Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, Marin Alsop - Bernstein: Chichester Psalms & On the Waterfront (2003) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. On the Waterfront Suite
02. Chichester Psalms: I. Psalm 108:2, Urah, hanevel, v'chinor!-Psalm 100, Hariu l'Adonai kol haarets
03. Chichester Psalms: II. Psalm 23, Adonai ro-i, lo eḥsar-Psalms 2:1–4, Lamah rag'shu gayim
04. Chichester Psalms: III. Psalm 131, Adonai, Adonai-Psalm 133:1, Hineh mah tov
05. On the Town: I. The Great Lover
06. On the Town: II. Lonely Town. Pas de deux
07. On the Town: III. Times Square, 1944



Some years ago Andrew Litton presided over a memorable all-Bernstein concert for Virgin Classics that showed that the Bournemouth orchestra could swing with the best of them; now it's the turn of new principal conductor Marin Alsop to put them through their paces.
Very sassily they strut, too, in the exuberant outer numbers of On the Town. It's a similar tale in the symphonic suite from On the Waterfront.
Alsop displays a special sympathy for this score's intimate undertow, investing softer music with a tingling atmosphere and lyrical poetry that consistently ignite the imagination, and moulding the love theme with a warmth and vulnerability that all but match the composer's NYPO version. Not that there's any lack of red-blooded drama or brazen spectacle, even though Mike Clements's otherwise excitingly dynamic sound-frame exposes some slight thinness of violin tone.
The account of the Chichester Psalms is polished, communicative and beautifully sprung, attaining eloquent heights in the soothing setting of Psalm 23 for boy treble and mixed choir, as well as the strings' impassioned plea that launches the last movement.
A conspicuous success. The playing-time is comparatively stingy, but, given the superior quality of the music-making and the low Naxos price-tag, not many should complain.

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