Quite simply, one of the greatest gifts I have received in my life comes from a man who died almost 200 years ago... I truly can't imagine what my life would be like without Beethoven's music, I suppose partially because, as Bernstein communicates, Beethoven's music communicates something from the very essence of existence.
I was 19 when I first heard the entire 5th symphony played by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, sitting on the floor in front of the stereo in my parents house. I was forever changed by the 3rd and 4th movements. I am now 77 years old and I have listened to every piece of music Beethoven composed, many, many, many times and I have never grown tired of it. What Leonard says here is so true.
This is the greatest, if not THE greatest reflection on Beethoven’s music. The ode to joy in the background makes it the best. To me, that melody sums up everything Lenny is talking about.
"it has a purity and directness of communication that never becomes banal...its accessible without being ordinary this is the magic that no amount of talk can explain." Leonard Bernstein
That’s Beethoven, in a sentence, "it has a purity and directness of communication that never becomes banal...its accessible without being ordinary“ man, i don’t know how many times I’ve watched this and gotten chills when the ninth starts in the background. He’s right, it’s almost like celebrating the birthday of music itself as we celebrate the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven, the greatest composer of all time.
Bernstein is amazingly articulate. He always expresses his thoughts so well. I would have loved to attend his lectures or his concerts. What a man. Just like Beethoven and Mozart, Bernstein is a gift to us all.
Western Classical Music has never had a more eloquent spokesman than Leonard Bernstein. What he said about Beethoven's music's relevance to Bernstein's time (this video looks some 30 years old) seems equally relevant today, especially today.
Leonard is thanking Beethoven for Humanity. Beethoven loved nature, and I walk in our forest listening mostly to Beethoven Symphonies. He would be horrified to see what Global Corp Inc has done to nature. I hear no insects and there are no birds. Total silence. So I listen to Beethoven. And cry for my children.
If you ask me who wrote the best melodies, I wouldn't answer Beethoven. If you ask me which _are_ the greatest melodies, the first ~5 will be by Beethoven.
"Bien, durante la mayor parte de los últimos tres meses he estado viviendo en torno a Beethoven, reflexionando sobre su vida, visitando sus casas, leyendo sus cartas, pero sobre todo, viviendo con su música. La he estudiado y repasado, ensayado e interpretado una y otra vez y debo informar de que no me he llegado a cansar de ella ni un sólo instante. La música permanece inagotablemente satisfactoria, interesante, conmovedora, y así ha permanecido durante dos siglos y para todo tipo de personas".
"No ha vivido ningún compositor que hable tan directamente a tanta gente, a jóvenes, adultos, educados, ignorantes, amateurs, profesionales, sofisticados, ingenuos... y a todas estas personas de todas las clases, nacionalidades, razas, esta música habla un pensamiento universal de hermandad humana, libertad y amor.
Desesperanzados como podemos estar, no podemos escuchar esta su 9ª sinfonía sin emerger de ella cambiados, enriquecidos y fortalecidos. Y al hombre que dio al mundo un regalo tan precioso, ningún honor puede ser suficientemente grande ni ninguna celebración suficientemente dichosa. Es prácticamente como si celebrásemos el nacimiento de la misma música."
How would you rank Beethoven's symphonies? I'd go with: 1. 9th 2. 3rd 3. 5th 4. 6th 5. 7th 6. 8th 7. 4th 8. 1st 9. 2nd 9th and 3rd are so universally acclaimed, that's it's not a surprise, 9th has more of the grandeur that I find more appealing. I had a harder time picking between 5th, 6th, and 7th. 5th has absolutely legendary outer movements, so I picked it 3rd, while the 6th is strong overall with a more gentle mood when, 7th maybe has the most rousing final movement after incredible movements 1 and 2. 8th is very cleverly composed, but lacks any proper slow movement, 4th has an amazing fast part of the 1st movement, but it doesn't strike that deeply emotionally. Symphonies 1st and 2nd aren't as good as the rest, they have more classical period characteristics. Early piano sonatas by Beethoven are already very strong musically, but he truly found his very own orchestral language in the 3rd symphony. 1st has more compelling subjects than the 2nd for me. , I know you like the 2nd more.
