If the baritone gives the performance its soul, Alsop provides abundant heart. She believes totally in this music, and that faith shines in every measure. As is her wont, she keeps things moving along; the recording clocks in at 14 minutes faster than Bernstein's (three minutes faster than J?rvi's), but the pacing feels right.
The BSO sounds terrific, producing considerable emotional power in the Meditations. The Morgan State University Choir shines. Members of the "street chorus" make vibrant contributions and, like Sykes, seem perfectly at home stylistically (a pity the Naxos CD booklet doesn't identify who sings what solo). Boy soprano Asher Edward Wulfman hits some tentative notes, but communicates affectingly. The Peabody Children's Chorus also does fine work, although I miss the telling sound of a boy choir, which Bernstein intended.
That sound, from the excellent T?lzer Knabenchor, can be enjoyed on the sensitively conducted J?rvi recording. There are admirable contributions, too, from the other choruses and vocal soloists. Although there's a somewhat studied quality to the interpretation, compared to Sykes, baritone Randall Scarlata has many exquisite moments as the Celebrant, notably in "I Go On" and "Things Get Broken."
