Complete Naxos Recordings

Kelley Nassief, Jennifer Johnson, Morgan State University Choir, Washington Chorus, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop

Marin Alsop was een van de eerste vrouwen die zich vestigde in het "mannenberoep" van dirigent. Haar verhaal begon toen ze als kind Leonard Bernstein zag dirigeren. Ze besloot spontaan: "Dat wil ik ook doen!" En ze kon niet begrijpen waarom zoveel mensen probeerden haar van die beslissing af te brengen, door te zeggen: "Vrouwen dirigeren geen orkesten." Uiteindelijk kwam zij onder de voogdij van Leonard Bernstein, die Marin Alsop zonder vooroordelen als leerling aan Tanglewood accepteerde en opleidde. Tot op de dag van vandaag is Marin Alsop trouw gebleven aan de muziek van haar vroegere mentor, wiens belang als componist tegenwoordig (vaak ten onrechte) wordt overschaduwd door zijn belang als dirigent. Ja, zij was de eerste vrouw ooit die de post van chef-dirigent van een orkest van wereldklasse kreeg. Zij was ook de eerste vrouw die de wereldberoemde Last Night of the Proms dirigeerde, wat over de hele wereld voor heel wat opschudding zorgde. Marin Alsop heeft (samen met de componist zelf) de enige complete cyclus van Leonard Bernstein's symfonieën met het Baltimore Symphony Orchestra opgenomen, die zijn ook opgenomen in deze fantastische boxset met Bernstein's orkestwerken, alsmede zijn missen en diverse Bernstein World Premiere opnamen die nog nooit eerder zijn gehoord. Bovendien bevat de box als bonusdisc de ICMA Award-winnende DVD-documentaire "Larger than Life" van Georg Wübbolt. Marin Alsop heeft een bijzonder nauwe band met de muziek van haar mentor Leonard Bernstein. Naast bekende hits zoals de Mambo uit West Side Story of de Ouverture van Candide, zijn er ook een aantal rariteiten, sommige zelfs in wereldpremière opgenomen.

Leonard Bernstein was without question the greatest musician America ever produced. As an inspirational teacher and renowned conductor he was the nation’s musical ambassador to the world, and his work as a composer bridged gaps and broke down barriers, reaching audiences way beyond the normal boundaries of classical music. This celebration of Bernstein’s centenary brings together all of the acclaimed Naxos recordings of his music conducted by his protégée Marin Alsop as well as new and world premiere recordings, and an insightful documentary DVD in which colleagues and family sum up this boundlessly brilliant and charismatic musical giant of the 20th century. Marin Alsop is an inspiring and powerful voice in the international music scene, a music director of vision and distinction who passionately believes that 'music has the power to change lives'. Alsop made history with her appointment as the 12th music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO). Her success as the BSO’s music director has garnered national and international attention for her innovative programming and artistry. Alsop took up the post of principal conductor of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra in 2012, and became music director in July 2013. Alsop is often making history: in 2005 she was the first conductor to be awarded a MacArthur Genius award, and in September 2013 as the first female conductor of the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms in London– an honour that she repeated in 2015.

Sung texts and translations included.

Berio:
 For Lenny

Bernstein:
 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Suite
 Anniversaries for Orchestra
 Candide
 Candide - Overture
 CBS Music
 Chichester Psalms
 Dance Episodes (3) from ‘On The Town'
 Divertimento for Orchestra
 Facsimile - Choreographic essay for orchestra
 Fancy Free, ballet
 Mass
 Missa Brevis
 On the Town: Times Square
 On the Waterfront: Symphonic Suite
 Serenade (after Plato's 'Symposium')
 Slava! A political Overture
 Symphony No. 1 'Jeremiah'
 Symphony No. 2 'The Age of Anxiety'
 Symphony No. 3 'Kaddish'
 The Lark
 West Side Story: Mambo
 Wonderful Town - Overture

Corigliano, J:
 For Lenny, with love - and candor…

Druckman:
 Variations on Leonard Bernstein's New York, New York

Foss:
 For Lenny

Kirchner, L:
 N.Y. Connotations

Schuman:
 Let's Hear It For Lenny!

Takemitsu:
 For Lenny's Birthday

Williams, John:
 To Lenny! To Lenny!

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
São Paulo Symphony Orchestra

"Een prachtig portret gerealiseerd met de orkesten waarvan ze chef-dirigent was en de individuele titels zijn allemaal waarderend besproken."
Luister Magazine 732 - LUISTER TIEN

"...Performed in readings of great style and panache – not to mention recorded with the greatest possible fidelity short of the surround sound medium. And what is particularly cherishable are not just the recordings of the major pieces, but the many unusual works (and several premieres); musts for completists."
CD Choice - March 2018

"Here, in one convenient box, are all of Marin Alsop’s Bernstein recordings for Naxos–eight CDs worth–performances as fine as Bernstein’s own, and sometimes even better. This version of Mass, which Alsop regards as Bernstein’s masterpiece, is the new reference version. Her accounts of the symphonies are fabulous, uniformly. Alsop chooses (mostly) the original version of Kaddish, and makes it work beautifully, despite all of the “talking” (as Bernstein put it). The choirs sing gloriously, with unusual clarity and intensity."
Classics Today

"More importantly…the set includes Alsop's convincing account of the sprawling, uneven Mass, with Jubilant Sykes a charismatic Celebrant. There's not a dud performance here, and there's a genuinely entertaining bonus DVD: Georg Wübbolt’s Leonard Bernstein – Larger than Life includes interviews with the composer's children, plus contributions from Alsop and Sondheim. All good – treat yourself to an early Christmas present."
The Arts Desk - October 2018