Leonard Bernstein conduts Cha Cha in West side Story

Leonard Bernstein conduts Cha Cha in West side Story

[@ryanbrown7536]

That poor percussionist 🤣 "Where were the little maracas?" I DON'T KNOW LENNY, I WAS BUSY TRYING TO CONCENTRATE ON THE DYNAMICS OF THIS FUCKING TAMBOURINE! 🤣

[@sleepytabby9113]

Thank you for this comment. I've had an awful day and this comment made me laugh. ❤

[@GeometricMason]

We're so lucky this footage is preserved. Unlike the works of Mozart, Bach, and Bethoven, which we must interpret as well as we can from what is on the page, with this music we can know EXACTLY what Bernstein wanted. This footage is a world treasure.

[@FidgetSpinner1337]

Definitely a fantastic treat to study, but what makes orchestral ("classical") music so special to me is the vastness in interpretation we can derive with our own imagination and freedom. Like a life living strictly by the Book, it is bland and colourless.

[@Drumulater1]

It's such great misic

[@gavinjacobs8301]

Well said sir, I definitely agree.

[@GuillermoNunez-tj4jo]

😢😊😊❤

[@ahmedluther1694]

This is exactly what I have always thought, great composers capture their work and would like it to be interpreted as it is in their minds, as time goes by they interpret it in a thousand different ways. Even with speed, there are directors who finish the same work in 30 minutes and others in 40 minutes, very big differences.

[@sapaulgoogdmen9542]

Guy on tambourine was so focused on how soft he can hit it that he forgot the maracas

[@marcellomarianetti1770]

Studying composition I realized that if you don't tell the musicians exactly what you want you will never obtain it, so being meticulous is actually very important if you care about the result

[@MegaOttaviano]

And I think he was sufficiently polite too

[@cefinau]

Orchestra musician to self: whatever you do, don’t let yourself get carried away by the music you’re playing

[@abelnicolaebaritone]

exactly :D It has happened to me too many times

[@TheIceIvy]

I allow myself to get completely carried away with the music I'm playing while playing in jazz.

[@abelnicolaebaritone]

@@TheIceIvy that's very nice. But when you play in an orchestra, you have to count bars. If you get carried away, you forget your entrance, like the guy in the video.

[@keldrean]

What about crying because it's so beautiful?

[@Aleksandr_Skrjabin]

​@@keldreanAs long as you can keep counting and play as is written.

[@winrx]

Who knew playing the tambourin and maracas can be so stressful......😂

[@jjns5600]

THAT'S BECAUSE IT NEEDS MORE COWBELL!!!!!🔔🐮

[@nathanpiazza9644]

Every percussionist ever

[@TFreckle]

... and vibraphone...

[@hotdrumman]

The guy had lots to do and ut would seem little time to prepare.... They're doing a recording with no rehearsal cos it's too expensive. Sadly small parts of the recording suffered.... But actually, what great musicians there were.

[@el_quba]

With Bernstein even triangle can be hard as hell kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5PJZ5Jto62Wn9k

[@ZypherMyth]

The quiet, "shit.." from Bernstein when he said they were on the same take and then the producer calls "Take 75" 😂

[@reneecarter6702]

Me listening to the first bar: “oh that sounds so magical” Lenny: “no no no!” Me: >confused about what was wrong< He was amazing

[@maximilianwilfinger]

the strings messed up their written line pretty bad. came out too muddy and messy

[@jemandjemand2362]

you can clearly hear the mistakes.

[@BZB33]

@@maximilianwilfinger The bassoon missed the pick-up. You can hear him sing it at 0:28

[@attaboy78]

I think it's the clarinets that messed up that opening bar, and then again later with their 16th notes LOL@@BZB33

[@kimmyymmik]

Jajaj same

[@lanekarabani8084]

the recorders are salty af "lenny, lenny, do you like the pitches-" "yes but i dont like the sixteenth notes" *recorder shakes his head*

[@mariahc.crawley884]

SUPER SALLLLLLTY!

[@robertagunn9193]

I was an English teacher at a secure facility for boys in NYS in the 1980's. I played this documentary for my students after they had completed a creative arts unit. They were enthralled!

[@maestromuffin1]

I'll never forget standing behind the percussion section during a rehersal of his symphonic west side story dances and was amazed that the maracas player(after playing the maracas part) then turned them around a played the tom toms with the butt of the handles! During a break, I asked ther guy about this and he showed me that it said to do that in the score! What vision! What a genius!

