Credits:

James Judd

Description:

The Two Sides of Bernstein: Lighthearted and SeriousSymphonic Dances, a concert orchestral suite reimagined from numbers in the universally acclaimed musical *West Side Story*, is brimming with joy and infectious energy, but hearing it in this form reminds us once again just how much a composer well-versed in classical techniques has poured his skills into this work without reservation. Symphony No. 2, The Age of Anxiety, is a serious work that incorporates elements of his own faith, yet at the same time, the frequent appearance of jazzy musical ideas makes me feel as though I am hearing the roots of Bernstein the composer.Naxos Japan