Bernstein: Dybbuk / Fancy Free (complete ballets)

"Dybbuck, written to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the State of Israel, is one of Bernstein's darkest scores. Over 45 minutes in length, it tells the creepy story of a sinister ghost, with the battle between good and evil represented respectively (and very aptly) by tonality and atonality. It is well coupled with another ballet written for Jerome Robbins 30 years earlier, including Abby Burke, the jazz-influenced vocalist. It is a work involving three sailors and anticipates the musical On the Town and is one of Bernstein's most colourful scores with its sharp syncopations well realized here." Penguin Guide