Bernstein, The greatest 5 min. in music education

This amazing lecture series (The unanswered Question ), is actually an interdisciplinary overview about the evolution of Western European classical music from Bach through the 20th century crisis and beyond a bit . Mr. Bernstein uses linguistics namely Chomskian Linguistics to provide a framework to illustrate how music and all the arts evolved toward greater and greater levels of ambiguity/expressivity over history until the 20th century crisis . He manages this impressive feat of popular education , by dividing music into; Phonology (the study of sound); Syntax (the study of structure) and; Semantics (the study of meaning)

[@CarterBartram]

You know you're too deep into jazz when the part that Leonard Bernstein calls "chromatic porridge" actually sounds pretty good and makes musical sense.

[@paxwallacejazz]

Man that's what I thought at 13 in 73 when it aired. I would hear certain things and want to know why it sounded better or different like Iris by Wayne Shorter or even 7 yrs before when watching Charlie Brown. The power of harmony.

[@Symphonicrockfran]

That was simply beautiful

[@farshimelt]

@oso polar It became more so with the advent of Mahler and developed further with 20th C composers.

[@emily-jr1oj]

Carter Bartram there is no such thing as too deep into jazz

[@jeffreyjeziorski341]

@Melanie Boots ......You! Shall not! Modulaaate!!!! Improvise, you fools!

[@proberts34]

As a non-musical person, I have almost no idea what he said during this video, yet I found it fascinating. It's like when I listen to Feynman lectures.

[@HR-yd5ib]

@@ChiefHerzensCoach , or you could actually explain the concepts in the first place in such a way that people can understand it.

[@thehappypine]

Wadel Radel it’s hard to be concise about these ideas while also being understood by the layman. It takes a great deal of effort to study music.

[@HR-yd5ib]

@@thehappypine , is it that complicated to explain that the wavelength goes down by half when you go up an octave or that the tones in between are overtone frequencies. I would find that a lot more illuminating than whatever he said here.

[@thehappypine]

Wadel Radel, it’s not complicated to say that. But that’s not the idea he is expressing. Among other things, he’s saying that as human culture has discovered, and become accepting of new intervals our music has changed and enriched. An interval is the distance between notes. An octave is an interval. Two of the same note twelve semi-tones apart. And their frequency wavelength is halfed if we tune using equal temperament but not always in other cultural or historical tuning systems.

[@spacebanana5000]

Bernstein's manner and way of speaking does remind me of Feynman a bit.

[@daisuke4bleach]

I knew he was eventually going to mention Bach. The dude that's genius really showcased the possibilities of music. I cant believe someone like Bach actually lived on this planet.

[@thelonious-dx9vi]

so *justly*, says Lennie, so rightly.

[@stpd1957]

Well said

[@nigelft]

@@billlan0 I will always argue that that there are two periods in music history: BB (Before Bach), and AB (After Bach). Granted you also had Händel, but just in his massive Cantata Cycles alone (which very often take a decade, or more, to completely record), he managed to utterly change the musical landscape. I promise myself that in the year of my 55th birthday, I would love nothing more to spend a month or so, travelling around where Bach lived and worked, given his huge influence his music has had on my life ...

[@lymanmj]

We have over 1,100 surviving compositions from J.S. Some musicologists believe there were several times more that have not survived. All of this written out by hand.

[@crowkraehenfrau2604]

And revelling in the beauty of Mathematics while composing.

[@markteixeira3161]

I have an undergraduate degree in music and I gotta day he summed up an entire semester in 5 mins.

[@TiberiusStorm]

Yes but it's easier to digest when delivered slowly over time for most beginners.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

I'll only remember it if I get to do it myself. If I hadn't done it myself already, I'd never remember this.

[@nicolewerner2970]

He basically summed up an undergrad music degree

[@frankystrings]

there's always some sap saying this stuff... what you're forgetting is he himself learned all this over a time that didn't take 5 minutes

[@chaselewis7853]

Period

[@jackspry9736]

RIP Leonard Bernstein (August 25, 1918 - October 14, 1990), aged 72 You will be remembered as a legend.

[@germanchris4440]

Was he saved? According to his own words, he loved occultism, which is not a good sign at all. Anyway, without having believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior, there is no eternal peace.

[@rxw5520]

@@germanchris4440bro he was obviously Jewish, which in America usually means atheist.

[@germanchris4440]

@@rxw5520 You confirm what is obvious anyway: the word "Jewish " is simply used without even being defined. And that is fatally careless. What made Bernstein (and many others who are simply called that) a "Jew"? - Or, asked the other way around: What exactly is a "Jew" in the common, certainly usually unreflective use of the word? In other words, the definition that Bernstein, for example, corresponded to? If you are not just an "AI" KZbin bot, I'd like to hear an answer.

