
Birthday:
08-25-1918
Deathday:
10-14-1990 (72 years)
Birthplace:
Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA
Biography
Leonard Bernstein was an American composer, conductor, pianist, music educator, author, and lifelong humanitarian. He was one of the most significant American cultural personalities of the 20th century. According to music critic Donal Henahan, he was "one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history".
Read morearrow_drop_down
Their works
- Release swap_vert
- Title swap_vert
- Ratings swap_vert
close
Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution
Act like Self
event1967
top_panel_open
Documentary about young pop and rock musicians producing music as "a symptom and generator" of social unrest and generation gaps.
The Unanswered Question I : Musical Phonology
Act like Himself
event1976 star_border 9
top_panel_open
This series comprised six lectures on music, which cumulatively took the title of a work by Charles Ives, The Unanswered Question. Bernstein drew analogies to other disciplines, such as poetry, aesthetics, and especially linguistics, hoping to make these lectures accessible to an audience with limited or no musical experience, while maintaining an intelligent level of discourse: Phonology is the linguistic study of sounds, or phonemes. Bernstein's application of this term to music results in what he calls "musical phonology".
The Unanswered Question II : Musical Syntax
Act like Himself
event1976 star_border 9
top_panel_open
This series comprised six lectures on music, which cumulatively took the title of a work by Charles Ives, The Unanswered Question. Bernstein drew analogies to other disciplines, such as poetry, aesthetics, and especially linguistics, hoping to make these lectures accessible to an audience with limited or no musical experience, while maintaining an intelligent level of discourse: Syntax refers to the study of the structural organization of a sentence, or as Bernstein summarizes, "the actual structures that arise from that phonological stuff."
The Unanswered Question III : Musical Semantics
Act like Himself
event1976 star_border 9
top_panel_open
This series comprised six lectures on music, which cumulatively took the title of a work by Charles Ives, The Unanswered Question. Bernstein drew analogies to other disciplines, such as poetry, aesthetics, and especially linguistics, hoping to make these lectures accessible to an audience with limited or no musical experience, while maintaining an intelligent level of discourse:Semantics is the study of meaning in language, and Bernstein's third lecture, "musical semantics", accordingly, is Bernstein's first attempt to explain meaning in music. Although Bernstein defines musical semantics as "meaning, both musical and extramusical" this lecture focuses exclusively on the "musical" version of meaning.
The Unanswered Question IV : The Delights and Dangers of Ambiguity
Act like Himself
event1976 star_border 9
top_panel_open
This series comprised six lectures on music, which cumulatively took the title of a work by Charles Ives, The Unanswered Question. Bernstein drew analogies to other disciplines, such as poetry, aesthetics, and especially linguistics, hoping to make these lectures accessible to an audience with limited or no musical experience, while maintaining an intelligent level of discourse: Bernstein provides two distinct meanings of the term ambiguity. The first is "doubtful or uncertain" and the second, "capable of being understood in two or more possible senses"
The Unanswered Question V : The Twentieth Century Crisis
Act like Himself
event1976 star_border 9
top_panel_open
This series comprised six lectures on music, which cumulatively took the title of a work by Charles Ives, The Unanswered Question. Bernstein drew analogies to other disciplines, such as poetry, aesthetics, and especially linguistics, hoping to make these lectures accessible to an audience with limited or no musical experience, while maintaining an intelligent level of discourse: Lecture 5 picks up at the early twentieth century with an oncoming crisis in Western Music. As these lectures have traced the gradual increase and oversaturation of ambiguity, Bernstein now designates a point in history that took ambiguity too far.
The Unanswered Question VI : The Poetry of Earth
Act like Himself
event1976 star_border 9
top_panel_open
This series comprised six lectures on music, which cumulatively took the title of a work by Charles Ives, The Unanswered Question. Bernstein drew analogies to other disciplines, such as poetry, aesthetics, and especially linguistics, hoping to make these lectures accessible to an audience with limited or no musical experience, while maintaining an intelligent level of discourse: This lecture takes its name from a line in John Keats' poem, "On the Grasshopper and Cricket". Bernstein does not discuss Keats' poem directly in this chapter, but he provides his own definition of the poetry of earth, which is tonality. Tonality is the poetry of earth because of the phonological universals discussed in lecture 1. This lecture discusses predominantly Stravinsky, whom Bernstein considers the poet of earth.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Act like Self (Archive Footage)
event2022 star_border 7.4
top_panel_open
The life of internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin is told through her slideshows, intimate interviews, ground-breaking photography, and rare footage of her personal fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the overdose crisis.
The Making Of West Side Story
Act like Self / Conductor
event1985 star_border 7.9
top_panel_open
A documentary which shows, in great detail, the making of the 1985 Bernstein-conducted recording of the entire score of "West Side Story", featuring operatic stars.
Leonard Bernstein: Reflections
Act like Self
event1978 star_border 2
top_panel_open
Leonard Bernstein discusses his Boston childhood, his musical growth at Harvard and the Curtis Institute and the influence of great masters like Reiner, Mitropoulos and Koussevitzky. He shares his feelings on the primacy of tonal music and speculates on the nature of the creative process. From Carnegie Hall, scene of his début, to the living room of his home and his private studio overlooking New York's Central Park, Reflections explores the artist's varied and colourful career.
