Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic

Between 1958 and 1973 Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic presented a series of televised concerts--designed to introduce youngsters to the world of classical music--in which the charismatic conductor spoke in an accessible but never condescending fashion to the audiences assembled in Carnegie Hall, as well as viewers throughout the nation and, eventually, the world. Long unavailable, 25 concerts are now debuting on DVD in this nine-disc collection, of which the initial disc includes the first three hour-long programs--“What Does Music Mean?”, “What Is American Music?” and “What Is Orchestration?”--dating from January-March of 1958. Throughout, Bernstein is witty and informative, putting his pianist abilities to good use in offering relevant musical examples and encouraging the orchestral musicians to join in (though some seem to have a bit of trouble shedding their professorial mien). The programs also feature occasional complete performances (such as Ravel's Bolero) and guests (Aaron Copeland shows up to conduct a portion of his Third Symphony). Given that these are live shows from the early days of television, the sound quality isn't equal to contemporary offerings and the camerawork is relatively utilitarian, but the programs themselves remain instructive, and could well attract today's young people just as they did those of an earlier generation (while for older viewers, the set may be a welcome nostalgia trip). Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)