GREAT PERFORMANCES: LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER: NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC WITH ERICH LEINSDORF AND ANDRE WATTS (TV)
Summary
One in this series on the performing arts. In this installment -- one in a series of live broadcasts from the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City -- guest conductor Erich Leinsdorf and pianist Andre Watts join the New York Philharmonic for a program of Brahms and Richard Strauss. Host Robert MacNeil introduces the program from the wings, quoting a recent newspaper article that characterized the two pieces to be played as "blockbusters." Leinsdorf, Watts, and the orchestra then play the Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat by Johannes Brahms. In the intermission that follows, Watts talks to MacNeil about the Brahms piece, discussing the concentration the lengthy concerto requires of a pianist. The two also discuss the way in which Brahms structured the piano and orchestra parts as a dialogue. Watts then discusses his current schedule, his goals, and his modes of relaxation when he is not at work. Next, Leinsdorf joins MacNeil to discuss the rehearsal process for the Brahms work, explaining that before the orchestra was brought in, he and Watts practiced the concerto on two pianos. The veteran conductor talks about the changes in his work over the years and his evolving desire to become closer to the ideas of the composers whose works he interprets. He moves on to a discussion of the work that will follow the intermission, Richard Strauss's tone poem "Also sprach Zarathustra" ("Thus Spake Zarathustra"), explaining that although the piece is based on a work by Nietzsche he believes that it does not follow the philosopher's work very closely. Leinsdorf also touches on the popularity of the first twenty bars of "Zarathustra," which are known to the public as the opening music for Stanley Kubrick's film "2001: A Space Odyssey." After a brief digression on Strauss's sense of humor, the conductor leads the Philharmonic in the lengthy tone poem. At its conclusion, the featured musicians rise for special bows: concertmaster Rodney Friend, cellist Lorne Monroe, and violist Sol Greitzer, as well as Julius Baker on flute, Ronald Roseman and Albert Goltzer on oboe, Thomas Stacy on English horn, Manuel Zegler on bassoon, Stanley Drucker on clarinet, John Ware on trumpet, Roland Kohloff on timpani, Edward Herman on trombone, John Cerminaro on horn, and F. William Heim on piccolo.
(This program contains minor technical problems. This represents the best copy of this program currently available to the Museum.)
Cataloging of this program was made possible by The Edward John Noble Foundation.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: October 29, 1977 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:58:26
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:69879
- GENRE: Music
- SUBJECT HEADING: Orchestral music
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1976-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- John Goberman … Producer
- Peter B. Scharff … Production (Misc.), Production Manager
- Ron Rubin … Production (Misc.), Assistant Production Manager
- Charlene Harrington … Production (Misc.), Production Assistant
- Mary McGee … Production (Misc.), Production Assistant
- Kirk Browning … Director
- Alan Skog … Direction (Misc.), Associate Director
- Rosario Augugliaro … Direction (Misc.), Technical Director
- Betty Ann Besch … Writer
- Joan Kramer … Writer
- Johannes Brahms … Composer
- Richard Strauss … Composer
- Erich Leinsdorf … Conductor
- New York Philharmonic, The … Symphony Orchestra
- Andre Watts … Instrumentalist, Pianist, Soloist
- Julius Baker … Instrumentalist, Flute
- John Cerminaro … Instrumentalist, Horn
- Stanley Drucker … Instrumentalist, Clarinet
- Rodney Friend … Instrumentalist, Concertmaster
- Albert Goltzer … Instrumentalist, Oboe
- Sol Greitzer … Instrumentalist, Viola
- F. William Heim … Instrumentalist, Piccolo
- Edward Herman … Instrumentalist, Trombone
- Roland Kohloff … Instrumentalist, Timpani
- Lorne Monroe … Instrumentalist, Cello
- Ronald Roseman … Instrumentalist, Oboe
- Thomas Stacy … Instrumentalist, English horn
- John Ware … Instrumentalist, Trumpet
- Manuel Zegler … Instrumentalist, Bassoon
- Robert MacNeil … Host
- Martin Bookspan … Announcer
- Stanley Kubrick
- Friedrich Nietzsche