Satchmo the Great
event1957 star_border 6
top_panel_open
In this 1957 biography film of the jazz-great Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, he and his band tour the world as American good-will ambassadors bring jazz at its best to the people of the world. Within the film, the life of Louis Armstrong is portrayed through the music. One of the outstanding scenes in this "biography/docudrama" shows blind songwriter W. C. Handy, with tears streaming down his face, as Armstrong, backed by Leonard Bernstein leading the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, play Handy's immortal "St. Louis Blues."
Bernstein Gerhswin & Ives
Act like Himself
event1976
top_panel_open
Leonard Bernstein conducts four pieces by American composers: George Gershwin's 'An American in Paris' and 'Rhapsody in Blue' and Charles Ives' 'Symphony no. 2' and 'The Unanswered Question'. 'American in Paris', 'Rhapsody in Blue' and 'The Unanswered Question' are all performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at London's Royal Albert Hall in June 1976, while Ives' Symphony no. 2 is performed by Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks in the Congress Hall of the Deutsche Museum, Munich in June 1987.
Leonard Bernstein: The Gift of Music
top_panel_open
Leonard Bernstein narrated by legendary screen star Lauren Bacall. The movie also relies extensively on Bernstein's own words to provide the counterpoint to the abundant visual material. Highlights include excerpts of Bernstein conducting masterworks by Beethoven and Mahler, as well as of the maestro with the New York Philharmonic in Moscow in 1959 before an audience which included composer Dmitri Shostakovich and the dissident poet Boris Pasternak. It also contains never-before-seen footage, such as outtakes from televised concerts and interviews. Among these special treats: the dashing 28-year-old maestro representing the U.S. at the 1947 Prague Spring Festival – possibly the earliest extant film of Leonard Bernstein.
Benjamin Britten: A Time There Was…
Act like Himself
event1979
top_panel_open
A portrait of one of England's greatest composers. Winner of the Prix Italia.
The Creative Performer
event1960 star_border 9
top_panel_open
Leornard Bernstein conducts the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, first with pianist Glenn Gould performing Bach's Keyboard Concerto #1 in D minor and then with soprano Eileen Farrell singing the "Suicidio!" aria from Amilcare Ponchielli 's opera "La Gioconda". Finally, composer Igor Stravinsky takes over the podium, conducting the last three scenes from his ballet "The Firebird". Bernstein also gives an opening talk on the vagaries of musical score notation and introduces each of the three guest performers. Originally aired on January 31, 1960 on CBS Television as part of its Ford Presents series.
Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note
Act like (archival footage)
event1998 star_border 6.3
top_panel_open
The life of the composer, shaped by his Jewish heritage, his morality and his playful sense of humor.
Leonard Bernstein - Bernstein - Candide
Act like Self - Conductor
event1989
top_panel_open
This is the historic concert performance of the final operatic version of Bernstein's Candide. It was recorded on December 13, 1989 at the Barbican Centre, with Leonard Bernstein conducting the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, with a stellar cast of operatic stars gracing the solo parts. The programme lasts a full 2hrs 27 mins. It marks the end of a long and tortured journey for the musical/operetta that spent much of its first 35 years as an orphan in the musical wilderness.
Tanglewood: A Place for Music
Act like Self
event1985
top_panel_open
A look at the activities of the Tanglewood Music Center, America's renowned summer Academy for talented musicians, singers, composers and conductors.
Tanglewood: So you want to be a conductor
Act like Self
event1985
top_panel_open
In 1985, cameras take a look inside the Berkshire Music Center, the most prominent pre-professional classical music academy in the US. Seiji Ozawa, Leonard Slatkin and others work with the next generation younger conducting talent.
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
Act like Self (archive footage)
event2022 star_border 6.7
top_panel_open
An intimate and revealing look at the world-changing musician, presented through a lens of archival footage and never-before-heard home recordings and personal conversations. This definitive documentary honors Armstrong's legacy as a founding father of jazz, one of the first internationally known and beloved stars, and a cultural ambassador of the United States.
Night of 100 Stars II
Act like Self
event1985 star_border 8
top_panel_open
This special is the second "Night of 100 Stars" to benefit The Actors Fund of America. Edited from a seven-hour live entertainment marathon that was taped February 17, 1985, at New York's Radio City Music Hall, this sequel to the 1982 "Night of 100 Stars" special features 288 celebrities.
Beethoven Fidelio
Act like Conductor
event1978 star_border 10
top_panel_open
This production is a gala affair; the sets are traditional (evocative of 18th-19th century Spain); the lighting is bright, so colors are good and one can see all of the action. Singers are generally well chosen and perform admirably. However, at this point, slight reservations creep in; although Janowitz (Fidelio/Leonore) and Kollo (Florestan) look "good" and act well, the singing parts tax them a bit when pushed to the limit. Most of the time that doesn't matter, and an argument can be made that a little vocal strain is in character with their dire plight. Ideally, for me, Vickers as Florestan would have added extra vocal heft and more sensitive acting than Kollo.
Mahler Symphony no. 3: Bernstein
Act like Director
top_panel_open
Great presentation of the legendary american conductor Leonard Bernstein, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Christa Ludwig (contralto solo), the Vienna State Opera Chorus and the Vienna Boys Choir playing the Symphony No. 3 of Gustav Mahler, in 1973.
Beethoven's Nine: Ode to Humanity
Act like Self (archive footage)
event2024 star_border 6
top_panel_open
Can a work of art remain relevant 200 years after its creation? Ludwig van Beethoven’s last completed symphony proves it’s possible.
