Leonard Bernstein’s conducting: 5 body language tips

Look at Leonard Bernstein and how he conducts music just with his body language. Let’s take five body language tips from this recording, one year before he died in October 1990.

[stevenj]

I was privileged to play under Bernstein when I was substituting with the Chicago Symphony in the late 1980s. He was with us for two weeks, we recorded with him he took us to New York for a concert tour he also gave a master class for a young conductors. He hadn't been back to the Chicago Symphony since the late 50s I believe. To be honest I never thought much about him until I actually played under him and then I realized what a monumental genius this man truly is - my previous opinion was dead wrong and very stupid. The one thing I must share with you is the previous nights concert (before the master class the following morning with the young conductors) we were doing a Shostakovich Symphony and not one of the usual standards. Lenny conducted a 3 bar then a 2 bar instead of a 2 bar and a 3 bar in the performance, it didn't matter to us. The next morning he announced, with all those young conductors and to every member of the CSO saying, "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Chicago Symphony, I have no business standing before you and conducting you if I can't remember if it's a 2 bar or a 3 bar or vice versa". The orchestra immediately felt tremendous love for this man because no conductor admits fault ever - and to do so in such a lovely apologetic way in front of young conductors speaks volumes about the man's character. I will never forget those two weeks.

[screengraphy]

You should do Herbert von Karajan and Carlos Kleiber. I'm no conductor but I've always been fascinated by how conductors communicate with their orchestras. You video is very informative, straight to the point. You earned a sub!

[gerontius]

Pierre Monteux (who smiled at the orchestra a lot) was giving a coaching session to Andre Previn (California 1950s). Previn was conducting the finale of a Haydn Symphony. Monteux "Andre, how do you think the orchestra played that?" Previn "I thought it was good." Monteux "So did I, make sure you don't get in their way." (Story told by Previn).

[ssb]

Damn! A conducting channel. I've been getting into listening symphonies lately and have grown curious about the art of conducting. Hope you keep putting out regular content and hope this channel grows. Subscribed.

[donwheels]

great video, very interesting and helpful content! Two high quality video angles are superb, a small thing though, I would suggest getting acoustic treatment for your room so that the clearness of the audio is improved and the echoes and reflections reduced. Great content, keep it up, not many high quality conducting videos out there!!

[ewaldohendsson]

Love your content, and can you try to do Carlos kleiber next? Thanks :)

[ianng]

Man was enjoying himself here. I think he has much command in some other serious and sophisticated works that he cares about, like his Mahler. Not a piece where players would be able to play itself, at least when you listen closely to Bernstein's interpretations

[edwardpatrickwhite]

Ah Lennie. “Don’t die until your death”!

[eltiogottlieb.]

Ojalá que Cooper hubiera acudido contigo.

[brontaylor]

Some people in the orchestra were tired of his dancing.