1x1 - What Does Music Mean?

January 18, 1958

Leonard Bernstein told the television audience at the start of the first Young People's Concert: "No matter what stories people tell you about what music means, forget them. Stories are not what music means. Music is never about things. Music just is. It's a lot of beautiful notes and sounds put together so well that we get pleasure out of hearing them. So when we ask, 'What does it mean; what does this piece of music mean?' we're asking a hard question. Let's do our best to answer it." During the course of this first program the New York Philharmonic performs portions of Rossini's William Tell Overture, Beethoven's Sixth Symphony, and Ravel's La Valse.

1x2 - What is American Music?

February 1, 1958

From Carnegie Hall, Bernstein discusses the origins and characteristics of American music. After an extended excerpt from George Gershwin's An American in Paris and a discussion of nationalistic and folk music, excerpts from compositions by American composers Edward MacDowell, William Schuman, Virgil Thomson, and others are performed. In closing Aaron Copland conducts parts of his own Third Symphony.

1x3 - What is Orchestration?

March 8, 1958

After brief introductory remarks, Bernstein conducts the finale of Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio espagnol and then explains what a composer must know in order to orchestrate music successfully. He compares the flute to the trumpet, and the clarinet to the viola, with examples from Debussy and Gershwin. After asking the audience to sing two notes in a variety of ways, he contrasts the families of instruments that compose an orchestra, using excerpts from Prokofiev, Hindemith, Mozart and others to illustrate, and ends with Ravel's Bolero.

1x4 - What Makes Music Symphonic?

December 13, 1958

Using the examples of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony and Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony, Bernstein demonstrates the techniques of repetition and variation int he development of symphonic music. After conducting part of Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, he asks the audience to sing "Frére Jacques," demonstrating the uses of sequence and imitation in symphonic composition. The final movement of Brahm's Second Symphony is then analyzed and played.

1x5 - What is Classical Music?

January 24, 1959

Bernstein conducts Handel's Water Music and cites it as an indisputable example of classical music. "Exact" is the word that best defines classical music, Bernstein says, and he demonstrates with musical illustrations from Bach's Fourth Brandenburg Concerto, Mozart's Concerto No. 21 in C Major and The Marriage of Figaro, and Haydn's Symphony No. 102. The decline of classical music at the end of the eighteenth century is tied to Beethoven's innovations and the Romantic movement, and Bernstein conducts Beethoven's Egmont Overture.

1x6 - Humor in Music

February 28, 1959

Using excerpts from Shostakovich, Mahler, Haydn and others Bernstein demonstrates how a "serious" composition can take an unexpected humorous turn. Prokofiev's Classical Symphony is played in its entirety.

1x7 - What is a Concerto?

March 28, 1959

Leonard Bernstein discusses the development of the concerto form from Bach to Bartok. Bernstein conducts examples of early concertos-Bach's Fifth Brandenburg Concerto and Vivaldi's Concerto in C Major. From the classical period, he conducts Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante and, finally, the fourth and fifth movements of Bartok's neo-classical Concerto for Orchestra.

1x8 - Who is Gustav Mahler?

February 7, 1960

Leonard Bernstein celebrates Mahler's centennial by conducting excerpts from the composer's Fourth Symphony in G and discussing his career as a composer and conductor. Soprano Reri Grist joins the orchestra in a performance of the last movement of the Fourth Symphony. William Lewis sings "Youth" and Helen Raab sings from "The Farewell," both from Mahler's The Song of the Earth (Das Lied von der Erde).

1x9 - Young Performers No. 1

March 6, 1960

Daniel Domb; Kenneth Schermerhorn; Barry Finclair; Stefan B. Mengelberg; Alexandra Wager

1x10 - Unusual Instruments of Present, Past, and Future

March 27, 1960

New York Pro Musica; Noah Greenberg; Vladimir Ussachevsky; Anita Darian

1x11 - The Second Hurricane

April 24, 1960

The High School of Music & Art

1x12 - Overtures and Preludes

January 8, 1961

1x13 - Aaron Copland Birthday Party

February 12, 1961

Aaron Copland; William Warfield

1x14 - Young Performers No. 2

March 19, 1961

Lynn Harrell; Elyakum Shapirra; Jung-Ja Kim; Russell Stanger; Veronica Tyler; Gregory Millar; Henry Chapin

1x15 - Folk Music in the Concert Hall

April 9, 1961

Bernstein discusses folk music and its influence on orchestral music, and conducts excerpts from Mozart, Chavez and Ives, and "Songs of the Auvergne" sung by Marni Nixon.

1x16 - What is Impressionism?

December 1, 1961

Bernstein focuses on impressionism in music, discussing the methods and styles of Debussy and Ravel. He conducts three movements from La Mer and the final dance of Daphnis et Chloe.

1x17 - The Road to Paris

January 18, 1962

Zara Nelsova

1x18 - Happy Birthday, Igor Stravinsky

March 26, 1962

Bernstein sketches a brief history of Stravinsky's musical career, noting changes of style and shifts of direction. The whole of Petrouchka is played and each scene is analyzed.

1x19 - Young Performers No. 3

April 14, 1962

Seiji Ozawa; Gary Karr; Maurice Peress; John Canarina; Ruth & Naomi Segal; Paula Robison; Paul Green; Tony Cirone; David Hopper

1x20 - The Sound of a Hall

November 21, 1962

John Corigliano, Sr.; Frank Gullino; Joseph Bernstein; William Dembinsky

1x21 - What is a Melody?

December 21, 1962

Bernstein discusses the different forms melody can take, including tune, theme, motive, melodic line and musical phrase. He illustrates by conducting the orchestra in excerpts from Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Mozart, Hindemith, and Brahms.

