Leonard Bernstein has worked with most of the world's great orchestras, but three were particularly close to him: The New York Philharmonic; the Israel Philharmonic; and the Vienna Philharmonic. This autobiographical program uses the format of an interview with an unseen, unidentified person, bolstered by examples from films and recordings, to explore his relationship with each. The pioneer spirit characterizes Bernstein's work with Israel, while flexibility is the defining element of the New York Philharmonic, where Bernstein took over in 1958 (with their ability to switch sounds and style, the NYP "can be the greatest in the world"). These two segments are heavy on close-ups of a chain-smoking Bernstein; even some of the performance fragments must compete with an inset portrait of the maestro. As a result we have little opportunity to observe for ourselves the dynamics of each orchestra. The final segment, with Vienna, is more satisfying. The lengthier clips reveal some insights into the way a performance is shaped by the conductor, and the sequence of rehearsal/commentary/performance provides better balance than in earlier parts of the film. Commentary is vintage Bernstein, and hard core fans will not find the 88 minutes of discourse excessive--but this is an optional purchase for the rest of us. (J. Reed)
The Love Of Three Orchestras: Leonard Bernstein
(1985) 88 min. $19.95. Kultur. PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 1-56127-443-7. Vol. 11, Issue 2
The Love Of Three Orchestras: Leonard Bernstein
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