[78-L] Bernstein's Rhapsody

[David Lennick]

Getting back to Mal's other question, there were a number of examples of 
conductors playing the solo piano part and leading the band, but in most cases 
each of them had only one good piece. Mitropoulos did the Prokofiev 3rd 
Concerto (not a performance I care to live with), Bruno Walter had a Mozart 
Concerto, Lenny did a very good Ravel in 1946. Iturbi's live performance of the 
Rhapsody at the Gershwin Memorial Concert contains bad playing and bad 
conducting, to the point where apparently Nat Shilkret stepped up to the podium 
during the performance and took over.

dl

On 7/6/2013 3:02 PM, Malcolm Rockwell wrote:
> About the only glaring point I find in Levant's interpretation is the
> initial piano attack. Far too loud IMHO. Or was the orchestra just
> lulling us into a false sense of security? Take it away, Oscar!
> Mal
>
> *******
>
> On 7/6/2013 8:51 AM, Ryan Wolfe wrote:
>> Couldn't agree more over Bernstein's.    Ad it's often touted as a must have version in the books.
>>
>> That old ca. 1946 Ormandy / Levant set is extremely common on shellac or vinyl and one of the best.    It's got the elements in the right proportions.
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>>    From: Jeff Sultanof<jeffsultanof at gmail.com>
>> To: 78-L Mail List<78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
>> Sent: Saturday, July 6, 2013 10:46 AM
>> Subject: Re: [78-L] Bernstein's Rhapsody
>>
>>
>> Lennie always touted himself as a bit of a jazz expert. This recording
>> should have disappeared years ago. Agreed it is horrible.
>>
>> I've always like the performances of Oscar Levant myself.
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Jul 6, 2013 at 1:43 PM, Malcolm Rockwell<malcolm at 78data.com>  wrote:
>>
>>> Thank you, I fully agree. There are so many clams in the piano
>>> performance you coulda made a nice stew (try at 3:18, 3:38, 7:44 and
>>> 8:04, for instance). I consider Lennie's version the aural equivalent of
>>> "Hamlet" for over emoting.
>>> If you want to listen, here it is:
>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BceRaRpUnLg
>>> Mal
>>>
>>> *******
>>>
>>> On 7/6/2013 7:24 AM, David Lennick wrote:
>>>> One of the worst performances, for my money, and it's Lenny himself.
>>> Bernstein
>>>> showed a surprising misunderstanding of things jazzy. Previn's
>>> performances are
>>>> even more self-indulgent.
>>>>
>>>> Iturbi started the precedent of conducting the Wrapsidney while mangling
>>> the
>>>> piano part in 1937.
>>>>
>>>> dl
>>>>
>>>> On 7/6/2013 1:19 PM, Malcolm Rockwell wrote:
>>>>> Somewhat off topic as this is a 33rpm performance, but who was the
>>>>> pianist on Lennie Bernstein's 1960 rendition of the "Rhapsody In Blue"
>>>>> on Columbia (rec. Brooklyn, NY on 06/23/59)? "An American In Paris" is
>>>>> on the other side. Was it actually LB himself? And if so how does one
>>>>> conduct a full orchestra while simultaneously playing the piano parts?
>>>>> The piece is complicated enough, already.
>>>>> Although many consider this to be the ne plus ultra of the Rhapsody,  I
>>>>> still prefer Levant's 78rpm interpretation.
>>>>> Mal
>>>>> ____________________________________________