One of Bernstein's finest achievements

Brahms: Symphony no. 2, Academic Festival Overture
Wiener Philharmoniker
Leonard Bernstein, conductor.




Critic David Hurwitz is a unabashed Lenny arse-kisser. To him, Lenny is the greatest conductor ever to grace the record (move over Karajan!). But somehow the symphonic cycle of Brahms recorded with Vienna Philharmonic detests him, in which he remarked "Most people like chocolate, but not as a topping for fried liver and onions. Well, like that combination, Bernstein and Brahms just don't mix. ". He supported his assertation by arguing Lenny's typical mannerisms; wild fluctuating tempos, too much indulgence in music making and sometimes agonizingly slow tempos don't work with Brahms which Hurwitz wants to listen in "simplest, most unaffected manner possible". I think he'd rather stuck his head with HIP specialists like Mackerras, Norrington, Harnoncourt if I get his gist.

Hurwitz has no problem with such approach in Mahler which he incase he forgets, also work in typical, most unaffected manner possible too. The composer is notorious for super-attention to details marking in his works, like how he demands the oboe to play a certain "hinaufziehen" or an extraordinary upward glissando in a 4th movement of the 3rd symphony or the conductor should adopt the same tempi as the previous movement in "Stürmisch bewegt" of the Fifth. Conductors like Klemperer, Horenstein who adopted literal approach to his symphonies didn't interpret them less exciting. Anyways enough digressing for listeners who appreciate Lenny's conducting like me accepts his music-making as a sort of gambling, taking chances no different from say, Furtwangler. There are good and bad results to expect and it is part and parcel of real music making. Most awful results of Lenny's "experimentations" for example, Tchaikovsky 6 with NYPO on DG which is most notoriously slow on records, Elgar's "Enigma" variations but for these shortcomings he make it up among them, Barber's "Adagio for Strings" recorded with Los Angelas Philharmonic which is probably unparalled in anguish and intensity, a individualistic but distinctive Shostakovich 5 with NYPO (Sony) and also this Brahms 2nd, recorded with VPO.

VPO has maestros who knew how to utilize them as a incandescent instrument and Lenny is among the very few. Despite being Jewish and gay which would've turned them off instantly, the players enjoyed making music under his direction as demonstrated by their recordings of Sibelius, Mahler, Beethoven and Brahms. Contrary to the Brahms 3rd, which probably sounded too distorted and out of character, Lenny hit all the right spot in the Brahms 2nd. There isn't any saccharine-induced melodrama moments, only very human performance. I've rarely heard the violins of VPO sang with much cantabile in the first movement and has the celli ever sounded so longing, like a child who yearns for its mother? The last movement is played with genuine jubilation, instead of hyper-frentic dash. Coupled with the symphony is no less finer performance of Acedemic Festival Overture. To think that before listening to this recording I despise Brahms 2nd. Thank heavens for maestro Lenny!

Technical: 9
Intrepretation: 9
Recording: 9