West Side Stories: The Making of a Classic
Act like Self
event2016 star_border 8
top_panel_open
As the world prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of West Side Story in 2017, dancer Bruno Tonioli and broadcaster Suzy Klein go in search of the true stories behind the inception of this classic show. For the first time on television, they hear first-hand from those involved in the show when it opened on Broadway in September 1957, including Sondheim himself, producer Hal Prince and original cast members from both show and movie, including Chita Rivera Carol Lawrence and Rita Moreno. With the BBC Symphony Orchestra and specially cast singers, we re-live some of the wonderful music and, in the company of Suzy and Bruno, we discover how West Side Story placed the 1950s phenomena of racial tension and teenage gangs centre stage to create a hit that changed musical theatre forever.
Man of Three Worlds: Luchino Visconti
Act like Self - Interviewee
event1966
top_panel_open
BBC television program exploring Visconti’s mastery of cinema, theater, and opera direction.
Bernstein in Australia: Tchaikovsky
event1992
top_panel_open
The New York Philharmonic takes the stage of the Sydney Opera House for their Australian debut, and acclaimed conductor Leonard Bernstein is there to guide them through Tchaikovsky's "Sixth Symphony" in this performance captured live on film in 1974 and directed for the screen by Noel Clark.
Bernstein in Paris: The Ravel Concerts
event2006
top_panel_open
The National Orchestra of France performs in the sumptuous Theatre des Champs Elysees before a Parisian audience. Leonard Bernstein conducts Ravel's virtuoso piano concerto from the keyboard. Starring: Bernstein, National Orchestra Of France, Marilyn Horne (vocalist), Boris Belkin (violin)
Karajan: Beauty As I See It
Act like Self (archive footage)
event2008
top_panel_open
With a career that includes a 35-year tenure as composer of the Berlin Philharmonic and record sales topping 200 million, Herbert von Karajan is one of the most legendary figures in 20th-century classical music. Comprised of archival footage, performance highlights and interviews with the likes of Anne-Sophie Mutter, Christa Ludwig and Seiji Ozawa, this retrospective chronicles the life and times of the iconic Austrian maestro.
The Art of Conducting: Great Conductors of the Past
Act like Self (archive footage)
event1993 star_border 9
top_panel_open
Documentary about sixteen great conductors of the 20th century.
Bernstein | Beethoven Symphonies 1,8,9
event2008
top_panel_open
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Symphonies Nos. 1, 8 & 9 Performed by
Gwyneth Jones · Hanna Schwarz
René Kollo · Kurt Moll In Vienna at the Konzertvereinigung With the Wiener Staatsopernchor
and the Wiener Philharmoniker
Leonard Bernstein, conducting
Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 3, 4 & 5
Act like Himself
event2007
top_panel_open
Under the guidance of famed American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, Polish classical pianist Krystian Zimerman and the Vienna Philharmonic deliver a rousing performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concertos nos. 3, 4 and 5. Premiered in 1808, Beethoven's fourth concerto marked the last time the composer would take the stage as a soloist with an orchestra.
Brahms Academic Festival, Tragic Overtures/ Variations on a Theme by Haydn/Serenade No. 2
Act like Himself
event2007
top_panel_open
Between 1981 and 1984 Leonard Bernstein recorded nearly all of Brahms' orchestral works with the Wiener Philharmoniker to honour the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth in 1983. For the concertos, Bernstein enlisted the services of some of the finest Brahms interpreters of the time: the violoninst Gidon Kremer, the cellist Mischa Maisky and the pianist Krystian Zimerman. Seeing Bernstein enjoying himself while conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in these lighter, familiar works by Brahms added to the pleasure I got from them. The Academic Festival Overture is especially well done. Some conductors don't seem to get it, but Bernstein did.
Bernstein Brahms Symphonies
Act like Himself
event1984
top_panel_open
Here is the most convincing presentation of Brahms' symphonies that I personally have ever experienced. There is no explaining a gift like Leonard Bernstein, a true legend and one of the truly great ones of the 20th century (and a great Brahms conductor!). I have followed his career and recordings both at the NY Philharmonic and at Vienna (other places too). His brilliance and incandescence are revelatory in these Brahms performances. His view of a thorough-going romantic Brahms expressing his passionate control of an inner rage in classical form is convincing. He and this great Vienna orchestra give a consistent statement of it. And, of course, Bernstein's introductory comments are without peer.
Mozart Great Mass in C Minor; Ave Verum Corpus; Exsultate Jubilate
Act like Conductor
event2006
top_panel_open
This performance of Mozart's Great Mass in C minor, which remained an unfinished torso, is reverent and highly dramatic. It was filmed 4-6 April 1990 in the beautiful Baroque Basilica of Waldsassen in Bavaria: a few kilometers from the Czech border. It was filmed just a few months after the Iron Curtain had fallen, a mere 6 months before Bernstein's death on 14 October 1990. His painful, labored breathing is evident during this performance. It is a sad reminder of what is to come and it makes this performance, so other-worldly in many ways, particularly poignant. Bernstein conducts the splendid Chor und Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks.
