« The Gift of Music » is one of those exciting documentaries that brilliantly sum up the lives and careers of exceptional artists, in this case Leonard Bernstein, the famed composer-conductor-piano player (1918-1990). Made shortly after his death, the film reveals little about his personal life (which is not the point anyway) but much on his life course and career. Which is done through an impressive number of well chosen archive documents and interviews and speeches of the great man, who was not niggardly of them. The most moving are the sequences devoted to concert rehearsals : How breath-taking, how enlightening and... what fun it is to be given the opportunity to witness Bernstein while he practices his art, driven by the passion and inner fire that never left him.
We also discover an educator concerned about passing on his knowledge and not only to other musicians, but also to the general public. Several archives, including excerpts from the famous TV shows "Omnibus" dating back to the 1950s, are eloquent in this regard.To say nothing of the generous humanist he was, always responsive to others and always ready to defend human rights.
Hohlant H. Hohlfeld, whose cameras followed his friend Lenny for at least two decades, was the ideal person to make this filmed tribute to Bernstein's larger-than-life figure. Well, he sure did a good job, for when the end credits roll, we can't help a twinge of regret: it is a sign that we're going to have to leave each other, our new friend and us. He also had the good idea to ask Lauren Bacall to narrate his work : there is nothing to complain about when a great talent meets another.
To be seen by everyone, not just music lovers.
We also discover an educator concerned about passing on his knowledge and not only to other musicians, but also to the general public. Several archives, including excerpts from the famous TV shows "Omnibus" dating back to the 1950s, are eloquent in this regard.To say nothing of the generous humanist he was, always responsive to others and always ready to defend human rights.
Hohlant H. Hohlfeld, whose cameras followed his friend Lenny for at least two decades, was the ideal person to make this filmed tribute to Bernstein's larger-than-life figure. Well, he sure did a good job, for when the end credits roll, we can't help a twinge of regret: it is a sign that we're going to have to leave each other, our new friend and us. He also had the good idea to ask Lauren Bacall to narrate his work : there is nothing to complain about when a great talent meets another.
To be seen by everyone, not just music lovers.
