Leonard Bernstein: Reflections

This film is a rare personal portrait of Leonard Bernstein, who triumphed as a composer, conductor, writer and teacher. The spontaneous joy of his Broadway hits, the bold, spiritual quest of his orchestral works, his intensity and vitality as a conductor turned Bernstein into a central figure of 20th century music. Never before, there has been such a personal portrait of Bernstein told through his own words. It brings a renewed appreciation of this gifted man and his far-reaching influence. ‘Leonard Bernstein Reflections’ takes viewers from the Leonard Bernstein Festival in Israel in 1977 to the stage of his famous debut at Carnegie Hall in New York and into the privacy of his home and studio. Honestly and intimately, Bernstein himself reveals stories never been heard before about his childhood and early years in Boston, his musical growth at Harvard and at the Curtis Institute, and the influence of great masters like Reiner, Mitropoulis and Koussevitsky. Bernstein’s eloquence and charm have marked his television appearances and are powerful evidences in this documentary: from the pioneering Omnibus programmes of the 1950s, and the CBS Young People’s Concerts to the provocative Norton lectures delivered at Harvard in the 1970s.