Bernstein: A Quiet Place – Kent Nagano

   in Opera Now (Jan, 2019)
A quick mention for a chamber version of Bernstein’s A Quiet Place. The conductor, Kent Nagano, a pupil of Bernstein’s, felt that a scaled down interpretation would allow the music to shine more clearly: so Garth Edwin Sunderland has reduced the orchestra from 72 to 18, and restructured the libretto to eliminate the flashbacks of Trouble in Tahiti and streamline the plot. Sharply recorded and well-cast, it’s an excellent opportunity to hear Bernstein’s perhaps most experimental vocal work with full clarity. …