This is a technically and musically superb disc. Keith Johnson is well used
to recording the Minnesota boys and girls and this shows. Clear easy treble
and thrumming bass. The sound picture is a wide open space yet lacks nothing
in impact. More to the point all of this is at the service of the music some
of which may well be unfamiliar.
We start with the familiar. The Candide Overture especially as heard
here strikes me as the counterpart for all those operatic overtures that
have a royalty-generating life quite separate from their opera. Donna
Diana (Reznicek), Bartered Bride (Smetana) and Kabalevsky's Colas
Breugnon. Candide is a true 'champagne' overture: brief, swinging,
effervescent and romantic. It gets the full treatment here and gives the
composer's own recording a run for its money. The suite was arranged by Charlie
Harmon who is preparing a Critical Edition of Bernstein's works. I found
that the first section fell rather flat. It seems to drift out of the world
evoked by Samuel Barber's totally masterly Souvenirs suite but it does so
after going through the oompah and waltz-time motions. Things change at 6.11
where waves seem to pummel a distant shore and music worthy of Rimsky at
his most inspired (6.51) floats easefully upwards. The remainder of the suite
just did not appeal. I am quite sure that this reflects on music rather than
the performance.
The Three Meditations amount to a mini cello concerto presented with
subtle artistry by the orchestra's principal Anthony Ross. They were
premièred by Rostropovich (Bernstein has not lacked for celebrity
soloists). These are drawn from the trendy Mass he wrote for the opening
of the Kennedy Centre. Trendiness is not apparent in this sincere and affecting
work which with the overture is the laurel wreath of this CD. The first flows
with grace - a surefire winner and one that would make a touching impact
anywhere. The second is tense and convoluted like a wound up spring. The
final Meditation is as long as the other two movements put together. It is
predominantly very quiet and one strains to hear the music. It is seriously
reflective but finds time for more lively music that sounds as if it was
influenced by North African popular culture. The Meditations are unique and
although I thought of Bloch's Schelomo a couple of times for the most
part I was struck by the work's identity and obvious passion.
The five songs are orchestrations by another Bernstein collaborator, Sid
Ramin. They were prepared after an enquiry by Angeline Reaux. Each is very
brief and all are in English; the initial two Rilke settings are in translation.
All are attractive without being compelling. Beth Clayton's operatic mezzo
is ripe and full but I wondered, more than once, if it rather swamped these
gem-like miniatures.
Finally we get the light-weight eight movement Divertimento written
for the Boston SO centenary. This runs a wide gamut of styles: Old Prague,
a gentle waltz, regretful mazurka, a flashy Facade-like samba, an utterly
absurd Turkey Trot, an enigmatic Sphinx, a down and dirty Blues and a superficial
dashing March.
Both the suite and songs are premiere recordings.
This is a must-buy for Bernsteiners. Others should go for the disc because
of its highlights: Meditations and the Overture. Thorough English-only
notes with contributions from both Harmon and Ramin as well as Mary Ann Feldman.
Reviewer
Rob Barnett
Minnesota
Orchestra/Eiji Oue 
