Marin Alsop - Bernstein: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 (2017)

It's great to see this music being played with such conviction. We all know that Alsop is a superb Bernstein conductor, and Naxos already has a terrific account of the First Symphony from James Judd and the New Zealand Symphony, but this newcomer is, if anything, even finer certainly sonically and conducted with even more pizzazz. In the central Profanation movement, Alsop really does outdo Bernstein himself; the playing of the Baltimore Symphony here is sensational, and in the finale Jennifer Johnson Cano sings with great sensitivity and a beautiful tone. The tragic climaxes hit you right in the gut. In the Second Symphony, Jean-Yves Thibaudet offers a first class account of his solo part. The Masque is especially outstanding virtuosic but at the same time nicely cool. Prior to that, in the opening variation sets, Alsop knits the music together expertly, ensuring that the glum bits never bog down, and that the entire first part builds inexorably to its exciting conclusion. The following Dirge is is a barn-burner, and somehow after all of this the Epilogue never turns hollow. Again, I don t think that Bernstein could have done better, and as suggested above the engineering is also rock solid and brilliant by turns. A marvelous release by any standard. –Classics Today.com,Jan;17

TRACKLIST
01. Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah" : Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah": I. Prophecy - Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
02. Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah" : Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah": II. Profanation - Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
03. Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah" : Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah": III. Lamentation - Jennifer Johnson Cano
04. Symphony No. 2, "The Age of Anxiety"* : Symphony No. 2, "The Age of Anxiety"*: Part I: The Prologue: Lento moderato - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
05. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Ages : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Ages: Part I: The Seven Ages: Variation 1: L'istesso tempo - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
06. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Ages : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Ages: Part I: The Seven Ages: Variation 2: Poco più mosso - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
07. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Ages : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Ages: Part I: The Seven Ages: Variation 3: Largamente, ma mosso - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
08. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Ages : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Ages: Part I: The Seven Ages: Variation 4: Più mosso - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
09. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Ages : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Ages: Part I: The Seven Ages: Variation 5 - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
10. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Ages : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Ages: Part I: The Seven Ages: Variation 6: Poco meno mosso - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
11. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Ages : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Ages: Part I: The Seven Ages: Variation 7: L'istesso tempo - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
12. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Stages : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Stages: Part I: The Seven Stages: Variation 8: Molto moderato, ma movendo - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
13. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Stages : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Stages: Part I: The Seven Stages: Variation 9: Più mosso [tempo di valse] - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
14. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Stages : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Stages: Part I: The Seven Stages: Variation 10: Più mosso - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
15. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Stages : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Stages: Part I: The Seven Stages: Variation 11: L'istesso tempo - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
16. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Stages : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Stages: Part I: The Seven Stages: Variation 12: Poco più vivace - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
17. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Stages : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Stages: Part I: The Seven Stages: Variation 13: L'istesso tempo - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
18. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Stages : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 1, The Seven Stages: Part I: The Seven Stages: Variation 14: L'istesso tempo [poco più vivace] - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
19. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 2 : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 2: Part II: The Dirge: Largo - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
20. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 2 : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 2: Part II: The Masque: Extremely fast - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
21. Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 2 : Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety", Pt. 2: Part II: The Epilogue: L'istesso tempo - Jean-Yves Thibaudet