Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts

Leonard Bernstein told the television audience at the start of the first young People's Concert: "No matter what stories people tell you about what music means, forget them. Stories are not what music means. Music is never about things. Music just is. It's a lot of beautiful notes and sounds put together so well that we get pleasure out of hearing them. So when we ask, 'What does it mea; what does this piece of music mean?' we're asking a hard question. Let's do our best to answer it." During the course of this first program the New York Philharmonic preforms portions of Rossini's William Tell Overture, Beethoven's Sixth Symphony, and Ravel's La Valse.

From Carnegie Hall, Bernstein discusses the orgins and characteristics of American music. After an extended excerpt from George Gershwin's An American in Paris and a discussion of nationalistic and folk music, excerpts from compositions by American composers Edward MacDowell, William Schuman, Virgil Thomson, and others are performed. in closing Aaron Copland conducts parts of his own Third Symphony.

After brief introductory remarks, Bernstein conducts the finale of Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio espagnol and then explains what a composer must know in order to orchestrate music successfully. He compares the flute to the trumpet, and the clarinet to the viola, with examples from Debussy and Gershwin. After asking the audience to sing two notes in a variety of ways, he contrasts the families of instruments that compose and orchestra using excerpts from Prokofiev, Hindemith, Mozart, and others to illustrate, and ends with Ravel's Bolero.

Using the examples of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony and Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony, Bernstein demonstrates the techniques of repetition and variation in the development of symphonic music. After conuction part of Tchaikosky's Romeo and Juliet, he asks the audience to sing "Frere Jacques," demonstrating the uses of sequence and imitation in symphonic composition. The final movement of Brahm's Second Symphony is then analyzed and played

Bernstein conducts Handel's Water Music and cites it as an indisputable example of classical music. "Exact" is the word that best defines classical music, Bernstein says and he demonstrates with musical illustrations from Bach's Fourth Brandenburg Concerto Mozart's Concerto No. 21 in C Major and The Marriage of Figaro, and Haydn's Symphony No. 102. The decline of classical music at the end of the eighteenth century is tied to Beethoven's innovations and the Romantic movement, and Bernstein conducts Beethoven's Egmont Overture.

Using excerpts from Shostakovitch, Mahler, Haydn and others Bernstein demonstrates how a "serious" composition can take an unexpected humorous turn. Prokofiev's Classical Symphony is played in its entirety

Leonard Bernstein discusses the development of the concerto form from Bach to Bartok. Bernstein conducts examples of early concertos - Bach's Fifth Brandenburg Concerto and Vivaldi's Concerto in C major. From the classical period, he conducts Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante and, finally, the fourth and fifth movements of Bartok's neo-classical Concerto for Orchestra.

Leonard Bernstein celebrates Mahler's centennial by conducting excerpts from he composer's Fourth Symphony in G and discussing his career as a composer and conductor. Soprano Reri Grist joins the orchestra in a performance of the last movement of the Fourth Symphony. William Lewis sings "Youth" and Helen Raab sings from "The Farewell," both from Mahler's The Song of the Earth (Das Lied van der Erde).

Bernstein discusses folk music and its influence on orchestra music, and conducts excerpts from Mozart, Chaves, and Ives, and "Songs of the Auvergne" sung by Marni Nixon.

Bernstein focuses on Impressionism in music, discussing the methods and styles of Debussy and Ravel. He conducts three movements from La Mer and the final dance of Daphnis et Chloe.

Bernstein sketches a brief history of Stravinsky's musical career, noting changes of style and shifts of direction. The whole of Petrouchka is played and each scene is analyzed.

Bernstein discusses the different forms melody can take, including tune, theme, motive, melodic line and musical phrase. He illustrates by conducting the orchestra in excerpts from Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Hindemith, and Brahms.

Bernstein discusses "the two ingredients that give this music its special Latin flavor: rhythm and color." Excerpts include Bernstein's own Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.

Bernstein discusses the blending of jazz and symphonic music, with performances and readings to illustrate. The program ends with Larry Austin's Improvisations for Orchestra and Jazz Soloists.

Bernstein describes the three-part sonata form, and exemplifies it by singing the Beatles "And I Love Her." Veronica Tyler sings Micaela's aria from Bizet's Carmen and Bernsteinconducts the Philharmonic in the first movement of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony.

Bernstein celebrates the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, and comments on Finland, the Finnish language, and Finnish patriotism, as well as Sibelius himself. Works by the composer including Finlandia, and the fist movement of his Violin Concerto, with soloist Sergiu Luca, are performed

Bernstein explains musical intervals and discusses their relationship to harmony, melody and inversion. After analysis, the first movement of Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major by Brahms is performed. The discussion continues, focusing on major and minor seconds.

Bernstein explains that the duty of the orchestra is to reproduce faithfully the notes and instructions of the composer. The main focus is the first half of Haydn's Symphony No. 88. The opening music is deliberately played incorrectly and errors are pointed out.

Bernstein celebrates Dmitri Shostakovich's sixtieth birthday by discussing his work and conducting an excerpt from his Symphony No. 7 and all of Symphony No. 9.

Bernstein discusses scales, intervals, and tones, and analyzes several pieces, including Debussy's Fetes, Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, and music from the Kinks and the Beatles, to illustrate different modes. An excerpt from Bernstein's ballet Fancy Free is also performed.

Bernstein plays tribute to new York Philharmonic's "fraternal orchestra," the Vienna Philharmonic, in celebration of the 125th anniversary of both orchestras. Works by Johann and Richard Strauss, Mozart, Beethoven, and Mahler are performed and preceded by a brief discussion.

Leonard Bernstein quizzes Avery Fisher Hall and television audiences on their musicality. Highlights include true-or-false questions with musical examples, and excerpts from Mozart, Prokofiev and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Bernstein discusses what he describes as the "first psychedelic symphony," Berlioz's La Symphonie Fantastique, examining the concept of the idée fixe in music and illustrating this concept with excerpts from the first movement. Bernstein analyzes the music and discusses the story line of the remaining movements which are performed by the Philharmonic.

Bernstein compares the main theme of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake with Stravinsky's Firebird. A performance of the pas de deux from Swan Lake illustrates the concept of abstract ballet, followed by excerpts from Stravinsky's Firebird.

Bernstein takes a look at Beethoven's so-called "flawed masterpiece" - his only opera, Fidelio. After discussing the story and its problems, "charming excerpts" are performed. Four vocal sections from Act II follow, each preceded by analysis and plot summary.