Leonard Bernstein: Larger Than Life. A film by Georg Wübbolt. C major DVD 736004. Total Time: 76.00.
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) has been gone for more than a quarter century, and yet he remains one of the most revered figures in American musical life. His hundreds of recordings for Deutsche Grammophon and Sony Classical continue to be reissued with great success and his music is an integral part of the symphonic repertoire and that of the musical theatre. As the 100th anniversary of his birth approaches in 2018, we can expect a torrent of commemorative performances, recordings and books. Early out of the gate is a new documentary film that aims to capture who Bernstein was and what he did. In a competitive field — there are at least three other DVDs about him currently on the market — it is only modestly successful. To wit, we are still awaiting a documentary that provides a seriously critical appraisal of this iconic figure.
The best parts of Georg Wübbolt’s film are probably the interviews, especially those with Bernstein’s children, Jamie, Alexander and Nina. Each one of them has only fond memories of their father — would critical comments have been included? — and they emphasise Bernstein’s endless curiosity and his love of teaching. Many of the other friends and colleagues interviewed talk about how they were moved to embrace classical music by watching Bernstein on his Omnibus television shows in the 1950s or by attending the Young People’s Concerts he did with the New York Philharmonic.
Marin Alsop, now conductor of the Baltimore Symphony, studied with Bernstein at Tanglewood and has become one of his most authoritative interpreters. Earlier this year she conducted performances of West Side Story in New York to rave reviews. She remembers her experiences with Bernstein as life-changing. Having idolised Bernstein before meeting him, she found his teaching to be inspired and transformational. In the interview, when asked which Bernstein composition she thought was the best, she gave a somewhat surprising answer: “Mass.” Coming from Alsop, that comment should send all of us reaching for a recording of Mass to give it a second chance.
Apart from the interviews, the Bernstein footage on this documentary has all been seen before in other documentaries. One of the most memorable sequences depicts Bernstein losing his patience with the Vienna Philharmonic in rehearsal. It is shocking to see the American, Bernstein, admonishing the musicians in German for not giving Mahler sufficient respect. But he was right, and ultimately they bought into his view of Mahler. He recorded all the Mahler symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic and those DVDs remain an indispensable addition to any music lover’s collection.
Other Bernstein documentaries readily available on DVD include Leonard Bernstein: The Gift of Music (DG 073 4336); Leonard Bernstein: Reflections (Medici Arts 3078728); Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note (WinStar WHE73019); and The Little Drummer Boy: An Essay on Gustav Mahler by Leonard Bernstein (DG 073 4350).
Reissues of Bernstein CDs continue to be popular. DG has released two massive box sets under the title The Leonard Bernstein Collection (Vol. 1 , 58 CDs; Vol. 2, 64 CDs), and Sony Classical has its own Leonard Bernstein Edition: Vol. 1 and 2, 80 CDs respectively, although it appears that Vol. 1 is currently out of print.
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