[@YudronWangmo]

@@germanchris4440Okay, I’ll bite. Bernstein was born to Ukrainian Jewish parents, grew up in a Jewish neighborhood, and strongly support Israel. He was both culturally and genetically Jewish. He attended synagogue as a youth and learned Hebrew. He was also a closeted gay man, and-to this day-that often alienates people from institutional religion as they reach adulthood, especially in that era. It looks like you follow a middle eastern messianic religion comprising one third of the world’s population and expect everyone to share your beliefs. Leonard Bernstein conducted Christian, Jewish and other musical works without discrimination.

[@germanchris4440]

@@YudronWangmo I will reply to you in detail. Would you perhaps take a careful look at this and then answer me again if applicable? Did he believe in the God of the Old Testament and try to keep the law, the Torah? This characterizes a true Jew above everything else. Or wasn't he a lover of occultism, i.e. the paganism that characterizes so-called "Judaism" today through the Babylonian Talmud, the Kabbalah, etc.? Did he believe in the God of the Old Testament and try to keep the law, the Torah? This characterizes a true Jew above everything else. Or wasn't he a lover of occultism, i.e. the paganism that characterizes so-called "Judaism" today through the Babylonian Talmud, the Kabbalah, etc.? I remind you that the synagogue of Satan are explicitly not Jews, but liars (Revelation 2:9 and 3:9). Pharisaism is a Babylonian cult - and today's rabbinism with its Talmudism is (according to the Jewish Encyclopedia) the modern continuation of Pharisaism. - And this is the occultism that so-called Jews sometimes even profess, such as Leonard Bernstein did. In that case, even if he were descended from the true Jews or the tribes of Israel, he would have been an apostate Jew who did what is an abomination before God. ANd to define the Jews simply as a race is a teaching of the Talmud, not a Jewish teaching. So, was Leonard Bernstein descended from Judah or one of the tribes of Israel? And: Was he of Jewish faith in God or did he follow the satanic-pharisaic Talmud? - Your explanations neither give a definition of the term "Jew", nor do they state that Bernstein was a Jew, namely in the biblical and therefore true sense of the word. So you have not answered my question and have not provided me with any clarity. However, it is precisely because this confusion surrounding the term Jew has been created that God will, in the end times, also and first of all exercise purifying judgments on the population of the present-day state of Israel, until it becomes clear in the end who the Jews or Israelites really are before God. Leonard Bernstein is no longer there, but the general question and uncertainty remains until God will provide the answer as far as the true remnant is concerned. This is not yet evident, neither in the current general population of the state called Israel nor in the other facts you share from Mr. Bernstein. However, as I said, there is much to suggest that he was at best an apostate Jew. - Or did he believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and tried to keep the law of God for the Jews?

[@stuffnuns]

When Bernstein gave his televised Lincoln Center Concerts for Young People, I was very young, too young to understand the theory presented here. But, Bernstein had a way of enchanting us with his love of music, and his unbiased fondness for ALL music, influenced my tastes. I grew up loving Claaical, Romance, Folk, Blues, Country, Bluegrass, Roma, Indian, and so many kinds and styles - due much to Leonard Bernstein’s wonderful programs. He was a kind of a Mr. Rogers of music - before Mr. Rogers. I wish there were something like that now - where musical styles can be mingled, and we can understand each other better.

[@MikehMike01]

The only thing I noticed from this video is how much he rubs his nose

[@michellelekas211]

I loved these as a kid!

[@jenniferflaherty730]

I LITERALLY understood nothing of what he said. Yet I've played this clip 3x, just wishing I can grasp a moment of brilliance...

[@bcgrittner8076]

Long ago my elementary school music teacher strongly encouraged me to watch Bernstein’s Concerts For Young People. Bernstein’s narration was way over my head. I tried to watch those same programs as an adult. I could not connect with Elmer Bernstein despite having an “above average “ music education. Finally- This video connected with me. It took a while. I’m 70.

[@joebarr725]

And yet, with your "above average" music education, you do not know that Leonard Bernstein and Elmer Bernstein are two different people.

[@tonirose6776]

@@joebarr725 Oh....Bahaha. Be kind: bcgrittner mixed up two composers, so not unrelated.

[@owenevilmakings5433]

@@joebarr725you don’t gotta do a 70 y/o like that💀

[@jankrautio]

I know what you mean. I wished I'd heard/seen Bernstein before I went to Indiana University and barely passed music theory! I had played piano for 11 years, and been taking vocal music lessons for about 5 years.

