Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain

Leonard Bernstein

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Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain Review

by Blair Sanderson

Admirers of Leonard Bernstein's Columbia recordings with the New York Philharmonic may rejoice at this 2004 reissue of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Night on Bald Mountain, and Respighi's Pines of Rome, but others may have mixed reactions. The Masterworks Expanded Edition is preferable to the corresponding title in Sony's Great Performances series because its enhanced sound and bonus tracks provide much greater value. That said, these are still historic recordings, with all the limitations of Columbia's engineering in this period, and all the quirks of Bernstein in his most flamboyant phase. Bernstein recorded these pieces in 1958, 1965, and 1970, and the acoustics vary dramatically according to their venues -- the St. George Hotel, Manhattan Center, and Avery Fisher Hall. Listeners who had the LPs will no doubt recall the NYP's weak bass and occasionally boxy sound, and that is still apparent, especially in the Respighi. Furthermore, Bernstein's interpretations speak more of his excitability and energy than they do of discipline and attention to detail, and these performances are a little slap-dash and rough around the edges. The enhancement of the analog recordings with Direct Stream Digital and SBM Direct seems to have improved these recordings cosmetically, but the illusion of all-digital sound is unconvincing.

Track Listing

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
Pictures at an Exhibition (Kartinki s vïstavski), for orchestra, orchestrated by Ravel
1
Promenade. Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 01:51 SpotifyAmazon
2
1. Gnomus. Vivo
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 02:48 SpotifyAmazon
3
Promenade. Moderato comodo e con delicatezza
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 00:59 SpotifyAmazon
4
2. Il vecchio castello. Andante
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 04:03 SpotifyAmazon
5
Promenade. Moderato non tanto, pesante
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 00:37 SpotifyAmazon
6
3. Tuileries. Allegretto non troppo, capriccioso
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 01:11 SpotifyAmazon
7
4. Bydlo. Sempre moderato, pesante
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 02:25 SpotifyAmazon
8
Promenade. Tranquillo
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 00:51 SpotifyAmazon
9
5. Ballet des poussins dans leurs coques. Scherzino. Vivo leggiero
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 01:13 SpotifyAmazon
10
6. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle. Andante
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 02:31 SpotifyAmazon
11
7. Limoges. Le Marché - Allegretto vivo, sempre scherzando
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 01:31 SpotifyAmazon
12
8. Catacombae. Sepulchrum romanum - Largo
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 01:52 SpotifyAmazon
13
Cum mortuis in lingua mortua. Andante non troppo, con lamento
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 01:58 SpotifyAmazon
14
9. La Cabane sur des pattes de poule - Allegro con brio, feroce - Andante mosso - Allegro molto
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 03:17 SpotifyAmazon
15
10. La grande porte de Kiev. Allegro alla breve. Maestoso. Con grandezza
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 06:11 SpotifyAmazon
16
Night on Bald Mountain (Noch' na Lïsoy gore), symphonic poem, edited by Stokowski
Modest Mussorgsky
Leonard Bernstein 11:08 SpotifyAmazon
Pini di Roma, for piano, 4 hands (arr. from the orchestral piece), P. 142
17
1. I pini di Villa Borghese
Ottorino Respighi
Leonard Bernstein 02:32 SpotifyAmazon
18
2. Pini presso una catacomba
Ottorino Respighi
Leonard Bernstein 07:11 SpotifyAmazon
19
3. I pini del Gianicolo
Ottorino Respighi
Leonard Bernstein 07:22 SpotifyAmazon
20
4. I pini della via Appia
Ottorino Respighi
Leonard Bernstein 05:27 SpotifyAmazon
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Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain

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