Rostropovich Life & Art
Act like Self - Conductor
event2007 star_border 7
top_panel_open
Released as a memorial for the great Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, who passed away on 27 April 2007, this DVD contains one bonafide cello concerto, the Schumann Cello Concerto in A minor, and two tone poems with prominent cello parts, Ernest Bloch's Schelomo and Richard Strauss' Don Quixote. Rostropovich mastered the Schumann in several famous recordings. Here, conducted by Leonard Bernstein, he provides a splendid performance. Featuring his trademark powerful technique, smooth legato and crisp vibrato, the Romantic roots of the concerto are never hidden for long, despite the relatively cool playing of the Orchestre National de France.
Mahler - Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6
Act like Conductor
event1976 star_border 10
top_panel_open
For Mahlerites, his symphonies are much more than musical performances--they can be an emotional or spiritual journey through the struggles, fears, and triumphs of life. This Sixth Symphony is a 1976 performance in the Vienna Musikvereinssaal with PCM stereo and DTS 5.1. The 2 dvd set also includes the 4th and 5th symphonies, which are performed as magnificently as the Sixth.
Bernstein Mahler Rehearsal
Act like Self - Conductor
event1976 star_border 7
top_panel_open
"Four Ways to Say Farewell" is a personal introduction to Mahler and his Ninth Symphony, during which Leonard Bernstein is seen and heard rehearsing the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Filmed in 1971, this rehearsal was directed by Humphrey Burton,
Mahler - Symphonies Nos. 1, 2 & 3
Act like Self - Conductor
event1973 star_border 10
top_panel_open
Beginning with the First Symphony, Bernstein reveals Mahler's position at the hinge of modernism, while emphasizing his emotional extremism. The uplifting Second "Resurrection" Symphony, with which Bernstein had an especially long and close association, is recorded here in a historic performance from 1973, set in the Romanesque splendor of Ely Cathedral. In the Third, Bernstein encompasses the symphony's spiritual panorama like no other conductor, with the Vienna Philharmonic players alive to every nuance.
Mahler - Symphonies Nos. 9 & 10 / Das Lied von der Erde
Act like Conductor
event2005 star_border 10
top_panel_open
Filmed on tour at Berlin's Philharmonie, this account of the valedictory Ninth Symphony is an intense interpretation, expressing Bernstein's conviction that modern man had at last caught up with the message encoded in Mahler's last completed work. Having made his famous 1966 studio recording of "Das Lied von der Erde" in Vienna, Bernstein re-recorded this in Israel with the same searing subjectivity. René Kollo draws on the voice of a great Wagner tenor, while Christa Ludwig, the greatest exponent of the contralto songs at the time, is unbearably poignant in the final movement's fusion of elation and sadness.
The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala
Act like Self - Conductor
event1983
top_panel_open
In celebration of its 100th anniversary in 1983, the Metropolitan Opera hosts a four-hour performance uniting some of the world's most spellbinding opera singers and conductors. The event includes a ballet from Samson et Dalila and boasts incredible classical performances from Kathleen Battle, Plácido Domingo, Jose Carerras, Leonard Bernstein, Marilyn Horne, Leona Mitchell, Luciano Pavarotti and many more.
Mahler - Symphonies Nos. 7 & 8
Act like Self
event1975
top_panel_open
Leonard Bernstein made these recordings during his wonderfully productive collaboration with the Wiener Philharmoniker in the mid-1970s when he was at the peak of his career. Humphrey Burton's direction is, as always, very fine, giving the viewer/listener both the larger picture and highlighting individual soloists, players or groups of musicians and, of course, the maestro. The video and audio tracks show their age, but are quite acceptable even for today's standards. Bernstein's Seventh is everything one could desire: dark and spooky, highly sensual, but also structurally strong and assertive where needed. Bernstein's reading does not gloss over breakdowns in tonality and the foreshadowing of later musical developments.
Brahms The Piano Concertos
Act like Conductor
event1984
top_panel_open
Between 1981 and 1984 Leonard Bernstein recorded nearly all of Brahmss orchestral works with the Wiener Philharmoniker to honor the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth in 1983. For the concertos, Bernstein enlisted the services of some of the finest Brahms interpreters of the time: the violoninst Gidon Kremer, the cellist Mischa Maisky and the pianist Krystian Zimerman. Leonard Bernstein, Krystian Zimerman, and the Wiener Philharmoniker, it's very hard to get a better group of musicians for these masterpieces. Mr. Zimerman and Mr. Wolfgang Herzer's piano cello duets in the third movement of Brahms' second is simply tearful.
The Little Drummer Boy: An Essay on Mahler by Leonard Bernstein
Act like Self
event1985 star_border 8
top_panel_open
This television essay from 1985 was written by Leonard Bernstein to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Gustav Mahler's birth. Recorded in Israel, Vienna and later in London, it is punctuated by biographical interludes and illustrated by musical examples drawn from the cycle of Mahler's works recorded by Bernstein. Bernstein talks, plays and conducts various orchestras (Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Wiener Philharmoniker) and soloists (Janet Baker, Christa Ludwig, Edith Mathis, Lucia Popp, Walton Groenroos) in performances spanning 17 years. Leonard Bernstein also examines the roots of Gustav Mahler's inspiration. The programme also features music from the nine symphonies, 'The Song of the Earth' and the 'Wunderhorn Cycle'.