[@matthewphilip1977]

@@jankrautio He says he wish he could sing an octave; he can't sing a note. Talk about tone deaf!

[@landunlocked2423]

Love hose concise this was. He’s right, music is truly a mathematical language all its own.

[@sschimel]

I was a music major in college and I always loved music theory. I still read theory 40 years later. He's such a brilliant teacher.

[@powertube5671]

I would have loved to have a teacher like that. He makes, understanding music, fun and not so officious. He has a contagious enthusiasm.

[@commentatron]

In those days it helped to be to the manor born. Now, these KZbin crumbs of wisdom have mitigated that somewhat.

[@CrowClouds]

@@commentatron Ha!

[@nickr.4120]

The part where he mentioned the fifths and how that works with the twelve tone harmony blew my mind. The circle of fifths.

[@mnopkt7883]

I was a kid when LB was in his heyday; I had no grasp how brilliant & talented he was. Thanks for making this available!

[@patricka.crawley6572]

What a wonderful instrument the piano is.

[@Twin_solo_az]

I am in awe of the level of knowledge so effortlessly communicated.

[@Relaxicity]

He is actually just showing off. You can tell by the fact that his lesson can only be understood by someone who already understands what he is saying.

[@MikehMike01]

Maybe he should touch his nose some more

[@jordancoleman6955]

“Now that’s starting to sound like polyphony!” (J.S.Bach1685 has entered the chat.)

[@jimlaguardia8185]

I have been teaching all of this to my students for 50 years. What a pleasure to hear it from someone else for a change.

[@paxwallacejazz]

Good going sir

[@keithramsell9955]

Me too: you're not alone! It's EASY!!!!

[@chrissanders1043]

that was like 3 years of music theory packed into one shotgun blast. i need a nap.

[@joannamikka3983]

Same here.It SHOULD be shown at every school.

[@quabledistocficklepo3597]

@@joannamikka3983, Why? Why do you want to torture the kids?

[@diabl2master]

Three years..? Really?

[@wjlbrz]

Absolutely agreed! 😅😅

[@mccloysong]

The best comment of the page, right there.

[@karaamundson3964]

I remember foolin' 'round on the piano, exploring the intervals upon which my cello was tuned (C G D A), and thinking, "violins have an E string...". I knew the key signatures and could hear fifths, so I just kept adding *one more sharp* and eventually I got to "B#"--C. I was fascinated by this and immediately took the "newly discovered concept" to my orchestra teacher. She was an old-fashioned teacher who taught with tough love and made sure we knew all our scales and could describe them accurately as well as play them. When I told her she got a shiny look in her eye and said, "That's the Circle of Fifths!" I was so proud and thrilled to make her proud. 💛

[@cicook7]

This man was creating so much energy and excitement around music and the joy of creating and understanding it.

[@alexallan-musicaaovivo500]

I learned more about the Circle Of Fifths here than in hours and hours of explanations I had before. The Great Bernstein!

[@TheSteveBGreen]

"West Side Story" for me, remains the best and most complete musical of all time. The "Quintet" at the end of the first act is absolutely my favorite piece of theatrical music. Thank you, Mr. Bernstein and Mr. Sondheim.

[@ayokay123]

The irony is that he thought WSS was a nothing burger for him to compose. Not much more than an afterthought.

[@MrDb4894]

Professor: 2.5 minutes Title: 5 minutes Video: 6 minutes

[@zarez974]

Hotel : Trivago

[@mj31382]

Me: half hour later... Huh?

[@FrogEnjoyer17]

It’s time inflation, duh

[@nathancoffman3025]

His Speech: Amazing His Singing: Better luck next time?

[@genedryer-bivins8314]

@Truthfears Guilty - Thanks for your erudite opinion.

[@robertmorency6335]

Thanks. I grew up watching his series of lectures for young people. The city, Lawrence, Massachusetts, was also where Leonard Bernstein was born and, I think, raised. Also, my parents rented out the second floor of their double-decker, and we once had a tenant who said that he went to grade school with the Maestro. our City has great pride in his being a native son. R.I.P., Lenny.

[@stevimichael5553]

A most brilliant instructor and certainly one of the most knowledgeable musicians that ever lived.

[@oldfan1963]

The best of Bernstein - he eagerly shared his knowledge with everyone. He wanted other people to really learn about music. Remember the Young People's concerts on CBS? And he had a great sense of humor.

[@edwardlobb931]

What a blessing, to be here for us, at his age. The many who resented his genius will always reveal his strength.

[@gpallay1240]

Saw him conducting when I was a child. Still sharp in my recollection. A musical genius!