[@Dizzyfingers2]

Ever since first seeing this back in the 80s I have quoted so many lines - especially by Bernstein - I still say: "No ... hey, please .. 1-2-3 ... bluh-blee-bluh ..." @0:25 to this day ... LOL

[@jars7774]

“Too many takes, your Majesty”, said no music director to the Emperor ever.

[@ericnichols9223]

I've always thought this track sounded perfect -- such a delicate, beautiful piece. Wonderful to see them working to get it right. Cha Cha was always stood out for me in WSS as one of its best moments.

[@2Hearts3]

A view into the past of the making of beautiful music we've listened to and known and enjoyed all our lives. What a time to be alive 😃🎶👏

[@danielconnolly8565]

Pure musicality. Delicate yet sharp. Such great, great players. ❤

[@stephenbarrette610]

Lenny was simply one of my heros. I never got the chance to see him perform live in the UK. The recording of his West Side Story is extraordinary, legendary? very hard to describe other than just genius and one of my favourite CD’s It looks like Bradley is going to honour the maestro as he deserves. And yes he was a very complicated person, but in my humble opinion a musical genius.

[@jocastadidntknew5980]

Aaron Copland, John Williams, and Leonard Bernstein to me are the fathers of American popular orchestra. West Side Story is just a phenomenal part of our culture.

[@nikosvault]

Not a bad trio. I would add Gershwin.

[@mga2899]

Forget the Biopic, this making of West Side Story is what you want to see.

[@richardwilliams473]

Lenny had a big ego but he is without a doubt one of the best conductor composers ever

[@ellastarrr1st149]

Plus big bullshit

[@abbaup8543]

He was a ped.phile in case you ignore it!

[@HelloooThere]

He seems to have been a nice guy and quite affable. You had to respect him and I don’t find him to be difficult to work with. Yeah, not me…

[@scottwilkins]

Composer yes. Conductor? I've seen (worked with) better.

[@davidhawkins2207]

He was a great pianist too.

[@MandyG1973]

Absolute genius. 😂 Could watch this on a loop for hours. Love, love, love Leonard Bernstein. X

[@helenpurdon4501]

just makes me cry. what an amazing experience to be part of - what incredible musicians

[@ronaldl9085]

Amazing he hears all these tiny details instantly.

[@willmorris8198]

All conductor's should have an ideal version of what the piece sounds like in their mind. With Bernstein this is even more true because he wrote the piece. He already knows what it sounds like, its just a matter of whether the orchestra sounds the same or not. That is the job of a conductor

[@donvasquez1791]

Classic! I hope future generations will appreciate the work and love that goes into this! ❤

[@harmoniabalanza]

take 73!!!! As a musician (singer) I find this harrowing and glorious.

[@jakemuffett8347]

Well that's take 73 of the entire recording process so far, not just this number. Take 73 was the first take of this number. Probably the first time they played it too. This was basically one of the best session orchestras in the world, no rehearsals.

[@michaelporter6383]

This is surely one of the greatest musicals ever written

[@Botrytis18]

Imagine being totally stressed while just playing a seemingly totally simple instrument like the freaking tambourine.

[@MarcoLongoMusic]

It's not simple at all

[@Botrytis18]

@@MarcoLongoMusic Seemingly

[@MarcoLongoMusic]

@@Botrytis18 at all

[@Botrytis18]

@@MarcoLongoMusic Fair enough

[@BZB33]

@@MarcoLongoMusic Child's play at this level. The easiest frame drum by far. Not to downplay its importance.

[@richardwashington620]

As a 13 yr old I was totally captivated by this documentary. Great to see it here

[@DNS0875]

My goal is to play tenor and soprano saxophone in orchestras which record filmscores. These videos are inspiring and motivating 🙌🏻

[@sophiazey]

Thank you for sharing.

[@mysticakhenaton1701]

Bernstein was the Quincy Jones of the classical music world.

[@mysticakhenaton1701]

FOLKS...you're watching a MASTER at work.

[@Newmefree-pn9us]

A master at work 🙌

[@Soundpaintmusic]

1:57 ... What happened to the little maracas?! We must do it ALL over again!

[@BeingAnna]

This was uploaded 8 years ago... I like to think that he finally achieved perfection in the film that came out last year... one can really hear the differences!

[@chrisartist5155]

Lenny died in 1990.

[@sillybobby5189]

he just needed to replace the entire orchestra as well as the conductor.

