Leonard Bernstein's symphonies have been more beloved in Europe than in their homeland, with the result that listeners have a large range of interpretive approaches from which to choose. Bernstein's scores carry enough resonances that they stand up to this variety, but listeners should sample vigorously. Bernstein, even at this relatively early stage of his career, was influenced by Mahler, but you wouldn't know it from this cool release by Christian Lindberg, leading the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra of Tromsø, Norway. ...
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Leonard Bernstein's symphonies have been more beloved in Europe than in their homeland, with the result that listeners have a large range of interpretive approaches from which to choose. Bernstein's scores carry enough resonances that they stand up to this variety, but listeners should sample vigorously. Bernstein, even at this relatively early stage of his career, was influenced by Mahler, but you wouldn't know it from this cool release by Christian Lindberg, leading the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra of Tromsø, Norway. Lindberg takes a clean approach that is admirably realized by this fast-advancing orchestra, and there are many attractive features: the rich mezzo-soprano of Anna Larsson in the Hebrew-language vocal finale of the Symphony No. 1 ("Jeremiah"), and the careful balance attained by pianist Roland Pöntinen throughout the Symphony No. 2 ("The Age of Anxiety"). This work is not quite a piano concerto and not quite a symphony with a solo piano part, and Pöntinen catches the function of the...
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