Bernstein: Tchaikovsky: Symphonies No. 4 & 5
Act like Self - Conductor
event1975
top_panel_open
In a pair of passionate performances, American composer Leonard Bernstein conducts the New York Philharmonic in Tchaikovsky's Symphony no. 4 and Andante Cantabile, then leads the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the Russian composer's Symphony no. 5. Russian violinist Boris Belkin also makes his American debut as the soloist in Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major.
Bernstein Beethoven Overtures
Act like Conductor
event1978
top_panel_open
Excellent Bernstein performance. Interesting version for String Orchestra. Interesting video details to introduce your friends to classic orchestral music (lets them to understand the sound of each instrument the music comes from).
Ode to Freedom
event1989
top_panel_open
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein, this is an historic performance marking the fall of the Berlin Wall. Performed on Christmas Day 1989 in the former East Berlin, a concert that unites an cast former eastern and western Berlin musicians and vocalists, among with an international cast of musicians, for a moving performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
Beethoven's Birthday: A Celebration in Vienna with Leonard Bernstein
Act like Self / Narrator
event1970
top_panel_open
In this documentary portrait prepared for the anniversary of Ludwig Van Beethoven's 200th birthday, Leonard Bernstein illustrates his analysis with excerpts from his performances of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major and the Ode to Joy from the Ninth Symphony.
Bernstein in Vienna: Beethoven, The Ninth Symphony
Act like Self / Conductor
event1970
top_panel_open
To play Beethoven's music is to give oneself over completely to the child-spirit which lived in that grim, awkward, violent man. Without that utter submission it is impossible to play the Adagio of the Ninth. Or, Heaven knows, the first movement. And the Finale? Most of all! It is simply unplayable unless we go all the way with him, as he cries out "Brüder!" - Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein: Chichester Psalms Symphony No's 1 & 2
Act like Self / Conductor
event1977
top_panel_open
Leonard Bernstein performs three of his own compositions with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the Philharmonic in Berlin.
Bernstein In Vienna: Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major
Act like Self / Conductor / Pianist
event1970 star_border 10
top_panel_open
In Vienna's Musikverein, Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic celebrates Ludwig Van Beethoven's 200th birthday with a joyful performance of his Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major. Maestro Bernstein conducts the orchestra from the keyboard in this historic concert.
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
Act like Self (archive footage)
event1970 star_border 7.3
top_panel_open
Constructed from a wealth of archival footage, the documentary follows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1955 to 1968, in his rise from regional activist to world-renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement. Rare footage of King's speeches, protests, and arrests are interspersed with scenes of other high-profile supporters and opponents of the cause, punctuated by heartfelt testimonials by some of Hollywood's biggest stars.
Leonard Bernstein: Larger Than Life
Act like Himself
event2016
top_panel_open
The document explores Leonard Bernstein's various facets as a conductor, a composer, a pianist and most of all a teacher and how he influenced so many people. It includes interviews of his children, former conductor students, orchestra members, collabrators and other acquintanses.
- Pascal Kay
Cello Concertos Haydn and Schumann
Act like Self - Conductor
event2007
top_panel_open
Mischa Maisky performs with the Vienna Symphony and Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein in concertos by Haydn and Schumann.
Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould
Act like Self (archival footage)
event2009 star_border 6.8
top_panel_open
A documentary on the mysterious and influential pianist.
Glenn Gould: Extasis
Act like Self (archival footage)
event1993
top_panel_open
A collection of recollections and opinions of and about Glenn Gould, interspersed with excerpts of archive footage of the great Canadian pianist speaking and playing.
Leonard Bernstein: The Rite of Spring in Rehearsal
event1988
top_panel_open
"The Rite of Spring is all about sex and reproduction. This is a beastly music brought to the highest, most refined point."
Das Lied von der Erde: A Personal Introduction
Act like Self (conductor and commentator)
event1972
top_panel_open
During a break in rehearsals with the Israel Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein sat down at the piano to film an introduction to the poetry and music of Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde.
Bernstein's Wall
Act like Self (archive footage)
event2021 star_border 1
top_panel_open
An enlightening, complex look at one of the greatest figures in 20th century classical music whose passion and creativity guided him well beyond the concert hall.
Leonard Bernstein: A Genius Divided
Act like self
event2018 star_border 9.8
top_panel_open
One of the first US born conductors to receive worldwide fame, Leonard Bernstein is an exceptional composer and certainly not only due to The West Side Story. Instead of concentrating exclusively on his most famous work, Thomas von Steinaecker sets out to paint a complete picture of Bernstein. Thus, the documentary focusses on the American’s less known later works and on three compositions in particular: his Mass, the musical 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and the great final opera A Quiet Place. The film paints a vivid picture of the multitalented Bernstein, struggling with his role as composer and conductor, tackling the tension between successes and flops, between the politics of his time and his own liberal humanitarian claim. It looks back on Bernstein’s major achievements, such as his acclaimed conducting of Mahler and his involvement in the Young People’s Concerts, and it shows Bernstein’s work with young aspiring musicians as well as his political commitment.
Beatles '64
Act like Self (archive footage)
event2024 star_border 6.4
top_panel_open
Featuring never-before-seen footage of the band and the legions of young fans who helped fuel their ascendance, follow McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Starr as they land in New York City in February 1964 and solidify their status as the biggest band in the world.
TÁR
Act like Self (archive footage)
event2022 star_border 7.1
top_panel_open
As celebrated conductor Lydia Tár starts rehearsals for a career-defining symphony, the consequences of her past choices begin to echo in the present.