There is something special about Beethoven's great music, for myself he's easily the greatest composer, its certainly quality over quantity. Even though he lost his hearing the ninth is a masterpiece of music or the world to enjoy.
Pero quizá había en Beethoven, el hombre, un niño que nunca creció, que, hasta el final de su vida permaneció como una criatura de gracia, de inocencia y de confianza, incluso en sus momentos de mayor desesperación, y ese inocente espíritu nos habla de esperanza, futuro e inmortalidad y es por esa razón que amamos hoy su música más que nunca antes. En este tiempo de agonía mundial, de desesperanza y desvalimiento amamos su música y la necesitamos.
You're not alone, friend. The ultimate truth we humans are able to intuit -and resonate to-comes to us via music and poetry. What Bernstein says is true and is the kind of truth we desperately need in this hour.
For me... Beethoven's music mostly felt thematically personal to me well, with the exception of 9th but still, it kinda tells me about love, fantastically divine dreamy visions (which perhaps are glimpse of my personal heaven) and perhaps family (excluding the music).
En esta 9ª sinfonía, por ejemplo, en la que Beethoven pone música a la "Oda a la alegría" de Schiller en el final, la música va mucho más allá del poema, le da una mayor dimensión, energía vital y brillantez artística a esas antiguos versos de Schiller: "Todos los hombres serán hermanos", "Millones, abrácense", "Oh, mundo, ¿no sientes a tu creador?".
@Archivvve I was thinking about this very recently, he was like the Carl Sagan of music. And Carl Sagan was like the Leonard Bernstein of science. I mean this as a compliment to both of them.
" En otras palabras, esta música no es solamente infinitamente duradera, pero quizá lo más parecido a la universalidad que la música ha logrado. Ese dudoso tópico acerca de la música siendo el "lenguaje universal" casi se vuelve cierto en el caso de Beethoven.
This is mostly a flawless ode to a wonderful thing. But .... For me, this speech wobbles off the edge a couple of times. 1. "In this time of world agony... " - good grief that's a bit much, isn't it? Yes it's the best piece of universal accessible uplifting music going, but it ain't going to feed your starving village. 2. "perhaps in beethoven there was a child" - that as a hypothesis to explain the latter point about it creating a universal connection works , but the statement is so no sequitur to the previous paragraph that I don't think it works as a piece of rhetoric, and could have been restructured. Still, if I ever get a review like this on my work after 200 years, I'd be content even with the odd overzealous flourish in it.
En otras palabras, esta música tiene éxito incluso para aquellas personas para las cuales la religión organizada fracasa, porque recoge un espíritu divino y sublime en la forma más libre y menos doctrinaria que era típica de Beethoven. Tiene una pureza y franqueza en la comunicación que nunca se vuelve banal. Es accesible sin ser ordinaria. Esta es la magia que ninguna cantidad de palabras será capaz de explicar.
well that's interesting , because as for myself , I also found beethoven 9 ode to joy to be one of the most worthy pieces of music from beethoven. butt when the joy is gone , beethoven is quickly back to his brooding moon light sonata beethovens emotional range is very wide. in my current musical situation , I'm seeking 1 single melody line that can defeat beethoven completely. bach of course does it for me every time.
For me Nothing beats beethoven music. Dont get me wrong i like bach too, but his music doesent come even near of Beethovens music on Passion, power and expression.
why don't people talk this way, with so much passion, if only i had such vocabulary to express my thoughts, instead i know 2 languages both moderate! lol
@onlinemonikers yep... BW a genius... and Lennon, McArthney, Mozart, Schubert, Chopin... so on... and on... but I think that Beethoven is on the top of the pyramid
@bersa888 I mean, I bear no ill will towards more obscure composers who were able to produce marvelous music, but I find that more often than not a great musician has the ability to elevate a more obscure composition purely on the basis of his own phenomenal interpretive powers and artistry, whereas more mediocre musicians can take the impact and charm out of even the greatest music in the canon and make them seem rather droll...