1x22 - Young Performers No. 4

January 15, 1963

Joan Weiner; Yuri Krasnopolsky; Claudia Hoca; Zoltán Rozsnyai; Pamela Paul; Serge Fournier; André Watts

1x23 - The Latin American Spirit

March 8, 1963

Bernstein discusses "the two ingredients that give this music its special Latin flavor: rhythm and color." Excerpts include Bernstein's own Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.

1x24 - A Tribute to Teachers

November 29, 1963

1x25 - Young Performers No. 5

December 23, 1963

Heidi Lehwalder; Amos Eisenberg; Weldon Berry, Jr.; Claudio Abbado; Shulamit Ran (as Shulamith Ran); Pedro Calderon; Stephen E. Kates; Zdeněk Košler

1x26 - The Genius of Paul Hindemith

February 23, 1964

1x27 - Jazz in the Concert Hall

March 11, 1964

Bernstein discusses the blending of jazz and symphonic music, with performances and readings to illustrate. The program ends with Larry Austin's Improvisations for Orchestra and Jazz Soloists.

1x28 - What is Sonata Form?

November 6, 1964

Bernstein describes the three-part sonata form, and exemplifies it by singing the Beatle's "And I Love Her." Veronica Tyler sings Micaela's aria from Bizet's Carmen and Bernstein conducts the Philharmonic in the first movement of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony.

1x29 - Farewell to Nationalism

November 30, 1964

1x30 - Young Performers No. 6

January 28, 1965

Patricia Michaelian; James Boswell IV

1x31 - A Tribute to Sibelius

February 19, 1965

Bernstein celebrates the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, and comments on Finland, the Finnish language, and Finnish patriotism, as well as Sibelius himself. Works by the composer, including Finlandia and the first movement of his Violin Concerto, with soloist Sergiu Luca, are performed.

1x32 - Musical Atoms: A Study of Intervals

November 29, 1965

Bernstein explains musical intervals and discusses their relationship to harmony, melody and inversion. After analysis, the first movement of Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major by Brahms is performed. The discussion continues, focusing on major and minor seconds.

1x34 - A Birthday Tribute to Shostakovich

December 15, 1965

Bernstein celebrates Dmitri Shostakovich's sixtieth birthday by discussing his work and conducting an excerpt from his Symphony No. 7 and all of Symphony No. 9.

1x35 - Young Performers No. 7

February 22, 1966

Performers include Paul Schoenfeld; Stephanie Sebastian; David Oei; Horacio Gutiérrez; James DePreist; Jacques Houtmann; Edo de Waart.

1x36 - What is a Mode?

November 23, 1966

Bernstein discusses scales, intervals and tones, and analyzes several pieces, including Debussy's Fêtes, Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, and music from the Kinks and the Beatles, to illustrate different modes. An excerpt from Bernstein's ballet Fancy Free is also performed.

1x37 - Young Performers No. 8

January 27, 1967

Elmar Oliveira; Mark Salkind; Fred Alston; Donald Green; Juan Pablo Izquierdo; Sylvia Caduff; George Reid; Young Uck Kim

1x38 - Charles Ives: American Pioneer

February 23, 1967

1x39 - Alumni Reunion

April 19, 1967

Stephen E. Kates; Veronica Tyler; André Watts

1x40 - A Toast to Vienna in 3/4 Time

December 25, 1967

Bernstein pays tribute to New York Philharmonic's "fraternal orchestra," the Vienna Philharmonic, in celebration of the 125th anniversary of both orchestras. Works by Johann and Richard Strauss, Mozart, Beethoven, and Mahler are performed, preceded by a brief discussion.

1x41 - Forever Beethoven

January 28, 1968

Joseph Kalichstein; Paul Capolongo

1x42 - Young Performers No. 9

March 31, 1968

Lawrence Foster; Alois Springer; Martin and Steven Vann; Helen Quach, Michael DeTemple

1x43 - Quiz-Concert: How Musical Are You?

May 26, 1968

Leonard Bernstein quizzes Avery Fisher Hall and television audiences on their musicality. Highlights include true-or-false questions with musical examples, and excerpts from Mozart, Prokofiev, and Rimsky-Korsakov.

1x44 - Fantastic Variations (Don Quixote)

December 25, 1968

Lorne Munroe, cellist

1x45 - Bach Transmogrified

April 27, 1969

Michael Korn; Leopold Stokowski; Moog synthesizer; New York Rock and Roll Ensemble

1x46 - Berlioz Takes a Trip

May 25, 1969

Bernstein discusses what he describes as the "first psychedelic symphony," Berlioz's La Symphonie fantastique, examining the concept of the idée fixe in music and illustrating this concept with excerpts froth first movement. Bernstein analyzes the music and discusses the story line of the remaining movements, which are performed by the Philharmonic.

1x47 - Two Ballet Birds

September 14, 1969

Bernstein compares the main theme of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake with Stravinsky's Firebird. A performance of the pas de deux from Swan Lake illustrates the concept of abstract ballet, followed by excerpts from Stravinsky's Firebird.

1x48 - Fidelio: A Celebration of Life

March 29, 1970

Bernstein takes a look at Beethoven's so-called "flawed masterpiece" - his only opera, Fidelio. After discussing the story and its problems, "charming excerpts" are performed. Four vocal selection from Act II follow, each preceded by analysis and plot summary.

1x49 - The Anatomy of a Symphony Orchestra

May 24, 1970

1x50 - A Copland Celebration

December 27, 1970

1x51 - Thus Spake Richard Strauss

April 4, 1971

1x52 - Liszt and the Devil

February 13, 1972

1x53 - Holst: The Planets

March 26, 1972