Bernstein Tchaikovsky CBS recordings

[Barbirollians]

I have been enjoying this Sony box of the Symphonies . Although Lenny apparently thought Manfred to be trash and thus it does not appear.

The Romeo and Juliet is rightly legendary . The symphonies are from the 1960s but the 1975 remake ? of the Fourth beloved by richardfinegold appears. The Pathetique is deeply felt even without the very long DG finale. 1 and 2 are played for all they are worth and his Polish seems to be one of the best I have ever heard of what I must say is my least favourite symphony . I am not sure I like the big rit in the first movement of the Fifth but otherwise it's terrific .

All great stuff and I see it is still available on CD from Amazonfor £18 new though no longer from Presto. There it is download only for £53 !!!

[Petrushka]

I have been enjoying this Sony box of the Symphonies . Although Lenny apparently thought Manfred to be trash and thus it does not appear.

The Romeo and Juliet is rightly legendary . The symphonies are from the 1960s but the 1975 remake ? of the Fourth beloved by richardfinegold appears. The Pathetique is deeply felt even without the very long DG finale. 1 and 2 are played for all they are worth and his Polish seems to be one of the best I have ever heard of what I must say is my least favourite symphony . I am not sure I like the big rit in the first movement of the Fifth but otherwise it's terrific .

All great stuff and I see it is still available on CD from Amazonfor £18 new though no longer from Presto. There it is download only for £53 !!!

Although some of the Tchaikovsky items are included in the Bernstein Remastered box the symphonies aren't so I've ordered this set, thanks.

The Bernstein legacy on CBS has been very shabbily treated by Sony with the aforementioned Remastered box being the most substantial offering with various smaller boxes issued devoted to Mahler, Sibelius, Beethoven and Stravinsky. These boxes are either the cheapo ones, like this Tchaikovsky, or dedicated original jacket reissues. It's all a frightful mess. Moreover, there is duplication of some of this material in the Remastered box which is doubly irritating.

Now that Sony have had a clean out of the classical staff the odds of sorting out this mess and having a proper issue of the complete Bernstein legacy (as Sony did with Ormandy) look very slim indeed.

[richardfinegold]

I have the earlier Sony release pairing 2/3 as well as the aforementioned 1970s Fourth. I checked my two streaming services, Apple and Qobuz, and the Sixth is readily available but not 1 or 5. It is $23 on Amazon here (has the pound gotten that much stronger than the dollar, or is this Trump’s tariffs?).
I agree with your assessment re: the Polish . Playing the Pathetique on Apple as I write this

[Keraulophone]

Buyer beware, following this description of the Bernstein Remastered box on eBay (£311.64 + P&P): "Incredibly Rare CD Boxset. Experience the magic of Leonard Bernstein's timeless music with this limited edition box set. Featuring 100 CDs, this collection includes a remastered edition of the iconic composer's best works. Enjoy the beautiful vocals of the New York Philharmonic and a symphony of instruments that will transport you to another world."

I'd want to be transported to another world having listened to100 CDs of Lenny's music let alone the singing of the New York Phil.

[richardfinegold]

Buyer beware, following this description of the Bernstein Remastered box on eBay (£311.64 + P&P): "Incredibly Rare CD Boxset. Experience the magic of Leonard Bernstein's timeless music with this limited edition box set. Featuring 100 CDs, this collection includes a remastered edition of the iconic composer's best works. Enjoy the beautiful vocals of the New York Philharmonic and a symphony of instruments that will transport you to another world."

I'd want to be transported to another world having listened to100 CDs of Lenny's music let alone the singing of the New York Phil.

Probably AI

[Petrushka]

Buyer beware, following this description of the Bernstein Remastered box on eBay (£311.64 + P&P): "Incredibly Rare CD Boxset. Experience the magic of Leonard Bernstein's timeless music with this limited edition box set. Featuring 100 CDs, this collection includes a remastered edition of the iconic composer's best works. Enjoy the beautiful vocals of the New York Philharmonic and a symphony of instruments that will transport you to another world."

I'd want to be transported to another world having listened to100 CDs of Lenny's music let alone the singing of the New York Phil.

The Bernstein Remastered set is on Amazon UK at £364 ('used like new'). It's obviously been deleted and sellers can offer exorbitant prices. For context, I bought my set from Presto in 2018 when it was on offer for £90.

if the various boxes are only in the catalogue for 15 minutes then it only adds to the shabby treatment given to the enormous Bernstein legacy by Sony.

You'd think that with Bernstein being America's greatest conductor with even a bio-pic to his name Sony would milk his recordings for all they're worth. Seems like they don't care.

[Barbirollians]

Apart from this set and the Beethoven,Mahler and Sibelius remastering of a few years back nearly all my CBS Bernstein records I have acquired secondhand as all deleted on CD.

[HighlandDougie]

Although some of the Tchaikovsky items are included in the Bernstein Remastered box the symphonies aren't so I've ordered this set, thanks.