[@michaelmills2625]

This is the material I got in music appreciation at UNC Chapel Hill many years ago, but delivered with wonderful concision and panache.

[@andreashoppe1969]

Listening to his voice by itsself is music to my ears already!

[@wovfm]

What an outstanding self assured leisurely lesson. Bernstein command and confidence is impressive to watch.

[@RogerHeathers]

This stuff occupies my head every day. I’m sure it does for so many of you too. A lifetime of wonderful tonal relationships to learn!

[@porukun52]

Thank you Leonard Bernstein for your New York Phil and Young People’s Concerts that I watched growing up in Kentucky in the 1960s. My mother would tune it in, but I watched it. WLAC in Nashville would broadcast those kinds of things back then as well as the Grand Ole Opry. Mr. Bernstein, whose music was also on our phonograph at home (Time-Life records), is the reason I have been a professional violinist for the last 40 years. Happy 100th! (Same age as my mother) Wish you were still with us, but of course, you are, in the legacy you left behind.

[@carlajpatterson]

This was at Harvard, but he also gave us kids in Philly the same lecture (and many more) in a program called Music for Children back in the 50's. It was one of the truly formative experiences of my life - a life firmly rooted in a love for making, and hearing, understanding, and standing on its head, all aspects of music.

[@paxwallacejazz]

very cool

[@BrooklinFunkProject]

This is an excerpt from the 1973 Norton lecture series at Harvard. Watch the whole 6 or so hours, I have - it is all equally brilliant.

[@DeffBallin]

tons of free sheet music-kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaeZpJqlatKYkNU

[@philitesta2495]

I remember when i was a kid in the '70s Italian tv broadcasted some of his lessons, i was already totally fascinated! A great musical myth as a director, composer, pianist and teacher... ❤️

[@MR_Mocha_Major]

I wish professors taught like this today. As a person who has never taken a music class, he made this so easy to understand. Excellent teacher.

[@CrewsTheWildDawg]

One of the most brilliant musical minds of all time. I love this!

[@downbntout]

So delicately, and so justly...what a magnificent phrase

[@johnlewis1640]

I watched this series as a junior high school student and it had a great impact on me, thank you Mr. Bernstein.

[@gavincurleycork]

I barely understood what he was trying to get across but I will certainly be watching several times over to better understand his method of teaching.

[@paxwallacejazz]

good going !

[@kaustik185]

i wouldn't have got this two years ago, now, it blew my mind. keep that sh' up :)

[@pobz100]

You need to understand the 'interval' and the 'diatonic' system to really undersand this. It's not so complicated.

[@bryanstarkweather]

what is basically talking about is the ever-diminishing distance between intervals that the human brain keeps evolving to find Pleasant. Even a hundred and fifty years ago, a minor second was considered a very ugly sound. now of course, with jazz, and modern music, it's not uncommon at all. it can sound quite beautiful in the right context. And now we begin to delve into things like quarter tones, and microtones. My education is probably very similar to Bernstein's, except obviously, being born in the 80s, everything he knew I was able to learn younger, and I'll pass down what I learn to composers and musicologists of the future. perhaps in a hundred years, the quarter tone will be very common, who knows?

[@ryankuzmic595]

He's kind of talking about two or three things. They're all fairly simple, but they are very important. First, is the progression of western music theory. Early music was focused on droning or octaves, then incorporated fifths (V's, dominants), then fourths (IV's, mediants), and then thirds. Thirds were either major or minor, and those gave you a major or minor chord. The key concept is that composers didn't think of music as being based around keys or chords until remarkably late; the most important unit before was intervals. When thirds began to be introduced, the concept of "tonality" was as well. This simply means that your music is in a "key", which means it has a limited number of notes in it. Then came sevenths, seconds and sixths. What happened was you had notes that fit into the key, this was tonal music. Those notes and chords had set roles, set meanings in that key. E.g., the fifth dominates it (specifically because all of the individual notes that are present in the V chord are shared or want to resolve to the I chord). These 'roles' are known as "diatonic function". The next interesting part was that this still didn't really work for instruments unless you retuned them for each key. This is because of what he was (I think) alluding to (confusingly) with the circle of fifths. To find the actual pitch frequency of the second or sixth, you had to find them by taking a fraction of the harmonic interval of two other notes. Basically, what this means is, there came to be a difference in frequency between, for example, an A# and a Bb depending on what key, and what direction you're moving in. What this means is, one instrument could not modulate keys. Because the notes would be out of tune. This led to the introduction of "equal temperament" (except for Germany - forget about germany) in the majority of music. This allows you to walk up to a piano and play in any key. But fundamentally, some of your notes are chosen at makeshift frequencies in between their natural #/b frequencies by (iirc) 100 "cents" (a unit of measurement of physical frequency). The final part is: once you had equal temperament, you now had 12 universal notes that you could combine in certain ways (tonally), or do any of the awful things that composers started doing in the 20th century, that made academic music super hard to listen to. Such as: button mash in a horrible mishmash of any combination of the 12 notes you wanted (playing chromatically). Chromatic means playing a sequence of the 12 notes in a row. I joke, but it has it's place. You can also use all 12 notes, and never create a tonic center, or have an ambiguous, shifting tonality (12 tone music). Finally, coming virtually full circle to the greeks, having equal temperament allows us to write in modes - which awesomely, and confusingly enough, have a tonality but do not have diatonic function. So you play all the notes found in a plain major or minor (or other) scale, but emphasize a different note as the tonal center of the song, and all of a sudden you have all kinds of neat weird stuff like minor iv chords. They sound very exotic. This all happened in about the last 1000 years of western music (not counting greek modes).

