What's the Worst You Could Do?

 

It is tempting to say this music plays itself.

When it comes to Grieg's two concert suites taken from his incidental music Peer Gynt, I think it would be easy to say it is hard to play the music wrong.

Wrong, perhaps; but I could imagine this music sounding dull, and that my friends, would be a sacrilege for any piece of music.

With Bernstein at the helm, you can imagine Grieg's emotive qualities are standing at the fore. The conductor achieves some of this by subtle (and not-so-subtle) rubato and dynamic gradations instead of playing the music straight off of the page. It is not all intensity and radical tempos though, for I don't think these are obvious qualities apparent in Bernstein's recording of these Suites. Aside from that, he relies on his New York players and Columbia engineers to create the ensemble color and balance properties, which I love across Bernstein's Sibelius.

In addition to the two Peer Gynt Suites, three tone poems are offered from Jean Sibelius. As you might expect, Bernstein relishes the chance to create a ruckus in Finlandia, sporting the growly brass from New York. The Swan of Tuonela lies on the other end of the spectrum, where Bernstein lays on the slow side. This allows the shimmering strings and solo English Horn to apply their magic, plus the short concluding cello solo is a delight. Valse Triste lands somewhere in the middle, where rhythmic energy is mixed with inherent melancholy.

Amongst Bernstein's Sibelius in New York, this isn't my favorite program, for the symphonies are so meaty and filled with hot-blooded intent from the conductor. Still, these pieces are audience favorites, and Bernstein's would be a fine choice. The other Grieg recording of the Suites I have held onto is from Herbert Blomstedt in San Francisco, although truly, the next step is to listen to the entire Peer Gynt, complete with vocal/choral numbers and linking music.

 

 

 

 

Works
Grieg
   Peer Gynt: Suite 1, op. 46 (14.56)
   Peer Gynt: Suite 2, op. 55 (17:28)

Sibelius
   Finlandia (7.44)
   Valse Triste (5.12)
   Swan of Tuonela (9.53)

Soloists
Thomas Stacey, English Horn

Performers
New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Leonard Bernstein, conductor

Label: Columbia / Sony
Year: 1965-73; 2015
Total Timing: 55.13