Perhaps Beethoven's Enlightenment doctrine is responsible for everything he did. If so, at least the Enlightenment had a virtue. Casuistry and unique, but a virtue.
@bersa888 Hmm, I don't think I've ever heard of such an arbitrary selection in the XIX century ever happening, but I suppose it's possible! In addition, I observe that my own adoration of the classics stems quite a bit from the legacies of the great musicians of the recorded era; I'm firmly convinced of the importance of the musician's role in effective musical communication, and it just so happens that the most famous works in history tend to be the ones these greats frequented in performance.
Why does even this praise become infected with psycho-babble and sentimental cliché? Why attempt to explain, when whatever one may say will fall short of the music? Only a poet might rival the music, but I don't know of a poem about Beethoven, because a poet would not attempt to explain, but to realize a fullness through the richness of language that might present something similar, but even the best poetry, which I believe has equaled the music of Beethoven, can never be as immediate, direct as the music.
It's a common naive bias to believe because a music speaks to you, therefore it speaks to everybody. Some people don't like beethoven and many famous composers disliked him and have called his music vulgar. Such bias makes the whole comment irrelevant
I agree completely. Beethoven invested his soul to correct the system from within. Mozart -as aloof as Cole Porter - didn't care for the systen, focusing on effect, on emotion. A universal emotion.
@bersa888 it's not mere "highbrow snobbery" that recognizes genius. Popular music today is just so banal and of the lowest-common-denominator that people recoil against anything of true taste and artistic merit that doesn't immediately excite the masses. It's sad that we live in an age of such artistic and cultural mediocrity.
Quite simply, one of the greatest gifts I have received in my life comes from a man who died almost 200 years ago... I truly can't imagine what my life would be like without Beethoven's music, I suppose partially because, as Bernstein communicates, Beethoven's music communicates something from the very essence of existence.
I totally feel the same as you 🤍
I was 19 when I first heard the entire 5th symphony played by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, sitting on the floor in front of the stereo in my parents house. I was forever changed by the 3rd and 4th movements. I am now 77 years old and I have listened to every piece of music Beethoven composed, many, many, many times and I have never grown tired of it. What Leonard says here is so true.
Had a similar experience with the 5th.
Avevo 11 anni mia madre mi fece ascoltare il primo tempo della V di Beethoven sul disco vinile 33 giri …rimasi fulminato…la mia vita cambiò per sempre
"It is almost like celebrating the birthday of music itself"; that last line says it all..
Thank you for posting this.
A very eloquent man, it is very moving what he has to say...
Daaaamn, his words almost moved me to tears.
This is the greatest, if not THE greatest reflection on Beethoven’s music. The ode to joy in the background makes it the best. To me, that melody sums up everything Lenny is talking about.
It's always a pleasure to listen to Bernstein.
"it has a purity and directness of communication that never becomes banal...its accessible without being ordinary this is the magic that no amount of talk can explain." Leonard Bernstein
That’s Beethoven, in a sentence, "it has a purity and directness of communication that never becomes banal...its accessible without being ordinary“ man, i don’t know how many times I’ve watched this and gotten chills when the ninth starts in the background. He’s right, it’s almost like celebrating the birthday of music itself as we celebrate the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven, the greatest composer of all time.
He speaks so beautifully.
Nobody encapsulates the greatness of Beethoven quite like Bernstein
Never have spoken words been more true.
How about these words..... You are gay
I did not expect you here! Binged your videos at one time
Hey brother, glad to hear that:) I love Beethoven as much as I love Bruce.@@MrTechTalkTutorials
Bernstein is amazingly articulate. He always expresses his thoughts so well. I would have loved to attend his lectures or his concerts. What a man. Just like Beethoven and Mozart, Bernstein is a gift to us all.
Western Classical Music has never had a more eloquent spokesman than Leonard Bernstein. What he said about Beethoven's music's relevance to Bernstein's time (this video looks some 30 years old) seems equally relevant today, especially today.
Especially today!