[@gin4king110]

I won't lie, this went over my head the first watch, but I'm sure it'll blow me away after a few more. I can't wait!

[@goldensunspiral]

This talk/demonstration is incredible

[@stevimichael5553]

Harvard lectures by Bernstein are a must for those who wish to have a unique understanding of the fundamentals of music. A lot to absorb but worth every penny and time spent on each lecture.

[@berlinerinberlinerin7357]

How I miss Mr. Bernstein...he gave me so much.. What a sense of humor....what a genius..

[@jonneville2287]

The great composers and musicians have an insight that goes beyond description. They can explain seemingly complex subjects more succinctly than the average piano teacher can do in 6 months of tedious lessons. This video is bookmarked for my students to watch.

[@jeannel2405]

Totally concisely, brilliant! I can imagine how much you appreciate it!

[@josephstreppone9814]

Five minutes of music education I need to completely understand thank you Mr. Leonard Bernstein

[@scottmoyer1357]

Bach was a teacher, a highly motivated musical educator whose studies and curiosity coupled with his deep levels of perception led him to discover all of these brilliant and magically mystical elements of music allowing composers to expand their usage of the 12 notes into chords and harmonies never seen nor heard of before. Bach's genius was far beyond the norm as he spent endless days and years of his life in musical discovery and evolution so as to provide new and more progressive lessons for his students. All of his inventions were simply studies he created to keep his students fully engaged & enlightened as to what the full range, possibilities and scope of music actually is. His findings remain the most profound discoveries in the history of music. He created music that would have taken light years to uncover and shape into useful concepts and exercises. One must wonder what , if at all, his predecessors were even thinking.

[@paxwallacejazz]

Yes Bach was a genius but if you go into that room and apply yourself and are able to accurately focus your inquiry than even you or I will start to make forward motion it's not magic as much as determined persistant inquiry. What's very fascinating to me is how he was able to combine the very complex art of Counterpoint with all its structural permutations with the then NEW harmonic possibilities of unlimited modulation and even some chromatically altered harmony being clearly indicated no stated via his amazing counterpoint.

[@jwmc41]

You seem to be answering your own question.

[@TheJamnesia]

Bach was in a league of his own but Scarlatti was no slouch.

[@gaopinghu7332]

Light years are a unit of lenght, though.

[@phillipstrommer4668]

Even Sting was quoted as saying that Bach was his teacher..Great Sting interview by Rick Beato on Utube.

[@IRONMANFAN-oc9fr]

How did he just summarize 10 years of my musical learning into 6 minutes! The succinctness and effectiveness of his explanation are amazing. Thank you professor Bernstein!!

[@mackiebraden3986]

I watched these frequent moments it’s Leonard Bernstein when originally aired. I was a very young, serious piano student and I was mesmerized.

[@jeansindhikara1823]

I could hardly understand his words, but I could hear what he was saying through the music! Amazing genius has been displayed.

[@paxwallacejazz]

Just listened to Symphony #2 the Age of Anxiety, by Bernstein and pop efforts notwithstanding this guy could write it was eye opening don't know why I never got around to it.

[@rosaphilosoph]

God, please give us more educators like Lenny ❤️!

[@benkebret8363]

This man is a unique conductor teacher and comedian wish he was still alive Thank you sir or madam for this video

[@harrymills2770]

It helped to have a ton of charisma.

[@daveparsons6956]

Wow. That is truly brilliant. They say you really know your stuff when you can explain it simply. That was awesome.

