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American Masters
S13.E1
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Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note

  • Episode aired Oct 28, 1998
  • TV-14
  • 1h 57m
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
128
YOUR RATING
Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note (1998)
DocumentaryBiographyMusic

Leonard Bernstein was a major force in twentieth century music. His exuberant and dramatic style caught the heart of America, bringing classical music to thousands of people from diverse bac... Read allLeonard Bernstein was a major force in twentieth century music. His exuberant and dramatic style caught the heart of America, bringing classical music to thousands of people from diverse backgrounds.Leonard Bernstein was a major force in twentieth century music. His exuberant and dramatic style caught the heart of America, bringing classical music to thousands of people from diverse backgrounds.

  • Director
    • Susan Lacy
  • Writer
    • Susan Lacy
  • Stars
    • Alexander Bernstein
    • Jamie Bernstein
    • Leonard Bernstein
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.2/10
    128
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Susan Lacy
    • Writer
      • Susan Lacy
    • Stars
      • Alexander Bernstein
      • Jamie Bernstein
      • Leonard Bernstein
    • 2User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
      • 2 wins & 3 nominations total

    Photos7

    Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note (1998)
    Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note (1998)
    Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note (1998)
    Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note (1998)
    Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note (1998)
    Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note (1998)

    Top cast

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    Alexander Bernstein
    Jamie Bernstein
    • Self
    Leonard Bernstein
    Leonard Bernstein
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Nina Bernstein
    • Self
    John Corigliano
    • Self
    Jon Deak
    • Self
    Stanley Drucker
    • Self
    Martha Gellhorn
    Martha Gellhorn
    • Self
    John Guare
    John Guare
    • Self
    Jerry Hadley
    • Self
    Harry J. Kraut
    • Self
    • (as Harry Kraut)
    Arthur Laurents
    Arthur Laurents
    • Self
    John Mauceri
    • Self
    Seiji Ozawa
    • Self
    André Previn
    André Previn
    • Self
    Edward Seckerson
    • Self
    Isaac Stern
    • Self
    Michael Wager
    • Self
    • Director
      • Susan Lacy
    • Writer
      • Susan Lacy
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Connections
      Features On the Town (1949)

    User reviews2

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    The unvarnished Lenny
    This documentary begins with the funeral cortège to Brooklyn's Green Wood cemetery from the Dakota Apartments on 72nd Street Manhattan, where Bernstein lived, and then goes through his life chronologically, more or less.

    As Mr. Bernstein's life was extremely eventful, there is a lot of life to get through, from his childhood in Lawrence, Massachusetts (He was born in 1918. His parents' unstable marriage is well-documented in his early mini-opera "Trouble in Tahiti".) to his death in 1990, presumably from a heart attack. A major highlight of his career was his last-minute substitution for Bruno Walter at a New York Philharmonic concert in 1943 which turned him into a major celebrity.

    The Broadway shows of course are given their due, especially "West Side Story" but, rather like Sir Arthur Sullivan in England, he wanted to be remembered for his serious compositions and that wish was not granted; this was a source of great unhappiness for Bernstein.

    He married early on and had three children who all comment in this documentary but his homosexuality was an open secret throughout his life. He was never able to reconcile these two parts of his life, let alone his compositional and conducting careers.

    This documentary does a good job of showing his many facets as well as his personality traits and blemishes and there are many comments by friends and colleagues. Overall a good and even-handed job of showing the life of this important musical figure of the twentieth century.
    helpful•5
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    • standardmetal
    • Sep 7, 2006

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • October 28, 1998 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Leonard Bernstein - Piase ti nota
    • Production companies
      • 1515 Productions Limited
      • American Masters Pictures
      • American Masters
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 57 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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