[@akapple3538]

You’re a few decades off. This doco was recorded in 1984 and the Deutsche Grammophon album was released in 1985. Nothing to do with Spielberg’s movie.

[@laser170323]

Between the pain in the producer and Bernstein’s comments, that orchestra had to be super up tight. And that orchestra had some heavy hitters in it … Julius Baker playing flute, Wilmer Wise on trumpet, etc. Usually when you’re playing and your goal is to avoid making mistakes, you’re not making music. These guys were doing both. I give them tons of credit.

[@HelloooThere]

Nah, these guys and gals came to play and do a job. I think Bernstein was more aggravated at the guys up the booth than the orchestra…for the most part 😉

[@kalajarvi]

The percussionist was clearly under stress. LOL. He did well at the end.

[@VidRackoff]

This is such good music. And I bet the musicians loved this experience, as stressful as it may have been. (Now some of the singers’ experiences on this recording might not have had such a good time).

[@Devan-he4kr]

The indignity of having your tambourine playing criticized.

[@Shadowsnshades]

This score gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

[@2Hearts3]

Sooooo beautiful 🎶🥰

[@Philobach]

pas vraiment...

[@miltonderezende7906]

Today has not composer like Bernstein

[@harmoniabalanza]

that's putting it fucking mildly.

[@neilcameron3021]

How about Yanni?

[@davidroode73]

that percussionist has some seriously good ensemble skills. listen to how he passes the marimba run into the violin solo at the end. mistakes happen, but instincts like that you just can't fake

[@ahmedluther1694]

Dozens and dozens of takes for the same work, that was the perfectionist and brilliant Bernstein, who spoke very highly of The Beatles in a documentary, the Liverpool group was also very demanding with their songs, for example, they did "Not Guilty" 102 takes, obtaining an excellent result and still they did not include it in the white album. Decenas y decenas de tomas para una misma obra, ese era el perfeccionista y genial Bernstein, quien habló muy bien de The Beatles en un documental, el grupo de Liverpool también era muy exigente con sus canciones, por ejemplo, de "Not Guilty" hicieron 102 tomas, obteniendo un excelente resultado y aún así no la incluyeron en el album blanco.

[@skylark5789]

The star of the piece...the delicate maracas. So perfect, a tiny detail. Genius. Funny, I always noticed them as a kid years ago, because I thought they drew attention back to the spice in Maria's culture.

[@Gggg-zu8gt]

Sorry for the poor percussionist, who has to rebuild his whole instrumentary

[@wk3004]

Tambourine guy actually looked terrified. Also, was the oboe player they showed one of the oboists for the Oslo Phil in the Saraste days?

[@rubengreenberg2253]

Bernstein knows what he wants, hears everything and gets what he wants. Who is the bassoonist? -a beautiful sound. The best musicians in the business.

[@veronikapecenovic7324]

Predivno stvarno predivno.❤

[@davemiller7633]

We saw it together ❤

[@pjmvdbroek]

And elegant it is!

[@klarakrok]

ORGANIC APPROACH ANY ONE? what a gift!!!❤❤🎉

[@sheilamacdougal4874]

Enthralling, more so than the actual play-through performance would be.

[@Clown321321]

This is sooo good! Thanks for sharing!

[@ralphtoussie9991]

I don’t know how anyone can still give a fresh interpretation on Take 74! I would be robotic at that point.

[@davidhensley76]

Meanwhile the low brass are on their fifth revision of the dirty lyrics they've composed while enduring 75 takes.

[@stephenmcmullen7600]

Damn. That is hard work!

[@BellaWorldAni]

I decided to watch prior to viewing Bradley Cooper's role as Bernstein in Maestro -- and I can't stop laughing at "Take 74". That's all I needed to know. Wonderful footage, but the musicians seem STRESSED. LOL

[@bigkahunauk1]

How the magic happens 🥰

[@barney6888]

Pain in the producer getting in the way

[@richardmcduffie9922]

Beautiful stuff

[@ronaldpuso945]

The musicians are anxious in his presence

[@GDM223SR]

So pros rush sixteenths too! Validated!

[@MicheleEngel]

It is thrilling to watch this. 😮

[@JordanVanRyn]

Without Bernstein, we wouldn't have one of the greatest Sondheim musicals ever made.

[@mrsjr78]

Where can we watch this whole session? Or at least more of it.

