Baltimore Symphony's CD of Bernstein's 'Mass' to be released on composer's birthday
If I had to pick one event last season as the greatest, I wouldn't hesitate to name the BSO's semi-staged production of Mass: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers, the sensational, if much-maligned, work by Leonard Bernstein.
Performances in Baltimore, New York and DC reconfirmed the affection I've always had for this intensely personal creation, and revealed conductor Marin Alsop's obvious affection for it as well. She pulled together a remarkable achievement and, luckily, Naxos recorded it for release this summer. That release, appropriately, will be on ...
The recording was made Oct. 21-22 at the Meyerhoff, a few days after the Baltimore concerts and a few days before the BSO headed to New York for repeats at Carnegie Hall and (most memorably) the United Palace Theater way uptown, where hundreds of public school kids joined in the music-making. (That performance would have made a fab DVD.)
Bernstein's daughter Jamie, who was at both of those New York performances, has heard an advance copy of CD and gives it high marks. “It takes a village to put on Mass — and Marin Alsop has organized her musical village with magnificent results. This is a rich, sensitive performance of my father's most personal work: explosive, touching and truly cathartic.”
Just how I remember it. Looking forward to reliving it all on disc.
BALTIMORE SUN FILE PHOTO OF JUBILANT SYKES AS THE CELEBRANT IN THE BALTIMORE SYMPHONY PRODUCTION OF BERNSTEIN'S 'MASS.'
Comments
I am very glad to hear the Mass CD will be released soon. This was NOT my most memorable experience last season, but rather the greatest disappointment. The Meyerhof was not made for staged performances. If you sat anywhere in the front section of the Orchestra in any of the sides, you got the amplified voices very loud and did not see anything but one or two persons move to the front of the “stage” and back… a lot of folks in my area left, others just closed their eyes as not seeing anything of what was happening was very frustrating. The Mass as a live performance was so frustrating that I am curious to hear CD and see how it was musically.
Sight lines were, indeed, a problem. Ideally, this presentation would have been done at places like the Lyric and the Kennedy Center Opera House (where the 1971 premiere took place), but there wasn't the budget for an all-out production. As I said, it's a pity no film was made, as a DVD release would enable those who missed out to experience the work more fully. TIM
Posted by: Louis Bothwell | July 29, 2009 12:05 PM
The British Press have already received copies - Gramophone Magazine named it the "Disc of the Month" for September 2009. Congratulations to all those involved with making the recording.
Posted by: mike | July 29, 2009 5:05 PM
I am anxious to hear this since I missed the concert in person. I only wish the BSO released more recordings of concerts.
Posted by: Jon | July 30, 2009 9:01 AM