DVD + Blu-Ray:
Leonard Bernstein: French Music

The French program offers a stimulating blend of celebrated repertoire works as well as “special tips” from the Romantic era to the early 20th century.

The French program offer a stimulating blend of celebrated repertoire works as well as “special tips” from the Romantic era to the early 20th century. These concerts of Leonard Bernstein were unanimously hailed in the press, both for the dynamism and brio of a conductor at the peak of his artistic powers, and for the unmistakable signs of rejuvenation of the Orchestre National de France.

Featuring works of Hector Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique, subtitled Episode in the Life of an Artist, Albert Roussel‘s Symphony No. 3 – Leonard Bernstein is, in a sense, paying homage to his friend and benefactor Serge Koussevitzky, who commissioned the work for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1930 - Ambroise Thomas´ sparkling, Rossini-like overture to Raymond and Camille Saint-Saëns’ Le Rouet d’Omphale it was “… one of the most wonderful Berlioz concerts that you can dream of …” (Le Monde)

Original title Leonard Bernstein: French Music
Genre Concert
Recording location Théâtre des Champs- Elysées, Paris, 1976 (Berlioz), 1981 (Roussel, Saint-Saëns, Thomas)
Duration 108 mins
Production Company A coproduction of RADIO FRANCE and UNITEL (Berlioz). A production of TF1 and UNITEL in cooperation with VIDEO MUSIC PRODUCTION, INC(Roussel, Saint-Saëns, Thomas)
Director Humphrey Burton, Yves André Hubert, Dirk Sanders
Composer Hector Berlioz, Albert Roussel, Camille Saint-Saëns, Ambroise Thomas
English title of music work Hector Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique; Albert Roussel: Symphony No. 3; Ambroise Thomas: Overture to Raymond; Camille Saint-Saëns: Le Rouet d’Omphale
Orchestra / Band Orchestre National de France
Conductor Leonard Bernstein