[@davemiller7633]

It's on KZbin, in parts and about an hour long show in it's entirety

[@karenmihranian9707]

Amazing

[@chiconeededthemoney]

Is this from the version with Placido Domingo and Kiri Te Kanawa as Tony and Maria.

[@JPMM316]

Yes it is

[@ceciliacarvalho9069]

What a genius!

[@Lorangebeatrice]

My Tambourine and Maraca guy left that room looking like Bernstein.

[@maxmcmahon5401]

Could they please make up their mind whether this is rehearsal or a recording session?

[@manuel.roesler]

in fact, recording sessions go exactly like this. Don't forget: the orchestra is seeing the music for the first time and is sight-reading.

[@Man-From-Another-Place]

@@manuel.roesler The orchestra don't learn the music prior to recording it?

[@Jack_Simpson]

@@Man-From-Another-PlaceThey are all good enough individually to sight read their parts. It’s lining it all up, getting it in tempo, and, if you’re a percussionist, knowing when to swap instruments that takes rehearsal time… especially when when you’ve got a guy as picky/meticulous as Lenny.

[@Man-From-Another-Place]

@@Jack_Simpson Thanks. I play the piano and couldn't imagine just turning up on the day to record something I'd never played before.

[@vhego]

@@Man-From-Another-Placeyeah me too ahahaha well I just got in conservatory for composition studying, so I am no pianist, but I would never get into rehearsal without studying my own part even if I played the oboe or whatever instrument

[@makinhotcoffee6230]

It's increadible how being picky at this made a wonderful outcome yes english i am grate at gramm4r

[@mountainlinx]

Genius

[@WiloPolis03]

Had no idea Bernie was such a prolific musician

[@Twentythousandlps]

Who's Bernie?

[@declanfischer5397]

That percussionist was so nervous 😅

[@osvaldoschilling9129]

Is it possible to imagine coping with Beethoven conducting his own compositions?

[@manuel.roesler]

We have quite a few eyewitness accounts of how Beethoven conducted. It doesn't seem to have been very precise - then rather Bernstein

[@bw2082]

Well you know after a certain point he couldn’t hear so you could play however the heck you wanted and he’d never know.

[@MikeUIibarri]

KZbin. Every time I start getting into something I like, the video ends.

[@jeanninesantoriello7972]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@dpuhe3253]

Anyone knows the film this was taken from?

[@sghaua]

West Side Story

[@phillipchoate550]

anyone else snap like in the film while watching this

[@louisee7339]

Modern musicals could never

[@phillipecook3227]

Percussionist earned his corn.

[@ricarleite]

What album was this recordkng releases to

[@harmoniabalanza]

that poor percussionist looks like he was up all night practicing. And now he's like 85?

[@paulsolon6229]

Let’s get it rt Like that, way to go

[@aarond9563]

They gave a ton of camera time to the guy with the tamboreen because they knew he was stressed 😅

[@ronaldwildman4968]

WOW !!!

[@BrendanGM]

So, no "fix it in post" then?

[@2Hearts3]

No pressure... 😑

[@rossanobonacchi]

A big fat WOW!!!

[@maestroclassico5801]

I preferred his larger scale orchestration from the Symphonic Dances

[@maestroclassico5801]

Take 74? Damn maybe studying with Reiner had an effect on Lenny after all!!

[@karenholtzclaw3135]

Fun!

[@Thedearster]

STUNNED they didn’t rehearse before recording.

[@Trenton.D]

It’s not like they have the music weeks in advance. They come, get the music, learn it, and record over the course of only a few days. Probably no more than a week.

[@Thedearster]

@@Trenton.D Well of course lol. I'm just surprised they were sight reading at the recording session. I thought they would've had a rehearsal or two. And then record for like a day or two.

[@drowdaba]

does he.. perhaps.. bring class ii dajim?

[@ignacionavarro2412]

the tamborine man having a Carreras crisis...

[@craiglesuk1]

Who knew playing the tambourine and maracas was so hard 😳

[@theFrigatt]

0:08 Looks like the first Apple Watch User 😀

[@GnomicMaster]

"Conduts"? Hmmm......is that some new musical term I've never heard?

[@SamIAm-kz4hg]

None of what he said was in any way being picky. He was right on.

[@MARIANSCATLIFFE]

Its not a cha cha its Marias danceand its beautiful

[@bassethound1]

It’s called Dance at the Gym: Cha-Cha

[@angelthman1659]

How did Lenny not catch the missing maracas?