About this Artist

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Editorial Reviews

As noted philosopher and music critic George Harrison once commented, "It's all too much." While Harrison was speaking of the "love that's shining all around you," he might have been speaking of the performances in this six-disc box. Included here are all of Leonard Bernstein's Mozart recordings for Deutsche Grammophon -- the eight late symphonies, the "Clarinet Concerto," the "C minor Mass," and the "D minor Requiem" -- along with his Decca recording of the "Piano Concerto No. 15," and every one is more representative of Bernstein than of Mozart. Whether played by the Wiener Philharmoniker or the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the tone here is consistently rich and lush, the textures thick and creamy, the blend warm and sumptuous, and the tempos big and broad. In Bernstein's interpretations, lines are highlighted, harmonies padded, rhythms heavy, and forms massive. Needless the say, the Viennese and Munich musicians play with style, class, and polish; the soloists are all first-rate; and Deutsche Grammophon's sound is clean, strong, and vivid. For listeners who wish Mozart sounded like a contemporary of Beethoven and Schubert, Bernstein's approach will be just right. But for listeners who prefer Mozart to sound like a contemporary of Haydn, this may well be all too much. James Leonard, All Music Guide

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