Krystian Zimerman, Simon Rattle, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein : Symphony No. 2 “The Age of Anxiety” (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Krystian Zimerman, Simon Rattle, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein : Symphony No. 2 “The Age of Anxiety” (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 39:48 minutes | 680 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Deutsche Grammophon (DG)

The Second Symphony by Leonard Bernstein, The Age of Anxiety, based on a poem of the same name by W. H. Auden, is a work of the composer-conductor’s relative youth, dating from 1948-1949, when he was just turning thirty. The symphony is presented as a series of variations, but not variations around an initial theme. No: each variation takes on elements of the previous variation, varies in turn, and so on. It brings to mind an unbroken metamorphosis. As one might imagine, Bernstein mixes classical symphonic elements with jazz, in particular in the solo piano passage – tackled here by Krystian Zimerman, who had the good fortune to perform with Bernstein several times. In its own way, it is a kind of homage to the centenary of the composer’s birth: as Zimerman mentions in the liner notes, Bernstein asked him if he wanted to play this symphony with him for his hundredth birthday. And he almost keeps the promise, although the orchestra is the Berlin Philharmonic, under Sir Simon Rattle.

“Zimerman’s pianism was extraordinary, a staggering combination of dexterity with nuance, each phrase telling a story. Rattle breathed with him, the two sharing razor-sharp wit and a mood of playful delirium with the orchestra,” Financial Times, 20 June 2018.

Tracklist:
1-1. Leonard Bernstein – Leonard Bernstein On “The Age Of Anxiety“ – Interview By Humphrey Burton (01:47)
1-2. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Prologue (02:25)
1-3. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Var. 1 (01:00)
1-4. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Var. 2 (01:29)
1-5. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Var. 3 (01:26)
1-6. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Var. 4 (00:51)
1-7. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Var. 5 (00:50)
1-8. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Var. 6 (01:29)
1-9. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Var. 7 (01:59)
1-10. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Var. 8 (01:49)
1-11. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Var. 9 (01:20)
1-12. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Var. 10 (00:30)
1-13. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Var. 11 (00:54)
1-14. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Var. 12 (00:13)
1-15. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Var. 13 (00:41)
1-16. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 1: Var. 14 (00:34)
1-17. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 2: The Dirge (07:34)
1-18. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 2: The Masque (04:29)
1-19. Krystian Zimerman; Simon Rattle: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Bernstein: Symphony #2, “The Age Of Anxiety” – Part 2: The Epilogue (08:19)

Personnel:
Krystian Zimerman, piano
Die Berliner Philharmoniker
Sir Simon Rattle, conductor

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