A film portrait to mark the 60th birthday of the distinguished American musician.
When he was a young and unknown musician, his mentor and friend, the great maestro Serge Koussevitsky , urged him to change his name. ' Leonard Bernstein ; it will never be on Carnegie Hall !' But only a few months later the world did see his name outside Carnegie Hall; he has since established an international reputation as a composer, conductor, pianist, teacher, tv lecturer and author.
Bernstein has always faced problems: his father's gloomy prophecy that he would spend the rest of his life playing Cole Porter songs in a hotel lobby now seems like a minor trauma compared to the years of hostile criticism he's received from critics and the avantgarde. All this in addition to the creative problems confronting any composer of talent.
In tonight's film from America, a world première, Leonard Bern stein talks about his life and his work. Extracts from many of his compositions are heard in rehearsal and performance by the ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA.
Producer PETER ROSEN