You know what, its relevance will always remain. The music is so powerful, I'll never forget that day I heard it live for the first time
Beethoven was deaf from the outside world... but clearly he listened what is soul was whispering in his heart... I love that man
Leonard is thanking Beethoven for Humanity.
Beethoven loved nature, and I walk in our forest listening mostly to Beethoven Symphonies. He would be horrified to see what Global Corp Inc has done to nature. I hear no insects and there are no birds. Total silence.
So I listen to Beethoven.
And cry for my children.
What a wonderful, beautiful human being.
he really has a way with words.
Ritesh Ajoodha
The truth behind the words was self-existent. He just discovered them.
had.. sadly :')
Did he write this down beforehand? Or did it all roll off his tongue as seen?
Man! That voice, that music, that meaningful saying, I will never be able to understand why 4 people disliked this video. :(
Great summation by Bernstein-a great man accurately explaining the significance of another great man so we can appreciate it all the more.
If you ask me who wrote the best melodies, I wouldn't answer Beethoven. If you ask me which _are_ the greatest melodies, the first ~5 will be by Beethoven.
i don't know what makes me cry - beethoven's symphony in the background or bernstein's emotional and true words..
It's Bernstein's. The man is amazing.
"accessible without being ordinary!"
Glorious and beautifull speech.
'Almost like celebrating the birthday of music itself'...bold words spoken by a 20th century music prophet.
A genius talking about the genius!
"Bien, durante la mayor parte de los últimos tres meses he estado viviendo en torno a Beethoven, reflexionando sobre su vida, visitando sus casas, leyendo sus cartas, pero sobre todo, viviendo con su música. La he estudiado y repasado, ensayado e interpretado una y otra vez y debo informar de que no me he llegado a cansar de ella ni un sólo instante. La música permanece inagotablemente satisfactoria, interesante, conmovedora, y así ha permanecido durante dos siglos y para todo tipo de personas".
🙏❤🌹Ludwig and Leonard 🌹❤🙏
"No ha vivido ningún compositor que hable tan directamente a tanta gente, a jóvenes, adultos, educados, ignorantes, amateurs, profesionales, sofisticados, ingenuos... y a todas estas personas de todas las clases, nacionalidades, razas, esta música habla un pensamiento universal de hermandad humana, libertad y amor.
Leonard Bernstein is the Carl Sagan of Music.
Dd
Well said.
Actually I think you have it completely backwards. Carl Sagan is the Bernstein ( well not quite in the same league as Bernstein) of Science.
Very true haha!
His raspy voice is very similar
Desesperanzados como podemos estar, no podemos escuchar esta su 9ª sinfonía sin emerger de ella cambiados, enriquecidos y fortalecidos. Y al hombre que dio al mundo un regalo tan precioso, ningún honor puede ser suficientemente grande ni ninguna celebración suficientemente dichosa. Es prácticamente como si celebrásemos el nacimiento de la misma música."
Came the Time - came the Man❤!
How would you rank Beethoven's symphonies? I'd go with:
1. 9th
2. 3rd
3. 5th
4. 6th
5. 7th
6. 8th
7. 4th
8. 1st
9. 2nd
9th and 3rd are so universally acclaimed, that's it's not a surprise, 9th has more of the grandeur that I find more appealing. I had a harder time picking between 5th, 6th, and 7th. 5th has absolutely legendary outer movements, so I picked it 3rd, while the 6th is strong overall with a more gentle mood when, 7th maybe has the most rousing final movement after incredible movements 1 and 2. 8th is very cleverly composed, but lacks any proper slow movement, 4th has an amazing fast part of the 1st movement, but it doesn't strike that deeply emotionally. Symphonies 1st and 2nd aren't as good as the rest, they have more classical period characteristics. Early piano sonatas by Beethoven are already very strong musically, but he truly found his very own orchestral language in the 3rd symphony. 1st has more compelling subjects than the 2nd for me. , I know you like the 2nd more.
There is something special about Beethoven's great music, for myself he's easily the greatest composer, its certainly quality over quantity. Even though he lost his hearing the ninth is a masterpiece of music or the world to enjoy.
