Leonard Bernstein unquestionably was one of the most astonishing and magnetic personalities in the world of music. He bestrode the musical scene in the second half of the 20th century like few others: composer, conductor, pianist, educator; but it was as a great communicator – of music and through music – that every facet of his life and legacy is bound together. He was a Renaissance man, a multifaceted genius, but it was his career as a composer that meant the very most to him.
“The Best of Bernstein” is a 3-CD compilation featuring some of Bernstein’s very best recordings for Deutsche Grammophon. The album is programmed as a celebration of Bernstein’s work as both a composer and conductor and features excerpts from Candide and West Side Story as well as ever-popular works by Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Gershwin, Mozart, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and others.