The Seventh is probably the best performance here. Still, this is a worthwhile performance, especially for Sibelians and Bernstein admirers. The opening of the Second Symphony's second movement, for instance, with pizzicato basses establishing a mood of mystery, verges on the distended even at a faster tempo, but here the music seems to cross the line, sounding lazy and lumbering. That said, it also is a bit bloated and imparts the sense that the composer, who was meticulous and detailed enough in his musical structures and orchestration, bordered on the finicky in the way he builds to his climaxes and how he uses crescendos and other expressive elements. This Vienna/Sibelius Second is smoother, more epic and quite imposing. It had a scrappy quality about it, though it was spirited and compelling in its own way. I never heard Bernstein's complete Sibelius symphony cycle from the 1960s, but I must say that after buying his LP of the Second I did not think the performance augured well for purchase of the others. The other symphonies here are similarly broadly paced. Case in point for purposes of this review, the Sibelius Second here clocks in at about 52 minutes, compared with Bernstein's first recording of this symphony, from 1962, which had a duration of approximately 45 minutes, a fairly standard timing for the work. (In 1997 women were finally allowed to play in the ensemble.) The camera work is fine and gives a fairly good sense to the viewer of being there, and the sonics are pretty vivid for that time.Īs most of his admirers are aware, Bernstein began stretching his tempos late in his career. These DVDs give a different perspective to the performances, of course, as we see Bernstein and the then-all male Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in action. This intended cycle of the seven Sibelius symphonies, originally issued on Deutsche Grammophon compact discs beginning in 1986, was never finished owing to the death of Leonard Bernstein in October, 1990.
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