If you already know and love this moving piece by Barber, this live performance under Bernstein is sure to make your tear glands work overtime. At just over 10 minutes it is the slowest performance on record by as much as 3 minutes in some cases, but the extra time makes the gripping sadness that much more profound. The string players have the time to really dig into every note and let the dark tones resonate to their fullest. The heart wrenching climax, followed by a long empty silence before the final recapitulation, is very, very deeply felt and conveyed by Bernstein. Highly recommended. This disc also contains a first rate performance of Copland's Appalachian Spring.

Jean-Yves Duperron