Pero quizá había en Beethoven, el hombre, un niño que nunca creció, que, hasta el final de su vida permaneció como una criatura de gracia, de inocencia y de confianza, incluso en sus momentos de mayor desesperación, y ese inocente espíritu nos habla de esperanza, futuro e inmortalidad y es por esa razón que amamos hoy su música más que nunca antes. En este tiempo de agonía mundial, de desesperanza y desvalimiento amamos su música y la necesitamos.
You're not alone, friend. The ultimate truth we humans are able to intuit -and resonate to-comes to us via music and poetry. What Bernstein says is true and is the kind of truth we desperately need in this hour.
It couldn´t be said better, than this. Thank you, Mr. Lion
For me...
Beethoven's music mostly felt thematically personal to me well, with the exception of 9th but still, it kinda tells me about love, fantastically divine dreamy visions (which perhaps are glimpse of my personal heaven) and perhaps family (excluding the music).
En esta 9ª sinfonía, por ejemplo, en la que Beethoven pone música a la "Oda a la alegría" de Schiller en el final, la música va mucho más allá del poema, le da una mayor dimensión, energía vital y brillantez artística a esas antiguos versos de Schiller: "Todos los hombres serán hermanos", "Millones, abrácense", "Oh, mundo, ¿no sientes a tu creador?".
i agree.. you described how i imagine him perfectly.. thank you
Marvellous words Mastro!
God damn it! when will I compose my magnum opus, how can I ever excel to this level? GODDAMM IT!!!
Wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing this!
He's able to catch up the spirit of the symphony.
Wonderful talk!
Beautiful, thank you
This amazing man can expound on the intricacies of a speck of dust for hours on end.....
reminds me of Carl sagan
@Archivvve I was thinking about this very recently, he was like the Carl Sagan of music. And Carl Sagan was like the Leonard Bernstein of science. I mean this as a compliment to both of them.
Lenny was the man. That is all.
Sharing + Thanks.....
Very well said
They might have gotten the theme for _Immortal Beloved_ from this talk. (Theme in the story sense, not the musical sense.)
" En otras palabras, esta música no es solamente infinitamente duradera, pero quizá lo más parecido a la universalidad que la música ha logrado. Ese dudoso tópico acerca de la música siendo el "lenguaje universal" casi se vuelve cierto en el caso de Beethoven.
Birth of music 👏
This is mostly a flawless ode to a wonderful thing. But ....
For me, this speech wobbles off the edge a couple of times.
1. "In this time of world agony... " - good grief that's a bit much, isn't it? Yes it's the best piece of universal accessible uplifting music going, but it ain't going to feed your starving village.
2. "perhaps in beethoven there was a child" - that as a hypothesis to explain the latter point about it creating a universal connection works , but the statement is so no sequitur to the previous paragraph that I don't think it works as a piece of rhetoric, and could have been restructured.
Still, if I ever get a review like this on my work after 200 years, I'd be content even with the odd overzealous flourish in it.
En otras palabras, esta música tiene éxito incluso para aquellas personas para las cuales la religión organizada fracasa, porque recoge un espíritu divino y sublime en la forma más libre y menos doctrinaria que era típica de Beethoven. Tiene una pureza y franqueza en la comunicación que nunca se vuelve banal. Es accesible sin ser ordinaria. Esta es la magia que ninguna cantidad de palabras será capaz de explicar.
14 people think: "Beethoven? Meh, I never liked his books."
well that's interesting , because as for myself , I also found beethoven 9 ode to joy to be one of the most worthy pieces of music from beethoven.
butt when the joy is gone , beethoven is quickly back to his brooding moon light sonata
beethovens emotional range is very wide.
in my current musical situation , I'm seeking 1 single melody line that can defeat beethoven completely.
bach of course does it for me every time.
Does anyone know the source of this clip? It appears to be part of a larger whole.
@maxbigazzi it was the introduction to the special where he conducted the 9th.
well said, leonard.
May I know where I can download the full video? Thanks!
For me Nothing beats beethoven music. Dont get me wrong i like bach too, but his music doesent come even near of Beethovens music on Passion, power and expression.