The Bernstein legacy on CBS has been very shabbily treated by Sony with the aforementioned Remastered box being the most substantial offering with various smaller boxes issued devoted to Mahler, Sibelius, Beethoven and Stravinsky. These boxes are either the cheapo ones, like this Tchaikovsky, or dedicated original jacket reissues. It's all a frightful mess. Moreover, there is duplication of some of this material in the Remastered box which is doubly irritating.

Now that Sony have had a clean out of the classical staff the odds of sorting out this mess and having a proper issue of the complete Bernstein legacy (as Sony did with Ormandy) look very slim indeed.

Not sure I entirely agree about "shabby treatment" as this box is on my shelves:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/167787760174?chn=ps&_ul=GB&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A19ZvklHRGTk6FAC1ZHzl7Wg41&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=167787760174&targetid=2361954446071&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9045888&poi=&campaignid=21701214154&mkgroupid=168798367673&rlsatarget=pla-2361954446071&abcId=10027104&merchantid=716996829&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21701214154&gbraid=0AAAAAD_Lr1cwoHX1SupjkOESEIlAGunlJ&gclid=CjwKCAjw89jGBhB0EiwA2o1OnweSmWIp4-JGJp9c4X1XMjXgM1GzGL6kdq5J3LkRr9gpeM9hzZmNoxoCSVoQAvD_BwE

Sorry about the long URL - as in 'Leonard Bernstein: The Symphony Edition'. There is also, 'Leonard Bernstein Edition: Concertos and Orchestral Works'. 140 CDs altogether in the two boxes .

[Barbirollians]

Any comments about Lenny's performances rather than Sony ?

[Petrushka]

Not sure I entirely agree about "shabby treatment" as this box is on my shelves:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/167787760174?chn=ps&_ul=GB&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A19ZvklHRGTk6FAC1ZHzl7Wg41&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=167787760174&targetid=2361954446071&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9045888&poi=&campaignid=21701214154&mkgroupid=168798367673&rlsatarget=pla-2361954446071&abcId=10027104&merchantid=716996829&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21701214154&gbraid=0AAAAAD_Lr1cwoHX1SupjkOESEIlAGunlJ&gclid=CjwKCAjw89jGBhB0EiwA2o1OnweSmWIp4-JGJp9c4X1XMjXgM1GzGL6kdq5J3LkRr9gpeM9hzZmNoxoCSVoQAvD_BwE

Sorry about the long URL - as in 'Leonard Bernstein: The Symphony Edition'. There is also, 'Leonard Bernstein Edition: Concertos and Orchestral Works'. 140 CDs altogether in the two boxes .

I remember those but didn't buy on account of the unattractive packaging and wasn't then into buying the big boxed sets. I think they predated the excellent Sony Szell and Walter boxes and the Decca Solti Chicago box which were the first ones I got. In any case, I assume that those LB sets have long been deleted.

What is needed is the comprehensive treatment as given to Ormandy's huge legacy: the complete recordings in, say, three boxes with original jackets and a generously illustrated hardback book containing recording documentation and essays.

Compared to the Ormandy, Szell and Walter boxes I would still say that Bernstein has received poor treatment from Sony.

[Roslynmuse]

I recall there is a small cut in the finale of No 2 but it was the recording I got to know the piece with and I have fond memories of it. On LP it was coupled with Francesca da Rimini.

[HighlandDougie]

All a matter of semantics, really. One man's, "poor", is another's "inferior". In comparison to the Szell, Walter and (especially) Ormandy releases, the Bernstein boxes are decidedly sub-fusc. The packaging is infuriating as the individual CDs won't stay in their section of the LP-sized box (there are four of them). I have no doubt that Sony would produce something akin to the lavish attention paid to Eugene Ormandy (as Petrushka suggests) were they to re-release the Bernstein recordings. I don't have the 'Bernstein Remastered' box here (it's in Scotland) but I seem to remember that it's much nearer the Szell model

[richardfinegold]

Is the ending of the Pathetique just a bit over wrought here? I always thought it should sound a bit stiff upper lipids, like a Romanov resigned to being shot and determined to stand etect facing his execution. Otherwise I liked the descending theme in I, and the inner movements were generally satisfying.
I’d really like to hear 1 and 5

[Petrushka]

This set arrived yesterday and so far I've played Symphonies 4 & 5. The 4th is fine but the 5th is marred for me by sound that I can only call 'raucous '. At my normal listening level it sounds much too loud with a very high treble that felt like having my face ripped off. A downward turn of the volume dial and a bit of fiddling with the controls managed to make it sound tolerable but crikey! The disc says P&C 2020 so I assume that means it's been remastered. To my ears, it sounds awful and spoils an otherwise good performance.

[Barbirollians]

That’s a shame . Sometimes it seems the higher quality equipment one has the more such things are exposed . I have only listened to the Fifth in the car so far and had not noticed that.

The Polish is a particularly impressive performance .