What a tub of lard! I don't see how anyone could listen to this record with pleasure. It is an assault on all which faithful musicians and composers hold dear to them. Just take a look at the score while you're listening to this music, and you'll see my point. For starters, this is one of the longest performances of Beethoven's 9th on record. The first movement is 18 minutes long, and the 2nd almost 11 with a repeat omitted. The third movement is an astounding 20 minutes long. Bernstein takes this literally at half tempo, as he always does with important adagio movements that have "much to exploit." And then comes the big finale - 28 and a half minutes. All told - a 78 minute long symphony. Average performances clock in at about 70 minutes; faster performances which follow Beethoven's metronome markings are about 60 minutes long. So, Bernstein was "just a little slow", eh? Sure. Two minutes longer and Deutsche Grammophon would've had to market this performance using two CDs. (And what a pity for them. They would have made a killing off of it for sure.)
  That's just the tip of the iceburg. Rhythmic intensity and accuracy are thrown completely out of the window. Everything is blunted to a fault. Bernstein's pickup orchestra, some of the best musicians from the best orchestras in the world, lose their footing because they are not used to beating Beethoven about the head as Bernstein has them do here. There are numerous mistakes - some are noticeable, some are more hidden. These folks do not play as an ensemble, and who would expect them to, with all the different styles present? One might expect that Bernstein, faced with this dilemma, might be sensible enough to give them some direction as to how to articulate similarly - or at all for that matter. Not the case here. He just trusts that everyone will understand how things go, attempting to hammer out something resembling a phrase through sheer force of will. The orchestra responds with careless and sloppy playing. Harmonic progressions are lost amidst a sea of angry robotic ostinatos. There is no shape or balance to the music. The poetry is gone. Bernstein gesticulates and says, "Here you go, be inspired," but they don't know how. On the rare occasion that a bit of unique and interesting music is made, it is completely out of context and of a character not suited to this symphony.
  Another side effect of lousy direction is one of the most complete structural collapses in the history of the 9th (how fitting, considering what is being commemorated here). Bernstein's failure to acknowledge this symphony as more than just a bunch of spliced 2-measure character pieces wreaks havoc on the musicality. There is no forward drive, no anticipation of the next musical idea that blooms from the previous one. There is no continuity. The fire dies. "Oh, but wait!" the other reviewers would say. "There is much fire in these performances! Just listen to the climaxes! Heavens, what energy!" Well, Bernstein inciting his musicians to play extremely loudly does not equate with a real energetic performance. A string quartet could play with more intensity than this lost group. Bernstein doesn't stoke up the fire, but instead sears us in the back with a hot branding iron.
  This recording can be summed up as being retrograde. Instead of setting free emotions and thoughts of joy and freedom, this performance inhibits them. I'm not sure how the Berlin audience could get through the concert without crying from sheer boredom and irritation. I see no joy here, only a languid, aggravating and oppressive mish-mash of bad execution and bad interpretation. You may certainly buy this because of the occasion, but what is the point of celebrating if the music itself won't even let you do that? Don't waste your time on this.
What a tub of lard! I don't see how anyone could listen to this record with pleasure. It is an assault on all which faithful musicians and composers hold dear to them. Just take a look at the score while you're listening to this music, and you'll see my point. For starters, this is one of the longest performances of Beethoven's 9th on record. The first movement is 18 minutes long, and the 2nd almost 11 with a repeat omitted. The third movement is an astounding 20 minutes long. Bernstein takes this literally at half tempo, as he always does with important adagio movements that have "much to exploit. " And then comes the big finale - 28 and a half minutes. All told - a 78 minute long symphony. Average performances clock in at about 70 minutes; faster performances which follow Beethoven's metronome markings are about 60 minutes long. So, Bernstein was "just a little slow", eh? Sure. Two minutes longer and Deutsche Grammophon would've had to market this performance using two CDs. (And what a pity for them. They would have made a killing off of it for sure. )
  That's just the tip of the iceburg. Rhythmic intensity and accuracy are thrown completely out of the window. Everything is blunted to a fault. Bernstein's pickup orchestra, some of the best musicians from the best orchestras in the world, lose their footing because they are not used to beating Beethoven about the head as Bernstein has them do here. There are numerous mistakes - some are noticeable, some are more hidden. These folks do not play as an ensemble, and who would expect them to, with all the different styles present? One might expect that Bernstein, faced with this dilemma, might be sensible enough to give them some direction as to how to articulate similarly - or at all for that matter. Not the case here. He just trusts that everyone will understand how things go, attempting to hammer out something resembling a phrase through sheer force of will. The orchestra responds with careless and sloppy playing. Harmonic progressions are lost amidst a sea of angry robotic ostinatos. There is no shape or balance to the music. The poetry is gone. Bernstein gesticulates and says, "Here you go, be inspired," but they don't know how. On the rare occasion that a bit of unique and interesting music is made, it is completely out of context and of a character not suited to this symphony. Another side effect of lousy direction is one of the most complete structural collapses in the history of the 9th (how fitting, considering what is being commemorated here). Bernstein's failure to acknowledge this symphony as more than just a bunch of spliced 2-measure character pieces wreaks havoc on the musicality. There is no forward drive, no anticipation of the next musical idea that blooms from the previous one. There is no continuity. The fire dies. "Oh, but wait! " the other reviewers would say. "There is much fire in these performances! Just listen to the climaxes! Heavens, what energy! " Well, Bernstein inciting his musicians to play extremely loudly does not equate with a real energetic performance. A string quartet could play with more intensity than this lost group. Bernstein doesn't stoke up the fire, but instead sears us in the back with a hot branding iron. This recording can be summed up as being retrograde. Instead of setting free emotions and thoughts of joy and freedom, this performance inhibits them. I'm not sure how the Berlin audience could get through the concert without crying from sheer boredom and irritation. I see no joy here, only a languid, aggravating and oppressive mish-mash of bad execution and bad interpretation. You may certainly buy this because of the occasion, but what is the point of celebrating if the music itself won't even let you do that? Don't waste your time on this.