This film is really an oddity, as it is hardly a documentary in the normal sense, with little or no narration about what it is that makes a conductor legendary. On the other hand, the evidence is plain: many conductors are shown in long takes controlling the sound--the mood, the volume, the structure--as each man communicates it from the podium to each member of the orchestra, and that in itself is lesson enough. I thought I was familiar with the great ones--Toscanini, Reiner, Furtwangler, etc.--but was dazzled by the tall, quiet giant from Russia, the conductor Evgeny Mravinsky, shown conducting fairly lengthy segments from Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich. The almost two hours of music are worth watching simply as a document of great conductors no longer on the planet--except with their music. 10 stars for the music--five for the documentary aspect
