lost West Side Story Tapes. DVD-V with 4.0 Dolby and DTS soundtracks. MVD Visual (2001). Also on Buddy Rich and His Band, The Lost Tapes. DVD-V with 4.0 Dolby and DTS soundtracks. Lightyear Entertainment (2005).​

​

(By the way: Amazon Prime "members"--in the U.S., anyway--can stream the latter for free. I haven't tried it out yet, but hopefully the soundtrack is encoded, so maybe Neural:X or PLII would yield a decent decode?)

 

[humprof]

My understanding is that the Columbia Quads are pretty discrete. You can listen to D-Vs SACD of Bernstein's Haydn for more of an idea of those. Bernstein's Mass in particular was conceived by Bernstein with quadraphonics in mind, and opens with a prerecorded quad tape (although I'll note that his Mass is more often called "interesting" than actually enjoyed - it's a bit of a mishmash of 70s vaguely avant-garde political art).

I love the MASS in spite of--maybe because?--it's such a mishmash/period piece. And I think Bernstein's own recording is the best. Would lurv for D-V to get hold of it, esp. since they did such a fantastic job with Bernstein's performance of the Haydn Mass, which was recorded around the same time. In the meantime, there's an excellent transfer (from Q8, I think) by Army of Quad floating around out there...

And yes, @fredblue, I'd say both Masses are much more adventurous than mere concert surround.

 

[Larry Geller]

I love the MASS in spite of--maybe because?--it's such a mishmash/period piece. And I think Bernstein's own recording is the best. Would lurv for D-V to get hold of it, esp. since they did such a fantastic job with Bernstein's performance of the Haydn Mass, which was recorded around the same time. In the meantime, there's an excellent transfer (from Q8, I think) by Army of Quad floating around out there...

And yes, @fredblue, I'd say both Masses are much more adventurous than mere concert surround.

A Bernstein Quadio box would be a wonderful thing.

 

[Soundfield]

Now watching it!!.....

Yes, a fantastically lively performance, great ensemble and fine singing - a fitting tribute from the Beeb, I also really enjoyed the two documentaries that followed, in particular the one charting Lenny's 50 year relationship with the BBC - some remarkable material I'd not seen before (loved his interactions with Humphry Burton).
I'll have to dig out all my Bernstein SQ lp's now - I'm especially fond of his Haydn symphonies.
Happy Birthday Lenny.