Humphrey Burton

Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; Jan Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82 –
London Symphony Orchestra; Leonard Bernstein
Classical | DVD5 (no compression) | 4.01 GB | Picture: 4:3/B&W | Enhanced Mono | Region: 0 NTSC | Complete scans | FP & RS links
Publisher: ICA Classics | Recorded: 1966| Published: 2012

"Truly great performances; Bernstein at his magnetic best." - Recording of the Month; www.musicweb-international.com

While Glenn Gould was a pianist who performed the works of many composers, his name is inextricably linked to that of Johann Sebastian Bach. More than any other composer, Bach was Gould's speciality. From his first recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations in 1955 to his final recording, again of the Goldberg Variations in 1981, Gould recorded nearly all of Bach's keyboard music.

Few pianists have lived as long with Leonard Bernstein’s imposing and virtuoso Second Symphony as Krystian Zimerman. In the 1980s he often performed it with the composer as conductor, and he brings a wealth of experience to his playing. Less impetuous than some, Zimerman’s playing is wonderfully deep—he’s thought hard about the seething emotional life of the work, inspired by W.H. Auden’s long, angst-ridden poem. Rattle and the great Berlin Philharmonic add further depth plus a beautiful patina to the sound, and the recording is spectacularly well-handled with a real sense of perspective.