Leonard Bernstein Conducts Beethoven String Quartet No. 16 & Haydn Missa in Tempore Belli [Blu-ray]

Finally!!
Bernstein's record of the two late Beethoven String Quartets was one of my favorite recordings. Just exquisite. The performance of Op. 131 is in his remarkable full DVD set of the Beethoven Symphonies with the Piano Concertos and Missa Solemnis (a must own). Op. 135 in F Major is so beautiful though and, secretly, it is my favorite of the two. Op. 131 is easily one of LVB's greatest creations but there is a deep poignancy in 135, his final quartet. Simpler and more Haydn-like that any of the other late quartets, it still contains music as sublime as anything he ever wrote with a slow movement that, in Bernstein's hands, becomes the Adagio movement Mahler would have given his right arm to have written. I was so disappointed that it was not in the Beethoven set. HERE IT IS FINALLY!! And....yes...extraordinary making of a rare depth and brilliance. The question about whether it is appropriate to perform a Quartet with a full String section??? Absurd when confronted with a performance...

Fabulous and yet curious
Naturally, anything Bernstein is a must have, especially when it is on Blu-ray. From an audio and video standpoint, this will not disappoint. A profoundly great work on every level. There is just one complaint that I have about this release. There are absolutely NO chapter markings of any kind, no audio settings to play with, no introductions or other special material that you might expect. The only way to find out what is on the disc is to hit the advance button to go to the next track. Oh- and the biggest disappointment of all is that, althought the audio is Blu-ray quality, it is ONLY 2 channel stereo! And, as I said earlier, there are no options to change this. Very odd. The only "special feature" on the disc is a grouping of the most lame trailers I have ever seen in my life. Nothing about them stirs any interest at all. Having said all that, it is still a great addition to any serious music collector. If only they would bring out all of Lenny's other stuff on Blu-ray. Wow. What...

So much depends
The Red Wheelbarrow

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.
William Carlos Williams
I am sitting here in Northern Thailand, the afternoon shower has just stopped, the sun has come out and is shining brightly and in my living room I have Leonard Bernstein leading the Wiener Philharmoniker playing the Beethoven String Quartet (for string orchestra) # 16, Opus 135 on Blu-ray---it is playing loud, wonderful, surround-sound the picture and sound are out of this world!!!!
I wish Beethoven was still alive. I wish Bernstein was still alive. With this fantastic DVD, they still are.
Then the Haydn Missa comes on and says it best, "kyrie eleison", Lord have Mercy!!!!
Yes, yes, I wish Haydn and Williams were still alive too.
Do yourself a favor, don't miss this wonderful Blu-ray!!!!

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