Leonard Bernstein: Reflections

Seldom has the genius of one man so influenced the musical conscience of his age. Leonard Bernstein triumphed as composer, conductor, writer and teacher. The spontaneous joy of his Broadway hits, the bold, spiritual quest of his orchestral works and his intensity and vitality as a conductor has made Bernstein one of the central figures in 20th Century music.

In Reflections, he discusses his Boston childhood, his musical growth at Harvard and the Curtis Institute, and the influence of great masters like Reiner, Mitropoulos and Koussevitsky. 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 debut, 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.

Directed by Peter Rosen.

"..straight to camera, unprompted, measured, fluent, thought-provoking, self-deprecating an fascinating about the creative process."

Gramophone Awards 2010 WINNER - DVD Documentary

"…we see Bernstein reflecting on his life and music, shot in Carnegie Hall (scene of his legendary 1943 debut) and his studio overlooking New York's Central Park. What a charismatic talker he is - straight to camera, unprompted, measured, fluent, thought-provoking, self-deprecating an fascinating about the creative process." Gramophone Magazine, December 2009

Special Features:
-Performance clip of Darius Milhaud: Le Boeuf Sur Le Toit, featuring the National Orchestra of France, conducted by Bernstein (November 1976)

Region 4 - Regular 1.33:1 / 4:3 Fullscreen - DTS 5.1 Surround - Colour - 76 Minutes - PAL