The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Act like Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
event2023 star_border 6.3
top_panel_open
Trailblazing double bassist Orin O'Brien never wanted the spotlight, but when Leonard Bernstein hired her in 1966 as the first female musician in the New York Philarmonic, it was inevitable that she would become the focus of much interest and fascination. Now 87 years old and recently retired, Orin looks back on her remarkable life and career, insisting that a fuss should not be made, much preferring to play a supporting role to the family, students, friends, and colleagues that surround her.
Omnibus
(8 ep.)
event1952 star_border 6
top_panel_open
Omnibus is an American, commercially sponsored, educational television series.
The Kennedy Center Honors
Act like Self (1 ep.)
event1978 star_border 7.3
top_panel_open
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture.
What Makes Music Symphonic? (Young People's Concert No. 4)
(1 ep.)
top_panel_open
Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic demonstrate the techniques of repetition and variation in the development of symphonic music as well as the uses of sequence and imitation.
The Ed Sullivan Show
Act like Self (1 ep.)
event1948 star_border 6.6
top_panel_open
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the CBS Sunday Night Movie, which ran only one season and was eventually replaced by other shows.
In 2002, The Ed Sullivan Show was ranked #15 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts
(53 ep.)
event1958
top_panel_open
From 1958 through 1973, renowned conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra thrilled audiences with wonderful concert experiences presented in a sparkling music-with-commentary format: the Young People's Concerts.
Bambi Awards
Act like Self (1 ep.)
event1948 star_border 9
top_panel_open
The Bambi, often called the Bambi Award and stylised as BAMBI, is a German award presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television to personalities in the media, arts, culture, sports, and other fields "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year", both domestic and foreign. First held in 1948, it is the oldest media award in Germany. The trophy is named after Felix Salten's book Bambi, A Life in the Woods and its statuettes are in the shape of the novel's titular fawn character. They were originally made of porcelain until 1958, when the organizers switched to using gold, with the casting done by the art casting workshop of Ernst Strassacker in Süßen.
Tony Awards
Act like Self - Recipient (1 ep.)
event1956 star_border 4.6
top_panel_open
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances, and an award is given for regional theatre.
The Unanswered Question - Six Talks at Harvard by Leonard Bernstein
Act like Presenter (6 ep.)
event1976
top_panel_open
The 1973 Norton Lectures by Leonard Bernstein, presented at his alma mater Harvard University, explores all types of music, including: folk music, pop songs, symphonies, tonal and atonal works; all taught by legendary master composer and conductor, Leonard Bernstein.
20th Century Greats
Act like Self (archive footage) (4 ep.)
event2004
top_panel_open
Howard Goodall examines the work of The Beatles, Cole Porter, Bernard Herrmann and Leonard Bernstein.
Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution
Act like Self (1 ep.)
event1967
top_panel_open
In this CBS News report, Leonard Bernstein examines creativity in pop music of the mid 1960s. This is probably one of the first examples of pop music being examined as a "serious" art form.
Great Performances
Act like Self (3 ep.)
event1971 star_border 5.4
top_panel_open
The best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.
On the Waterfront
Original Music Composer (3 ep.)
event1954 star_border 7.9
top_panel_open
Terry Malloy is a kindhearted dockworker, and former boxer, who is tricked by his corrupt bosses into leading his friend to death. After falling in love, he tries to leave the waterfront and expose his employers.
Trouble in Tahiti
Conductor (3 ep.)
event1973
top_panel_open
Leonard Bernstein's 1952 opera is a biting satire on the emptiness of materialist values and the false promise of suburban comforts. This production, conducted by the composer himself, presents a live-action cast performing on an animated set. Inspired by jazz and American musical comedy, the score is a path-breaking fusion of lyric art with popular entertainment.
Paris Opera Ballet: Tribute to Jerome Robbins 2
Original Music Composer (3 ep.)
event2018
top_panel_open
Jerome Robbins considered the Paris Opera Ballet as his second home after the New York City Ballet. This production in his honour brings together works displaying the infinite diversity of his sources of inspiration and his genius on stage. Be it in the energy of the large-scale Glass Pieces or the intimate sweetness of Afternoon of a Faun and A Suite of Dances, there emerges that rare capacity to make bodies follow the flow in a living comprehension of music. As the celebrated ballet Fancy Free, a veritable theatrical portrait of an era, enters the repertoire, Robbins reveals another facet of his talent.
Wonderful Town
Songs (3 ep.)
event1958 star_border 6.6
top_panel_open
Ruth Sherwood and her sister, Eileen, have moved to 1935 Greenwich Village. They're surrounded by colorful Village characters (including an out-of-work football player known as the Wreck, and Mr. Appopolous, a modern painter and their landlord) and embark on various New York adventures. Ruth, who's trying to make it as a writer, meets up with a sleazy newspaper writer named Chick and a kindly editor named Bob, both of whom take an interest in both her career and her.
On the Town
Music (3 ep.)
event1993
top_panel_open
A concert performance of Leonard Bernstein's "On the Town" performed at the Barbican Centre in London in 1993, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas and hosted by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Wonderful Town
Musical (3 ep.)
event2002
top_panel_open
The classic musical by Bernstein, Comden and Green is performed live in concert in Berlin, starring Audra McDonald, Thomas Hampson, Brent Barrett and Kim Criswell, and conducted by Simon Rattle.