[@KiatHuang]

Fantastic! Breathtakingly informative and entertaining, seemingly without drawing breath. Such skill, flair and genius. This video and it's effect remind me of the famous lectures of physicist Richard Feynman, though finding the best 5 minutes from them would be a challenge :)

[@bobsaturday4273]

Leonards genius is rooted in a perfect understanding of the science of music

[@jaytc3218]

Thank you, Lennie. You still live on.

[@720redstar]

Wow! This is beyond my musical understanding but I do like music and appreciate its historical development. Thank you for posting. Much appreciated.

[@andreataylor5516]

He was brilliant I have been enjoying his concerts for kids sooooo interesting No one else did this He was soooo talented

[@andrewlaw2420]

thanks for posting, have been telling lots of people about these lectures for years! Fantastic series

[@paxwallacejazz]

Thank you for viewing

[@scottward7813]

That this man is so smart, engaging, and interesting on a subject I know nothing about is mind blowing.

[@lorenzbroll0101]

A difficult, formidable but remarkable individual. Excellent composer too!

[@mikedonovan4768]

This is the sort of video that even if you're not into music theory, is really interesting. The best 5 minutes in KZbin land ! 👍

[@svendbosanvovski4241]

Great man. Many here might like to view the wonderful documentary on Mr Bernstein's life. He wasn't just a great conductor and composer, but someone who felt deeply about his fellow man.

[@homayoontv]

Hello, I have new channel, I post about music, all about music. can you please take a glance?

[@JB-ti7bl]

Excellent series. I love when Bernstein explains Norweigian Wood's modal nature.

[@py_a_thon]

Instructions unclear. I now want to listen to Sibelius.

[@cornet69bessonprestige78]

it says it all. what a master he was. many thanks

[@damonmoney4474]

KZbinrs need to to their game for 6 minute videos. 1. Straight to content. 2. Development of content. 3. Beautiful content. 4. Interesting content. 5. Thought provoking content. 6. I am content.

[@AndrewFurmanczyk86]

Underrated Comment.

[@amitraam1270]

Alas, KZbin awards 10 minute clips, thus forcing creators to add fluff. Just think, a decision of a single manager somewhere in Alphabet (google), can save humanity millions of man-hours watching fluff and filler.

[@jfo3000]

Exactly, it's getting difficult to watch KZbin videos anymore, they've caused KZbin to have gone the route of network TV. However, this video was incredible.

[@janosk8392]

@@jfo3000 Agree, I spend half my video time sorting fluff from fibre. Looking forward to the manager who can sort it out.

[@pukulu]

Bernstein was a great communicator and it helped that he was also a tremendous composer and conductor.

[@user-xn9rf2lv5p]

Fantastic! Thank you... Wish there were more like these!

[@tastymouse]

I grew up in NYC when Bernstein led the NY Phil. Young Peoples Concerts were aired on TV. Bernstein was brilliant on these. He was able to communicate to young people very intelligently and clearly. It was truly a blessing growing up there in such an artistically rich environment. Bernstein was truly a gift to the world.

[@god-son-love]

As a physicists student, I will totally vote him for this years best physics teacher. He elucidated a lot. Greatest 5 min indeed.

[@sebastianzaczek]

Porschen Hund *6 minutes

[@Cherem777]

r/iamverysmart

[@user-np3mj3bf6f]

Bernstein - The Carl Sagan of music

[@tonym994]

I wouldn't mind hearing a conversation between the both of those two. Carl would bring some good reefer,I'm sure.

[@alexcarter8807]

Carl would ride his bike over and you'd tell he was coming by the blue shift in front of him

[@donaldstanfield8862]

alex carter That's hilarious, yes, that would have been an interesting conversation!

[@JazzKeyboardist1]

Carl is coming by on Billions and Billions of blue shift waves?

[@fbcpraise]

Sagan - the Leonard Bernstein of cosmology. Maybe.

[@AndrewMoffitt]

I could spend hours listening to this man lecture. I can't believe how much he was able to cover in 5 minutes!

[@pasion4piano]

After 52 years of playing by ear on my piano, this man is in lighting what’s coming naturally to my humble plays

[@antoni7999]

What a waste of time

[@vogelvogeltje]

@@antoni7999 what a waste of time learning music 😂 it can be played by ear.

[@rachelport3723]

The whole lecture is wonderful, as are the others.

[@michaelcristel3060]

The Richard Feynman of music theory lectures.

[@DavidBadilloMusic]

I was about to post the exact thing! You beat me to it! :D

[@jwgmail]

It's really not that complex. It's interesting to think the circle of 5ths lead to the notes it the scale but I'm not convinced that's how it happened. They're relatively evenly spaced across the frequency spectrum (on a logarithmic scale, which again sounds complex but isn't if it's drawn for you): www.scielo.br/img/revistas/rbef/v34n2/a04fig03.jpg What I don't get it how Just Intonation came into being - moving the notes a little bit, something to do with overtones or something to make it sound "better" to our ears.

