Leonard Bernstein: The 1953 American Decca Recordings

Leonard Bernstein's 1953 American Decca Recordings see the master on top of his conducting game, adding his distinctive style to the old guard

Composer: Works by Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorák, Schumann, Tchaikovsky 
Repertoire:  The 1953 American Decca Recordings
Artists: NY Stadium SO/Bernstein
Rating: 5/5 
Genre: Orchestral 
Label: Originals 477 0002

Lenny-mentary lessons in conducting from Bernstein as he cuts his first discs of core repertoire. He brings a composer’s insight to the labyrinthine structure of Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’ and unpicks it with mind-boggling momentum. He injects authentic Yankee mettle into Dvořák ‘New World’ Symphony; his Tchaikovsky ‘Pathétique’ is riven with ambiguities. His ‘at the piano’ analyses of the music complete this indispensable portrait of the then 34-year-old firebrand.