Beethoven: The Piano Concertos
Music Director (3 ep.)
event2007
top_panel_open
Leonard Bernstein filmed Piano Concertos 3, 4, and 5 in 1989, but did not live to film the first two. He died in 1990. So Krystian Zimerman, the pianist, paid tribute to Bernstein and rounded out the set in 1991 by both playing and conducting Concertos 1 and 2.
Jonas Kaufmann: Arena di Verona 2023
Music (3 ep.)
event2023
top_panel_open
For the centenary of the Verona Opera Festival, Jonas Kaufmann gave a gala concert in the Arena on 20 August 2023. With colleagues Sonya Yoncheva and Ludovic Tézier, and accompanied by the Orchestra della Fondazione Arena di Verona conducted by Jochen Rieder, he performed arias and duets from Tosca, Otello and Andrea Chenier, and evergreens by Franz Lehár and Leonard Bernstein as well as famous film songs such as 'Nella fantasia' (The Mission) and 'Nelle tue mani' (Gladiator).
BBC Proms: Bernstein's On the Town
Original Music Composer (3 ep.)
event2018 star_border 7
top_panel_open
John Wilson and the London Symphony Orchestra present the hit Broadway musical On the Town live from the Royal Albert Hall. With classic numbers such as New York, New York and l Can Cook Too and a star-studded line-up of singers including Nathaniel Hackmann and Louise Dearman, this concert performance launches a packed bank holiday weekend of Proms tributes to the late composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, who would have been 100 years old on 25 August 2018. Katie Derham presents, with special guest Clarke Peters.
Trouble in Tahiti
Writer (3 ep.)
event2001
top_panel_open
Leonard Bernstein was on his honeymoon in 1951 when he began composing his one-act opera, Trouble in Tahiti, a candid portrait of the troubled marriage of a young suburban couple. Written between his biggest Broadway successes— On the Town in 1944 and Candide and West Side Story in 1956 and 1957, respectively— Trouble in Tahiti draws upon popular songs styles to deliver an uncompromising critique of post-war American materialism. Beneath the couple's marital discord is a profound longing for love and intimacy. Their spiritual emptiness, in contrast to a veneer of happy consumerism, creates the heart of the drama and is emphasized by sudden stylistic shifts in the music.
Candide
Music (3 ep.)
event2003
top_panel_open
Concert performance of Bernstein's Candide, with additional connecting texts by Loriot (Vicco von Bülow).
Beyond Picasso
Music (3 ep.)
event1986
top_panel_open
Schwartz reordered and combined angular contours, broken planes, and distorted proportions in her own pictorial structures in an homage to Picasso's style.
Leonard Bernstein: Mass At The Vatican City
Writer (3 ep.)
event2004
top_panel_open
Timeless traditions and contemporary anxieties clash musically and theatrically in Leonard Bernstein's powerful but rather neglected "Theatre Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers," The dancers are omitted in this semi-staged performance, produced for the Vatican's Jubilee 2000 celebration, but the show's eclectic musical brilliance, its adept mingling and clash of musical styles, its contrasts of hope and anxiety, faith and unbelief, ancient serenity and modern dissatisfaction are all brilliantly conveyed. More than 30 years after its premiere, for the opening of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., Mass still has the impact of this morning's newspaper headlines.
Candide
Writer (3 ep.)
event1986
top_panel_open
The legendary Harold Prince directs Bernstein's perennial favorite Candide, which premiered at New York City Opera under his direction in 1982 and became a staple of the company's repertoire.
West Side Story
Original Music Composer (3 ep.)
event1961 star_border 7.3
top_panel_open
In the slums of the upper West Side of Manhattan, tensions are high as a gang of Polish-Americans compete against a gang of recently immigrated Puerto Ricans, but this doesn't stop two romantics from each gang falling in love.
Bernstein | Beethoven Symphonies 3,4,5
Conductor (3 ep.)
event2008 star_border 10
top_panel_open
Leonard Bernstein conducts three symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony no. 3 in E flat major, op 55 ('Eroica'), Symphony no. 4 in B flat major, op 60 and Symphony no. 5 in C minor, op 67, all performed by Wiener Philharmoniker in Vienna in 1977-8.
West Side Story
Songs (3 ep.)
event2021 star_border 7
top_panel_open
Two youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy.
Candide
Songs (3 ep.)
event2005 star_border 7
top_panel_open
Leonard Bernstein's brilliant comic operetta comes to dazzling new life under the guidance of director Lonny Price (A Class Act). Based on the classic Voltaire tale of an innocent young man's journey through a life filled with colorful characters and unexpected life lessons, this tune-filled frolic features Tony Award-winners Patti LuPone and Kristin Chenoweth heading a dazzling cast with Paul Groves, Stanford Olsen, Sir Thomas Allen and the Westminster Symphonic Choir. The impeccable score (with lyrics by luminaries including Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker, Stephen Sondheim, Richard Wilbur and John La Touche) includes a host of delightful songs such as "Life Is Happiness Indeed," "It Must Be So," "You Were Dead, You Know" and "Make Our Garden Grow." Now enjoy this all-new production of a musical comedy favorite with Broadway's top stars!
