Jennifer Johnson Cano, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Bernstein: Symphonies Nos.1 & 2 (2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Jennifer Johnson Cano, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Bernstein: Symphonies Nos.1 & 2 (2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 59:26 minutes | 983 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Naxos

Leonard Bernstein’s legendary 1943 Carnegie Hall conducting début brought his name to national attention, and the event was followed a few months later by the triumphant reception of his Symphony No. 1 ‘Jeremiah.’ This major symphonic statement explores a crisis in faith and employs Jewish liturgical sources, its final movement, Lamentation, being an anguished cry at the destruction of Jerusalem. Sharing the theme of loss of faith, Symphony No. 2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’ takes W.H. Auden’s poem of the same name and follows its four characters in their spiritual journey to hard-won triumph. Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3 ‘Kaddish’ can be heard on Naxos 8.559742.

It’s great to see this music being played with such conviction. We all know that Alsop is a superb Bernstein conductor, and Naxos already has a terrific account of the First Symphony from James Judd and the New Zealand Symphony, but this newcomer is, if anything, even finer–certainly sonically–and conducted with even more pizzazz. In the central Profanation movement, Alsop really does outdo Bernstein himself; the playing of the Baltimore Symphony here is sensational, and in the finale Jennifer Johnson Cano sings with great sensitivity and a beautiful tone. The tragic climaxes hit you right in the gut.

In the Second Symphony, Jean-Yves Thibaudet offers a first class account of his solo part. The Masque is especially outstanding–virtuosic but at the same time nicely “cool.” Prior to that, in the opening variation sets, Alsop knits the music together expertly, ensuring that the glum bits never bog down, and that the entire first part builds inexorably to its exciting conclusion. The following Dirge is is a barn-burner, and somehow after all of this the Epilogue never turns hollow. Again, I don’t think that Bernstein could have done better, and as suggested above the engineering is also rock solid and brilliant by turns. A marvelous release by any standard. —-David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist:

01. Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.1 ‘Jeremiah’: I. Prophecy (07:08)
02. Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.1 ‘Jeremiah’: II. Profanation (06:58)
03. Jennifer Johnson Cano, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.1 ‘Jeremiah’: III. Lamentation (10:05)
04. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Prologue Lento moderato – (02:02)
05. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Seven Ages: Variation 1 Listesso tempo – (00:51)
06. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Seven Ages: Variation 2 Poco più mosso – (01:27)
07. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Seven Ages: Variation 3 Largamente, ma mosso – (01:19)
08. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Seven Ages: Variation 4 Più mosso – (00:54)
09. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Seven Ages: Variation 5 – (00:49)
10. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Seven Ages: Variation 6 Poco meno mosso – (01:00)
11. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Seven Ages: Variation 7 Listesso tempo – (01:36)
12. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Seven Stages: Variation 8 Molto moderato, ma movendo – (01:50)
13. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Seven Stages: Variation 9 Più mosso tempo di valse – (01:20)
14. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Seven Stages: Variation 10 Più mosso – (00:28)
15. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Seven Stages: Variation 11 Listesso tempo – (00:55)
16. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Seven Stages: Variation 12 Poco più vivace – (00:13)
17. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Seven Stages: Variation 13 Listesso tempo – (00:44)
18. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part I. The Seven Stages: Variation 14 Listesso tempo poco più vivace (00:31)
19. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part II. The Dirge Largo – (06:28)
20. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part II. The Masque Extremely fast – (04:48)
21. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No.2 ‘The Age of Anxiety’: Part II. The Epilogue Listesso tempo (07:49)

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