Hefty hundreds and slimline Czechs
Super-heavyweight Bernstein and Nilsson lead this month’s round-up
You will need to create a large space on your
CD shelves if you plan to invest in Leonard Bernstein – Complete Recordings on Deutsche
Grammophon & Decca (DG 479 8418). This gargantuan set contains 121 CDS and 36 DVDS in total, plus a 200-page introductory book with a preface by the condcutor’s daughter, Jamie. There’s a lot here to enjoy, including symphony cycles by Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann and, of course, his beloved Mahler, complete operas including Bizet’s Carmen and Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, and many of Bernstein’s own works. A fine way to celebrate the great man’s centenary year.
Also impressively hefty – weighing in at 79 CDS and two DVDS – is La Nilsson, Decca’s tribute to Bernstein’s fellow centenarian, Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson (DG 479 8418). A compendium of all of Nilsson’s recordings for Decca, Deutsche Grammophon and Philips, the set includes many of the formidable singer’s most famous roles, performed under conductors with whom she was particularly closely associated. So, famous recordings of Wagner with Georg Solti and Karl Böhm loom large, but the likes of Weber, Richard Strauss, Puccini and even a smidgen of Mozart also get a look in.
If your shelves are now groaning under the weight of Bernstein and Nilsson, the relatively slimline Recollection – Jirˇí Beˇlohlávek
(Supraphon SU 4250-2) may come as a relief.
The set’s eight CDS contain plenty of gems, however.
The late Czech conductor had few peers in the music of his home country, and the likes Smetana, Dvoˇrák, Suk and Janácek are well represented, all in performances by Czech orchestras. Nor is this just an idle re-packaging job, as six of the recordings are released for the first time on CD. Finally, raise your glass to New Years past with Berliner Philharmoniker – New Year’s Eve Concerts (Euroarts 8024256968). Unlike Vienna’s annual Straussathon, all manner of composers get a look-in at the Berlin bash. Dating back to 1977, the 20 DVDS here include concerts conducted by Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and Simon Rattle. Lovely bubbly.
This is a fine way to celebrate Bernstein’s centenary year