This 90-minute special tribute was produced to commemorate the 75th
anniversary of Leonard Bernstein's birth on 25 August 1993. Narrated by
legendary screen star Lauren Bacall, it also relies extensively on
Bernstein's own words to provide the counterpoint to the abundant visual
material. The special draws on the nearly 120 hours of programming with
Leonard Bernstein produced exclusively by Unitel, as well as on material
from the extensive Bernstein archives and earlier television ventures.
Highlights include excerpts of Bernstein conducting masterworks by
Beethoven and Mahler, as well as of the maestro with the New York
Philharmonic in Moscow in 1959 before an audience which included composer
Dmitri Shostakovich and the dissident poet Boris Pasternak. It also
contains never-before-seen footage, such as outtakes from televised
concerts and interviews. Among these special treats: the dashing
28-year-old maestro representing the U.S. at the 1947 Prague Spring
Festival - possibly the earliest extant film of Leonard Bernstein.
