Television Books

Mr. Block's book has been indispensible to me ever since. Every so often, I reread a chapter to keep my writing fresh, and to jolt me out of the workaday rut so many reporters and anchors inhabit. Television news works on two levels, the words and the pictures, and it is a challenge and an art to make the two levels work together!

Whether you're a journalism 101 student or a seasoned professional, it never hurts to have this book on your desk (and occasionally at home!). Your viewers, producers, photographers, and managers will thank you!

Take a front-row seat to see Maestro Bernstein, America's foremost musician, perform in his favorite role -- teacher. Watch and listen as he demonstrates, explains, and reveals music as you have never heard it before, performed by his beloved orchestra, the New York Philharmonic. As you enjoy the experience, you will gain something precious: a love and understanding of great music. With the Young People's Concerts, mastering music is all pleasure!

The World's Great Music -- Made Understandable and Enjoyable
Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts span fifteen years during which the incomparable Mr. Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic -- the century's most charismatic conductor leading America's premier symphony orchestra -- reached out in televised live performances to share with the whole world the joy of understanding beautiful music.

Getting to Know Symphonic Music -- From the Master Conductor! This set of Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts is a genuine musical education in a form that's fun, fascinating, and easy. Just sit back and enjoy as Maestro Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic show you the thrilling, passion-filled world of the symphony orchestra. You'll be having such a good time, the learning will feel like pure entertainment!

Something for Everyone -- Young and Old, Novice and Expert Leonard Bernstein captivated a diverse audience. The programs are called Young People's Concerts -- but when they were broadcast, millions of adults enjoyed and benefited from them, too. Mr. Bernstein speaks in familiar terms that anyone can understand -- and what he says intrigues even seasoned professional musicians.

In the world of music, for sheer education and entertainment value, there has never been anything comparable to Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts. They are, quite simply, the musical event of a lifetime.

"The Young People's Concerts are among my favorite, most highly prized activities of my life." -- Leonard Bernstein

Each Young People's Concert is an elegant, sparkling musical event-with-a-message -- a message that speaks to people of all ages who want to hear and understand music more enjoyably than ever before.

A Maestro With a Mission Pianist, composer, conductor, lecturer, author -- the world-famous Leonard Bernstein lived and breathed music his entire life because he truly loved it. He was also aware that "highbrow" music could be intimidating. So the Maestro made it his lifetime mission to turn great music into something everyone could understand and enjoy.

That's why the Young People's Concerts, aired on the CBS Television Network from 1958 to 1973, were so fabulously successful year after year. People packed the live performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Across America, families eagerly tuned in to watch every exciting new program. Around the world, television stations rushed to rebroadcast these unique musical events, translating them into a dozen foreign languages.

Maestro Bernstein's Young People's Concerts were a treasure -- a key that unlocked the door to the secrets of the world's great symphonic music. People watched... listened... enjoyed... understood... and simply couldn't get enough of the Young People's Concerts. There had been nothing like them before. There has been nothing like them since.

For You, Whatever Your Age or Musical Ability Most amazing of all, Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts appeal to people of all ages and at every level of musical ability. There is nothing difficult about these musical events. You don't need any musical experience. Every concept is simple, concrete, immediate. The Maestro describes a musical idea -- then sings it, plays a few bars on the piano, or lifts his baton to lead the New York Philharmonic through a glorious symphonic rendition of the theme. Suddenly, you hear great music as you never heard it before. You pick out melody, counterpoint, rhythm, structure -- and you grasp complex music in a way you never thought possible.

Explaining What Music Means Starting with What Does Music Mean?, Mr. Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic present one spellbinding concert-with-commentary after another, showing you step by step what makes symphonic music an art form, and why great performances draw thunderous applause from audiences around the world.

Music's Most Exciting Moments

A world of beauty and meaning awaits you in Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts. These digitally remastered recordings of the original televised performances provide you with a deluxe guided tour of great music, led by America's best-loved music teacher. The Young People's Concerts let you experience the most exciting and entertaining moments in American musical history.

You will find the Young People's Concerts delightful -- relaxed and informal, yet absolutely authoritative. And whatever your level of musical knowledge -- novice, student, or professional -- you are certain to learn and benefit from these timeless musical events.

What I personally found of interest, resulted from the extra measures that Robbins Landon goes to give added details on some topics (in particular the 3 works mentioned above). Insights as to the sequencing of construction, participation of other people and outside distractions that influenced Mozart's ability to work on and complete these projects. For example: the fact that 5 different types of sheet paper were used by Mozart during the writing of "La Clemenza di Tito" gives clues not only as to the actual chronological order that some of the scenes were composed, but also an idea as to the geographic locales where different parts this opera was conceived. i.e. Prague or Vienna

It seems hard to believe that retrieving accurate material on Mozart's life and music would be difficult, given his fame. You'd just assume that every note (musical or otherwise) that he wrote would have been recorded for the sake of posterity: sadly, such is not the case. Although Mozart was regarded as a brilliant musician during his time he was only recognized for his true genius, posthumously. So, although a lot of the musical scores, letters, writings and conversation have survived, many were lost or went missing over the past 200 years. What a pity!

Well written and informative. This is certainly a book of special interest, but one that goes beyond the superficial discussions of Mozart's life. Recommended!

The references to Haydn and his relationship with Mozart gave me some really new insight into how the two interacted and regarded the other. The research that was involved in this book lends credit to the contents, which were presented in a common sense way. Mr. Robbins has written a book that, I feel, is a "must read" for anyone interested to learn about Mozart's life and circumstance. A lot of rumors were put to rest. I learned a lot I did not know. I learned a lot about people who touched Mozart's life. I like the fact that he gave Constanze the respect she deserves as one who saved Mozart's works for us to enjoy! Great Job!

Hope Bill Drummond writes more.

Hope Bill Drummond writes more.

Varnay's story, told calmly but with frequent flashes of wit, begins with the tale of how her parents, both opera singers, met, married, and made their careers in Europe before coming to the U.S. and settling in New York. Young Violet Varnay, as she was dubbed by a teacher who could not cope with her Hungarian name Ibolyka (little violet), worked as a secretary, waited in the Met standing room line and quietly prepared herself for an operatic career. She prepared so well with her coach and eventual husband, Hermann Weigert, in fact, that her resume was met with astonished laughter at her eventual Met audition. The powers that be were quickly won over upon actually hearing her, and her stage career began at the Met in 1941 as a last-minute replacement for Lotte Lehmann in Die Walkure. Before retiring in the late 90s, after a career spanning more than five decades, her voice and dramatic presence would take her to Bayreuth and all of the great opera houses of the world.

It is of course difficult to say how much of the structure of the book stems from the singer herself, and how much from her co-author, Donald Arthur; but one of the attractions of this memoir is the skillful mix of narrative, anecdote and self-analysis of Varnay's numerous roles. She draws portraits of her husband, family and colleagues that leap vividly from the page, without ever descending to mere bitchiness, though she does allow herself some jabs at Herbert von Karajan and Rudolf Bing. The ultimate impression is of a strong, self-aware but not overweeningly arrogant personality--someone one would like to meet and talk to in person. One is touched by her inexhaustible eagerness to perform, and her capacity for discovering insights into roles usually dismissed as worthy only of comprimaria singers. She is also not above laughing at herself, and includes some amusingly informal photographs. Highly recommended.