The music special "Leonard Bernstein in Salzau" offers a lively and
fascinating inside look at the professional world of young conductors and
orchestral musicians in three one-hour-long programs. It also portrays one
of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, Leonard Bernstein, shown at
work with young musicians, challenging them, but also encouraging and
reassuring them. In Part One, we witness the arrival of 120 young musicians
in Salzau, all of whom have been selected from over 1600 competitors in
auditions. Under the guidance of experienced conductors and teachers, they
work together in various groups which yield a homogeneous orchestral body
in an amazingly short time. During this preparatory phase, the musicians
were constantly observed by Unitel's cameras and interviewed about their
impressions and experiences.