Chita: A Legendary Celebration
Songs (3 ep.)
event2020
top_panel_open
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS presents a 2013 concert celebrating Chita Rivera's 80th birthday as a fundraiser to aid struggling artists during the pandemic. Chita offers a musical retrospective of her career in the theatre with guest stars Tommy Tune and Ben Vereen. Includes songs from 'Seventh Heaven,' 'West Side Story,' 'Bye Bye Birdie,' 'The Happy Time,' 'Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris,' 'Chicago,' 'The Rink,' 'Kiss of the Spider Woman,' & 'The Visit,' among others.
Candide
Music (3 ep.)
event1988 star_border 9
top_panel_open
Bernstein's comic opera, based on Voltaire's classic satire, directed by Jonathan Miller and John Wells, is performed in a new production by Scottish Opera.
A Quiet Place
Music (3 ep.)
event1986 star_border 4
top_panel_open
"A Quiet Place" is an American opera in three acts, with music by Leonard Bernstein to a libretto by Stephen Wadsworth. The work is a sequel to Bernstein's 1951 short opera Trouble in Tahiti. In its initial form A Quiet Place was in one act; the premiere, on June 17, 1983, was a double bill: Trouble in Tahiti, intermission, A Quiet Place. In its three-act form, which appeared in 1984, Act Two of A Quiet Place largely consists of Trouble in Tahiti in flashback. This is a German Television broadcast of the 1986 Vienna State Opera production, conducted by Leonard Bernstein.
On the Town
Songs (3 ep.)
event1949 star_border 7
top_panel_open
Three sailors wreak havoc as they search for love during a whirlwind 24-hour leave in New York City.
Candide
Lyricist (3 ep.)
top_panel_open
The innocent Candide discovers that human beings aren't all they are cracked up to be and ultimately focuses on building his own life on his own terms.
Maestro
Music (3 ep.)
event2023 star_border 6.3
top_panel_open
A towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. A love letter to life and art, Maestro at its core is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.
Contender: Mastering the Method
Music (3 ep.)
event2001 star_border 7
top_panel_open
An in-depth analysis and celebration of the famous "I coulda been a contender" scene between Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger in the 1954 film "On the Waterfront".
Trouble in Tahiti
Music (3 ep.)
event2018
top_panel_open
Matthew Eberhardt brings 1950s suburbia to life in Leonard Bernstein’s colourful criticism of American consumerism. This performance stars Wallis Giunta, winner of the Young Singer Award at the 2018 International Opera Awards, in the role of Dinah.
Leonard Bernstein's Mass
Writer (3 ep.)
event1981
top_panel_open
Seen only once in 1981, this is a live national broadcast of the 10th anniversary production of MASS. Directed for the stage by Tom O’Horgan of “Hair” fame, the cameras were directed by Emile Ardolino. The work that opened the Kennedy Center is conducted by John Mauceri and produced for PBS by WQED, Pittsburgh.
Wonderful Town
Music (3 ep.)
event2018
top_panel_open
With a keen sensitivity to the demands and specificities of the American “musical”, and after the triumph of Sondheim’s Follies in 2015, the Opéra de Toulon once again embarked on a Broadway adventure with the French premiere of Bernstein’s Wonderful Town, and brought back for the occasion stage director Olivier Bénézech, a major connoisseur of the genre. A true declaration of love to the city of New-York, Wonderful Town tells the tale, with a boisterous rhythm and vast amounts of jazzy tunes, of two sisters from Ohio looking for success and glory in the big city. Lighter in tone than later works like West Side Story or Candide, its smart combination of the different musical traditions one could hear when wandering in the streets of New-York, its accomplished orchestral writing and colouring, and its vivid sense of comedy earned it no less than five Tony awards when it premiered in 1953.
Candide
Writer (3 ep.)
event2007
top_panel_open
Candide is a comic operetta written by Leonard Bernstein in 1956. The story is based on a novella by Voltaire, a satire about a man named Candide and his journey to becoming much more world weary. Recorded live at the Teatro Argentina, Rome.
Mass
Music (3 ep.)
event2020
top_panel_open
Enjoy Ravinia Festival’s production of Leonard Bernstein’s theater piece starring Tony Award-winning baritone Paulo Szot and featuring the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Baltimore Symphony Orchestra artistic director Marin Alsop conducts.
New York Philharmonic New Year's Eve: Bernstein on Broadway
Music (3 ep.)
event2018
top_panel_open
Who can resist Bernstein on Broadway? Toast the New Year and our Laureate Conductor’s 100th with West Side Story’s star-crossed lovers, On the Town’s fun-loving sailors, and Wonderful Town’s bright-eyed New Yorkers as portrayed by Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford, Hamilton’s Christopher Jackson, Cinderella’s Laura Osnes, and Next to Normal’s Aaron Tveit. Audience favorite Bramwell Tovey conducts.
Jonas Kaufmann: The Sound of Movies
Compositor (3 ep.)
event2024
top_panel_open
Singin' in the Rain, Strangers in the Night, What a Wonderful World: accompanied by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro Jochen Rieder, tenor Jonas Kaufmann interprets a century of great film music.
Bernstein & Gershwin Two Americans in Paris
Compositor (3 ep.)
event2024
top_panel_open
Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin, arguably the two leading composers of 20th-century America, set the tone for this festive concert with the Orchestre national de France and young virtuoso pianist Lise de la Salle, conducted by Stéphane Denève. Chapters: - Leonard Bernstein - Candide (ouverture) - George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue - George Gershwin - Un Américain à Paris
Show more expand_more
keyboard_double_arrow_down