The Unanswered Question: The Poetry of Earth (1973)

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This program features one in a series of lectures given by Leonard Bernstein at Harvard in 1973. His accomplishments both in serious music and for the Broadway stage and his flair for teaching young people combined to make Leonard Bernstein a well-known conductor, composer, and teacher. After retiring in 1969 from a long and illustrious career as conductor for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernstein turned much of his energy to teaching. This particular lecture examines how Igor Stravinsky kept tonality viable while freely experimenting with dissonance. The Russian-born composer Stravinsky, best known for his ballets, developed an interest in and made lasting contributions to serial, or 12-tone music. Invited to lecture at Harvard University in 1939, Stravinsky moved to the United States, making his home in Hollywood. There, through collaborations with the young American musician Robert Craft, Stravinsky became interested in serial music -- particularly that of Anton von Webern. Stravinsky's Canticum Sacrum for voices and orchestra and the ballet Agon contain 12-tone elements and were followed by the fully serial works Threni, Movements, Variations, and Requiem Canticles. The flamboyant Bernstein talks about Stravinsky's achievements and contributions. Included in the film is a complete performance of Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide

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