Leonard Bernstein and Duke Ellington on Classical/Jazz Synthesis

Leonard Bernstein and Duke Ellington got together on July 2, 1966 for an interview at the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company in River Hills, Wisconsin. Bernstein and the Duke discussed a variety of music-related topics including cultural centers, classical/jazz audiences, and composing music.
"Well maybe that's really the difference between us, that you wrote symphonic jazz, and I wrote jazz symphonies."
Leonard Bernstein to Duke Ellington (1966)
Used by Permission/Copyright WTMJ-TV, a Journal Broadcast Group Station. All Rights Reserved.

[@vbassone]

This is great! Just to see them sitting and talking being interviewed together was wonderful. Their mutual appreciation for one another is apparent.

[@darylmichael7]

Sad these two brilliant men never composed or collaborated together. Now that would have been something to feast on.

[@thomeiser8933]

"love you man"
adorable

[@classicalmusicanalysis]

+Thom Eiser It really is!

[@paulbrewer2374]

Love this❤

[@rineric3214]

Delightful interplay between the two giants of that era.

[@jaimegallegos6299]

'Pretend It' s a City' brought me here 👍👍👍

[@GiantBattleRobo]

same story!

[@mckernan603]

My jaw dropped

[@danielmadeson311]

Same here!!!!

[@maestroclassico5801]

Symphonic Jazz or Jazz Symphonies either both of your Music touched my life!!

[@jaysteve8048]

The great, prolific Bernstein (who had once attached the word "genius" to both Thelonius Monk and Ornette Coleman) remained for many years at the forefront of Symphonic or Classical Music composer and conductor, scorer of stage and screen--all music forms steeped in the European tradition.
Mr. Edward Kennedy 'Duke' Ellington, on the other hand, was also at the forefront of a music form, but this music form is a uniquely American music form, which also served as a bold and extremely radical music revolution whose story of existence and triumph - despite all odds - was created by, developed, innovated and propagated by the same folks whose ancestors were once un-free in this free land. The music form that is Jazz. And the folks that are African Americans.
The very idea of Jazz undoubtedly itself reflects American freedom and American democracy, with Blues, improvisation and spontaneity at its root.
It is the unrivaled genius of the Jazz artist, who has articulated ANY which instrument associated with an orhestral setting (piano or keyboards, bass, drums, brass, woodwinds, reeds, strings) and, as soloists, have undeniably extracted from the already mentioned instrument, the most depth and the widest range of expression, and has contributed the most to that particular instruments vocabulary, which remains in stark contrast with the highly structured, composed and arranged music--performed as one huge unit consistent with European musical tradition.
Ellington and Bernstein, who both left the world with an enormous body of absolutely superb music proved a wise choice for an interview--all in the same video. Classic.

[@patmarriott5067]

Me too! The two greatest all-around American musicians of the 20th C and there they are together! What a treat.

[@QJones-tn5yg]

Legends

[@thebes50]

A priceless moment in time with two giants of Music. Thanks for sharing!

[@peterbrown3944]

Two classy gentlemen!

[@brucekuehn4031]

After looking on my own, I found 26 minutes of interview on Vimeo which is very interesting also. Bernstein talks about a return to tonality and Ellington muses on improvisation while enjoying peanuts and beer. My curiosity from here in the Milwaukee area was - what brought these 2 giants together with Schlitz? What I've figured is that the interview (after a grand entrance from a very space-age looking helicopter) took place at what we now call the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center. How did the head of the brewery get these two together? Very generous contributions and sponsorships of concerts. Schlitz paid for free jazz in the park Philharmonic concerts in New York and Milwaukee. Too bad we don't see that level of giving today

[@ignorecorporatenews]

and don't forget the brilliant Schaeffer (Beer) Music Festivals in nyc central park in the 1970's

[@ignorecorporatenews]

tickets were $1.00 !! I saw Errol garner, Buddy Rich, Blood sweat and Tears, others there. Fantastic ! Those WERE the Good Old Days

[@agamemnonpadar5706]

oh thank you so much for the upload!

[@thomasherreng3903]

What a treasure !

[@Twentythousandlps]

In answer to the question below, Ellington and his orchestra presented a concert on July 1 in Milwaukee, sponsored by the Schlitz company. Leonard Bernstein and "his" orchestra presented a concert on July 2 in Milwaukee, also sponsored by the Schlitz company. The two giants did not perform together.

[@douglasdickerson5184]

💙💙💙

[@candy9986]

Brilliant 💕

[@jeffryphillipsburns]

Duke is great.

[@brucekuehn4031]

Wow - anyone know what they were doing at Schlitz together?

[@odedfried-gaon2880]

True, true gentlemen. No nonsense about them.
#OdedFriedGaon #OdedMusic #OdedInformation #Audioded

[@rubengreenberg2253]

The Duke is every bit as articulate as the eloquent Bernstein. -without having gone to Harvard.

[@SarahJones-wy5us]

Ruben Greenberg Yes is it not refreshing to see that talent does not automatically need a high brow education....GREAT!

[@jonsmith848]

Huh?

[@ignorecorporatenews]

Schiltz !

[@SarahJones-wy5us]

Should ignore this , however what are you saying?

[@jamespaulnadien5126]

duke rules bernstein drools