[@paxwallacejazz]

jwgmail Do you really think this guy is just gonna say anything in this lecture? Bernstein was the one of the foremost conductors in the world. Besides what you are going on about is so off topic of this lecture series. A little knowledge is dangerous. Can't you hear that this little 7 min let's you into the control room the power of vertical organization.

[@krytharn]

Bernstein is right: this is how the twelve tones of our music came to be. It may not only have been our voices, though. We can find these notes in nature as well, so one would find them naturally when plucking a string. A perfect fifth has a frequency that is 3/2 times the base frequency. And, like you pointed out by mentioning the logarithmic scale, the high note of an octave is 2 times the base frequency. So if A4 is 440Hz (which it is in most countries, except France, tsk), then A5 is 880Hz and A6 is 1760Hz. The other intervals are constructed with these ratios in mind. Going up a perfect fifth from A4 will give you E4 at (440 * 3 / 2=) 660Hz. Going down an octave from there will give you E3 at 330Hz. Going up a perfect fifth from E3 leads to B4 at (330 * 3 / 2=) 495Hz. Keep going until you have found all twelve notes in the octave. When you play these notes (try do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do), you will notice they sound a bit off to our modern ears, but otherwise come pretty close to the melody we were expecting. However, when you play chords with it, it doesn't always sound good. An A-major chord may still sound OK, but try a B♭-major and it will sound way off. This is because the ratios only work well for the note you used as a base. When using another note as the base, the relative frequencies are different. See "Church Modes" to learn more about this. When math became available to "fix" this problem (where music sounded different depending on the key you played it in), here's what they did: an octave has twelve notes (A, B♭, B, C, D♭, D, E♭, E, F, G♭, G, A♭). And we want to double the frequency in those twelve steps. So we multiply the base frequency by 2 to the power of 1/12. This is roughly 1,059463094359295. Let's call this value 'M' for magic number. Our fifth is now 7 steps from the base frequency of 440, so that's 440 * m * m * m * m * m * m * m = 659,3Hz. Pretty close to 660Hz, not quite the same, which is why we no longer call it "perfect". But thanks to this tuning, we can now play our music in whatever key we like and it will sound the same. Because regardless of our base note, the relative frequency of each note is the same.

[@janosk8392]

@@krytharn Reflected in twelve tribes across the planet.

[@haydenwayne3710]

Truly his greatest contribution was as a teacher! His and Fred Friendly's Omnibus...then Young People's Concerts educated an entire generation towards classical music...something we so seriously need today!

[@prokastinatore]

Rest In Peace, maestro Leonard Bernstein! We admire and love you for your inspiration and friendship!

[@RasierapparaT]

This could perfectly be a today's TED talk.

[@mitigiant5328]

RasierapparaT si thats why KZbin recommend me Ted videos after this? ...

[@doublenegation7870]

Don't cheapen this man's legacy.

[@mika274]

TED talk is not worthy of this

[@viciniusoommen]

I hear you

[@evansclan4eva49]

The two greatest things mankind has achieved - the equation for relativity and being able to grab notes out of the air and put them on paper.

[@whetcalf]

Brilliance personified! My hero!

[@catherinedasilva9489]

What a gift to humanity. Thanks, Lenny.

[@ThompsonSmith505]

Hello Catherine How are you doing today?

[@RagingCanuck]

My beloved piano teacher, James Hopkirk, told me about the circle of fifths when I was about 11 years old. The most brilliant and enlightened of music educators, he explained this concept to me clearly and concisely, ending with, “So you see, Lois, all music exists in nature. We merely have to find it.” Fifty years after his death, I still mourn his passing.

[@francanino4190]

Leonard Bernstein would be turning 100 in August/2018 and his centennial is being observed throughout the world. THank you for such an amazing music!

[@paxwallacejazz]

Huh... ok cool

[@ameliaaroca8290]

¡ Bravo ! Maestro. Gracias por compartirlo

[@faehnlew.mib2]

Stunning performance, as always.

[@skytern1838]

I expected the piano to explode every time he finished the melody.

[@jeffreyjeziorski341]

And the road runner arrives to peck at seeds...

[@BGNOLA]

You got that too eh? Another song we learned from Looney Tunes.

[@JDMVman]

I love that after a few years of Rick Beato this all makes perfect sense to me now. I wish it had always been this simple.

[@georgemartin5980]

Rick Beato is actually a good name to mention for having an ability to explain things.

