The Infinite Variety of Music

With style wit and expertise Leonard Bernstein shares his love and appreciation for music in all its varied forms in ÊThe Infinite Variety of MusicÊ illuminating the deep pleasure and sometimes subtle beauty it offers. He begins with an imaginary conversation with George Washington entitled The Muzak Muse in which he argues the values of actively listening to music by learning how to read notes as opposed to simply hearing music in a concert hall. The book also features the reproduction of five television scripts from Bernstein on the influence of jazz the timeless appeal of Mozart musical romanticism and the complexities of rhythmic innovation. Also included are Bernstein's analyses of symphonies by Dvor¤k Tchaikovsky Beethoven and Brahms a rare reproduction of a 1957 lecture on the nature of composing and a report on the musical scene written for the ÊNew York TimesÊ after his sabbatical leave from directorship of the New York Philharmonic during the 1964-65 season.