The Infinite Variety of Music

With style, wit, and expertise, Leonard Bernstein shares his love and appreciation for music in all its varied forms in The Infinite Variety of Music, illuminating the deep pleasure and sometimes subtle beauty it offers. He begins with an "imaginary conversation" with George Washington entitled "The Muzak Muse," in which he argues the values of actively listening to music by learning how to read notes, as opposed to simply hearing music in a concert hall. The book also features the reproduction of five television scripts from Bernstein on the influence of jazz, the timeless appeal of Mozart, musical romanticism, and the complexities of rhythmic innovation. Also included are Bernstein's analyses of symphonies by Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and Brahms, a rare reproduction of a 1957 lecture on the nature of composing, and a report on the musical scene written for the New York Times after his sabbatical leave from directorship of the New York Philharmonic during the 1964-65 season.

CONTENIDO:

Introductory Note

I- An Imaginary Conversation
- The Muzak Muse

II- Five Television Scripts
- The Infinite Variety of Music
- Jazz in Serious Music
- The Ageless Mozart
- Rhythm
- Romanticism in Music

III- A Sabbatical Report

IV- Four Symphonic Analyses
- Dvorak: Symphony no. 9 in E Minor, Opus 95
- Tchaikovsky: Symphony no. 6 in B Minor, Opus 74
- Beethoven: Symphony no. 3 in E Flat Major, Opus 55
- Brahms: Symphony no. 4 in E Minor, Opus 98

An Informal Lecture
- "Something to Say..."