[@dottymark1921]

This is a perfect score for a very sweet film. The score captured the action, the moods and the activities of the main character, Paulette. I have a friend who is blind. Her husband played the video while she listened to the music. There after, her husband told her Paulette’s story. He told her what she did, how she was feeling, and her various activities in the film. Then her husband played the video a second time. She told me that she could visualize Paulette. That she could visualize the actions as the score became brighter and faster. She could visualize Paulette’s moods, particularly when she was sad, as the music was slower and more somber. This friend has no musical background at all. Yet in this short film, the score so perfectly replicated the action of the film, that even a blind person could “see“ it. I don’t think there can be a better complement for the score than that.

[@kmb1]

Happy 100th, Lennie. You are still making an impact.

[@zxdfty77]

What a nice little gem! I have always been very deeply moved by his performance of "Adagio" by Samuel Barber. So it is quite interesting to hear him vibrantly speak, bringing music (theory) alive. Also -- I really enjoyed other's comments about how Bernstein significantly inspired their life-long love of music. Thanks for your stories, as well!

[@quabledistocficklepo3597]

zxdfty77 Have there been any performances that didn't move you?

[@juancarlossaavedra4505]

The most educative lesson of what is MUSIC !

[@jooei2810]

I need to watch all of this series!

[@shadowjack8]

I've learned more in five minutes than I did in seven years of primary education. I'm saving this video to watch again. I fear I may need to watch it more than a few times.

[@tonym994]

Leonard Bernstein was not a musical snob. he gave a stunning review to the 1969 lp 'TOMMY' by the WHO. written by Pete Townshend(w/ a couple of important songs by John Entwistle). it wasn't because of any musical virtuosity ,but rather it's energy and historic significance .they were the first Rock band to play the MET w/ their Rock "Opera".Bernstein attended,apparently, and personally praised Townshend. there is your 2 cents from a rock( WHO) fan .I play a little guitar. I'll be watching this again .I saw WEST SIDE STORY when it was re-released in the mid 60's( if I'm not mistaken). I wanted to be in a gang and sing at the same time .I've seen subsequent screenings and to say it holds up well would be an understatement. if it comes your way, find out first if it's the re-mastered version. THAT'S an experience! if you love music, you'll never tire of the seemingly endless credits accompanied by Bernstein's brilliant score.

[@coreycox2345]

Last year, I took my mom to see a production of West Side Story that was produced at the Banff School of Fine Arts. We loved it. The way that it opens with a vibrant number stands out. I came home and watched the movie version the next day. A singing dancing gang. :)

[@tonym994]

glad you guys had a good time .I might call that soundtrack the best I ever heard .the film also has a great intro. camera pans NewYork from the air

[@user-np3mj3bf6f]

I had no idea he did a review of that album, thanks. I do know he praised the Beatles as well a few times. I think the reason why there was such negativity/snobbery towards rock music in the classical world is due to it's vast commercial and popular success in the 20th century while classical composers struggled to be successful (it's the same way many (but not all) rock fans feel towards rap and hip hop these days - which do have merits of their own as well.)

[@normantrombon]

Tony M ...in the young peoples' concert he used 'You really got me going' by the Kinks to demonstrate the mixolydian mode!

[@tonym994]

thanx, norm .now I just need to find out exactly what a mixolydian mode is.

[@LeadGuitarWorkshop]

There should be a prog band called "chromatic porridge"

[@kyoung21b]

Lead Guitar Workshop - Hey, steal our name and we’ll turn you to mush (step by step)

[@dennishermanson68]

Hey, I did a google on "chromatic porridge" (yeah, they opened for Gryphon a few times, as I remember...) but seriously, the phrase must have been one that rocked the house. Even the august bernstein.classical.org/collections/more-bernstein/

[@ler5299]

And the 2020 version - "Chromatic Porridge and the Murder Hornets."

[@frankystrings]

it was called the rockin teen combo

[@meropealcyone]

I think Ross Geller was in the original undergrad lineup

[@davidwise1302]

In that series of lectures, Leonard Bernstein taught me how to do algebra word problems, which has served me very well. At one point in his musings about musical linguistics, he placed music high on a spectrum from metaphorical to concrete. Music, like poetry, was placed very high on the metaphorical end of that scale, so mathematics must be placed on the lower more concrete end. With analytical geometry, you can express every single infinite point in a line or a curve or a circle, etc, with a single expression. A very nearly infinite set of points expressed with a single simple expression. How much more power could you ever hope to get? Now, once I realized that algebra was primarily a language, well I knew how to translate from one language to another. And the rest was simplicity itself.

[@colbyandbrennen3543]

I love videos like this where while he can't share any more information these exist for future generations