What can you say? It’s Bernstein does Bernstein, and it’s still terrific, both the music and the performances, and this time you get a bonus in the form of Three Dance Episodes from On the Town. Even if the track timing to this last item is wrong, we’re still talking nearly 80 minutes of prime stuff. Hearing these performances–the dazzling Candide Overture, the gutsy West Side Story dances, the brooding suite from On the Waterfront, and the jazzy, puckish Fancy Free–is always a delight, even if this is about the billionth time. Can it be that anyone out there does not own some incarnation of these classic readings? If so, you’ve got yet another chance, and the sound is as brash and lively as ever, bright but just right for the music. Essential. [8/18/2004]
