View From Lodi, CA: Classical Music For “Know-Nothings”


During the decades
that Leonard Bernstein lived in

New York
, he was more admired—if not more
beloved—than virtually any other public personality.

One of the four
dominant figures in American music in the 20th
Century along with

Bing Crosby,


Louis Armstrong
and

Frank Sinatra,
Bernstein—known universally as
“Lenny”—could not walk down Manhattan streets without a
throng surrounding him.

For those who did not
grow up during the Bernstein era, it may be difficult to
grasp what a powerful persona he was. But watching
Bernstein`s historic

Young People`s Concerts,
recently released as a nine-disc DVD set,
will give you some idea of how commanding a cultural
icon he was.

The concerts first
appeared as an extended television series from 1958
through 1972. The New York Philharmonic Orchestra—which
he directed for most of that period—accompanies
Bernstein.

Bernstein, who
instinctively realized that television would provide an
excellent format for teaching music to the young, wrote
and directed each of the 53 original episodes, 25 of
which are included in the new set.

The concerts show
Bernstein`s fascination with music and his eagerness to
share his knowledge. As Bernstein

once said
,
Life without music is unthinkable, music without
life is academic. That is why my contact with music is a
total embrace.”

The title indicates
that the material is for children. And, while children
will certainly benefit from watching, the real audience
is mature adults who enjoy classical music but know
nothing about it and teachers who would like to instill
intellectual curiosity in their pupils.

I fall into both
categories.

I have shelves of
classical music. Even though I enjoy it, I can`t speak
on any aspect of it.

But Bernstein`s mix
of commentary and musical performances go a long way
toward enlightening me.

Among the episodes
are: “What is Classical Music?” “What Does Music
Mean?” “What is American Music” “The Sound of an
Orchestra”
and “What is a Melody?”

In just under an
hour, Bernstein explains that classical music means
different things in different eras. The music of Bach
and Handel from 18th Century Europe is strict
and mathematical in style. Later, Haydn and Mozart added
grace and elegance. Finally, Beethoven broke all the
rules and ushered in the Romantic period in music.

In the 53 minutes
devoted to explaining what a melody is, viewers learn
that “a tune” can be hummed or sung. But melodies are
created not with tunes but rather several short
fragments woven together. To illustrate his point,
Bernstein plays selections from Wagner, Mozart,
Hindemith and Brahms.

An orchestra,
according to Bernstein, “Should not have its own sound,
piece after piece, year after year. What makes an
orchestra great is its ability to change at will. Since
every composer has a unique sound, that is what the
orchestra must strive to deliver.”

The star of the Young
People`s Concerts is, naturally, Bernstein. Teachers
would do well to follow how Bernstein leads his audience
slowly but confidently from the basic through the more
complex.

By carefully
inserting musical examples into his discourse, Bernstein
explains without patronizing. And throughout the
episodes, Bernstein demonstrates a great passion for
music but a gentle sense of humor that keeps his
material from becoming tedious—if such a thing were ever
possible with a magnetic personality like his.

Bernstein had his
detractors. Some critics were not persuaded about his
skills as a conductor, composer or pianist. Others
mocked him as an egotistical showman and podium ham.

But even the harshest
voices do not dispute his all-encompassing love for
music. More than anything else, Bernstein made classical
music know-nothings eager to learn more.
[Peter Brimelow harrumphs:
Actually,

recent scholarship
has shown that the


Know-Nothings
were
typically quite educated. Their name came from their
refusal to answer questions about their organization,
not their ignorance, although immigration enthusiasts
typically


refuse
to admit this
.]

Certainly, Young
People`s Concerts
does not cover everything there is
to learn. But they serve as an excellent starting point.
And I now know considerably more than I did before I sat
down to watch the videos.

And for those of you
who think you are well versed in classical music,
Bernstein may surprise you.

The Young People`s
Concert`s is for neophytes and well as those with a
strong foundation in music appreciation.

Joe Guzzardi [email
him], an instructor in English
at the Lodi Adult School, has been writing a weekly
column since 1988. It currently appears in the


Lodi News-Sentinel
.