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LEONARD BERNSTEIN - SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN FESTIVAL MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH - The Indomitable Bow The plethora of recordings featuring Leonard Bernstein continues with this important issue of the famed conductor as teacher/lecturer. We have three one-hour presentations at the Schleswig-Holstein Festival filmed in 1988. The first is called The Birth of an Orchestra, the second is an analysis and rehearsal of one of Bernstein's favorite works, Stravinsky's Le sacre du printemps, and the third part is from the International Conuctors' Competition and Master Course. Also included is a bonus, a live performance of Schumann's Piano Concerto with Justus Frantz recorded in Vienna's Musikverein in 1985. The same pianist and conductor made a DGG recording of the work the previous year. Video focuses on Bernstein, and subtitles are provided in German, English Korean and Japanese. During the third section it is unfortunate more detailed information isn't provided to identify the young conductors who participated. Still, Bernstein fans will wish to aquire3 this. Here is a splendid 79-minute film by Bruno Monsaingeon. Sections have the titles: Childhood and musical training, Sviatoslav Richter, International breakthrough, rivalry?, Galina Vishnevskaya, Alexandre Solzhenitsyn, Humiliations, The forced exile, Shostakovich, Conductor and pedagogue, Homecoming, The inspirer, and Epilogue. There are bonus musical excerpts including a 1974 performance of Beethoven's Piano Truo No. 7 with Yehudi Menuhin and Wilhelm Kempff. Also short works of Bach and Thaikovsky. Another bonus is a 47-minute conversation between Olga Rostropovich, Elena Rostropovich, Natalia Solzhenitsyn, and Ignot Solzheinitsyn. This is a major musical documentary issue R.E.B. (February 2019) |