I get the impression that Bernstein liked Beethoven's music a little bit. I'm just guessing
why don't people talk this way, with so much passion, if only i had such vocabulary to express my thoughts, instead i know 2 languages both moderate! lol
this is the damn truth
Notice at 1:49 when Bernstein says "ALL" he pauses at almost the exact same time as the music. Coincidence? ;)
@onlinemonikers I am if you are referring to the Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys
interesting! Where did you take the video? From any dvd?
@bersa888 Your comment fascinates me. Care to elaborate further on this matter?
Beethoven is God.
AMEN!
Bernstein.. The Carl Sagan of music
@jomeara75 whatabout when Beethoven was conducting Beethoven?
Thank You for this nmariano79
@onlinemonikers yep... BW a genius... and Lennon, McArthney, Mozart, Schubert, Chopin... so on... and on... but I think that Beethoven is on the top of the pyramid
Yes Beethoven is the closest thing we've had to God on earth.
And Bach, don't forget Bach
does anyone know where this is from? A concert DVD or what?
@bersa888 I mean, I bear no ill will towards more obscure composers who were able to produce marvelous music, but I find that more often than not a great musician has the ability to elevate a more obscure composition purely on the basis of his own phenomenal interpretive powers and artistry, whereas more mediocre musicians can take the impact and charm out of even the greatest music in the canon and make them seem rather droll...
@auerwack Thanx!!
Is this scene from a documentary?
i rather thought on it.
What year was this from?
1970
Bernstein understood Beethoven to the bone, but not in Case of Bach
Leornard??..
Bernstein is the shit.
Bernstein kind looks like Beethoven himself. Make ya wonder. ...
Not a single splice in three minutes of talk, and I think he is speaking off the cuff.
Perhaps Beethoven's Enlightenment doctrine is responsible for everything he did. If so, at least the Enlightenment had a virtue. Casuistry and unique, but a virtue.
@bersa888 Hmm, I don't think I've ever heard of such an arbitrary selection in the XIX century ever happening, but I suppose it's possible!
In addition, I observe that my own adoration of the classics stems quite a bit from the legacies of the great musicians of the recorded era; I'm firmly convinced of the importance of the musician's role in effective musical communication, and it just so happens that the most famous works in history tend to be the ones these greats frequented in performance.
Dustin Hoffman xD
Why does even this praise become infected with psycho-babble and sentimental cliché? Why attempt to explain, when whatever one may say will fall short of the music? Only a poet might rival the music, but I don't know of a poem about Beethoven, because a poet would not attempt to explain, but to realize a fullness through the richness of language that might present something similar, but even the best poetry, which I believe has equaled the music of Beethoven, can never be as immediate, direct as the music.
6 Mozart dislikes
...
Guitarreando why should Mozart dislike this fine music?
Don't believe it! Those are Salieri dislikes; he is attempting to pose as Mozart to cause a Saudi-Qatar rift between the two great men.
Armaan Alfares Salieri didn't dislike Mozart nor Beethoven either!
@onlinemonikers Oh please.
interesting how he doesn't agree that music is the universal language
It's a common naive bias to believe because a music speaks to you, therefore it speaks to everybody. Some people don't like beethoven and many famous composers disliked him and have called his music vulgar. Such bias makes the whole comment irrelevant
Mozart.
Escaped the chains that always limited Beethoven.
Because of singularly great immagination.
The chains themselves were the reason that Beethoven achieved what he did, and is loved for it
I agree completely.
Beethoven invested his soul to correct the system from within.
Mozart -as aloof as Cole Porter - didn't care for the systen, focusing on effect, on emotion.
A universal emotion.
@bersa888 it's not mere "highbrow snobbery" that recognizes genius. Popular music today is just so banal and of the lowest-common-denominator that people recoil against anything of true taste and artistic merit that doesn't immediately excite the masses. It's sad that we live in an age of such artistic and cultural mediocrity.
@onlinemonikers Troll
The quest to find onlinemonikers comment begins.
The tense jumbo wessely ask because barometer intraorally rinse concerning a false familiar famous digital. cumbersome, blue-eyed trail