Product Details

• Actors: Leonard Bernstein, Carol Burnett, Benny Goodman, Hans Conried, Alistair Cooke
• Format: Box set, Black & White, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: E1 Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: January 26, 2010
• Run Time: 449 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002OVB9Z8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,562 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Leonard Bernstein: Omnibus - The Historic TV Broadcasts" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Golden Age of Television’s most distinguished production, Omnibus brought sophistication, refinement and sparkling intelligence to a national audience. Leonard Bernstein, whose Omnibus appearances rank among the series highlights, made his television debut with “Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony” in 1954 and later won two Emmy Awards for his presentations on jazz, conducting, musical comedy, 20th century composition and Bach. Now, for the first time since their original live broadcasts, these acclaimed performances can be seen in their entirety, restored and re-mastered on DVD.

Includes: “Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony” (CBS, 11/14/54), “The World of Jazz” (CBS, 10/16/55), “The Art of Conducting” (CBS, 12/4/55), “American Musical Comedy” (ABC, 10/7/56), “Introduction to Modern Music” (ABC, 1/13/57), “The Music of J.S. Bach” (ABC, 3/31/57) and “What Makes Opera Grand?” (NBC, 3/23/58) – plus a bonus live performance of Handel’s Messiah (CBS, 12/25/55), featuring the internationally-acclaimed soloist William Warfield, with Bernstein conducting the Symphony of the Air

Accompanying the collection is a 24-page booklet featuring photographs, program credits and a modern-day assessment by the prominent music critic John Rockwell.

Product Description

Hosted by Alastair Cooke, Omnibus was a monumental series, featuring diverse live broadcasts on science, the arts and the humanities. This historic collection includes seven episodes featuring lectures, performances and master classes from the legendary conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein. Includes: Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony (1954), The World of Jazz (1955), The Art of Conducting (1955), American Musical Comedy (1956), Introduction to Modern Music (1957), The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1957) and What Makes Opera Grand? (1958).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From the Golden Age of Television, January 28, 2010

By 

The Movie Man "tenebre89" (Maywood, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Leonard Bernstein: Omnibus - The Historic TV Broadcasts (DVD)

"Omnibus" ran on ABC, CBS, and NBC at various times from 1952 to 1961. The program showcased both established stars and rising talent from the worlds of music, dance, theater, and opera. Long a staple of Sunday afternoon programming, "Omnibus" eventually moved to other time slots and networks when the value of Sunday real estate rose with the broadcasting of professional football.
"Omnibus: Leonard Bernstein" is a four-disc set containing seven shows aired between 1954 and 1958 that feature Mr. Bernstein's enthusiastic lecture/performances about classical and other forms of music. Bernstein was equally at home with classical music and musical theater. He wrote the scores for "West Side Story" and "On the Town" and was the longtime conductor of the New York Philharmonic.
His "Omnibus" debut was "Beethoven's Fifth Symphony" (broadcast live on CBS, November 14, 1954). Other shows include "The World of Jazz," "American Musical Comedy," "Introduction to Modern Music," "The Music of J.S. Bach," "The Art of Conducting," and "What Makes Opera Grand?" The shows are the kind of fare that today can only be seen on PBS. The TV audience of millions were both entertained and educated by Bernstein's spirited programs. Clearly, he loved his subjects and his energy and passion come through, even in black and white on the small screen. Extras include a bonus performance of Handel's "Messiah" and a 24-page booklet with contributions written by music critic John Rockwell.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All Aboard the Omnibus, June 16, 2010

By 

takingadayoff "takingadayoff" (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Leonard Bernstein: Omnibus - The Historic TV Broadcasts (DVD)

Omnibus was a TV series that debuted in 1952, was hosted by Alistair Cooke, and was mostly about the arts. You might see an original play or a dance performance, a discussion of architecture, or some comedy. Conductor Leonard Bernstein appeared many times over the years. This collection features six of his talks about music and a performance of Handel's Messiah.

Bernstein's first appearance on the show was in 1954 with a fascinating half hour on Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. In it, Bernstein explores Beethoven's notebooks to discover what changes Beethoven made to his most famous composition before he decided it was ready for prime time. It's really quite interesting to hear an orchestra play what were early drafts of the Fifth.

It's just as interesting to see this young, dark-haired Bernstein, already a star, athletically urging the orchestra on, singing (a good singing voice was one of the few musical gifts the Maestro did not possess), playing the piano and organ, conducting, even sneaking a cigarette now and then. His manner is professorial and enthusiastic, an engaging combination. He seems to genuinely want to share what he loves about music, and although he indulges in a bit of showing off now and then, it never comes off as condescending.

As someone who knows next to nothing about the study of music, I found this set educational, but not always in the way Bernstein intended. I learned a lot from the Beethoven episode, and the shows about Bach and jazz. Sometimes we end up learning more about Bernstein's preferences than anything else. In the show about opera, he contrasts operatic scenes from La Boheme with the same scenes, but done as theater, without music. The intent is clearly to show how much more drama can be wrung out of a scene if everyone is singing, but I found the acted scenes to be quite dramatic and less overwrought.

I was afraid the set would be hard to watch since it's from the early days of TV, but the picture is clear enough and the sound is good enough, not great, but not distractingly bad.

Fun surprises are seeing an as yet unknown Carol Burnett, aged about 22, belting out a song called "Ooh La La" in a powdered Marie Antoinette wig, and Jean Marsh, later to become famous in Upstairs, Downstairs, as Mimi in the non-musical scenes from La Boheme.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars oh what a joy, February 17, 2011

By 

Wolfram Helfigurd "Wolf" (Washington of District Columbia) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Leonard Bernstein: Omnibus - The Historic TV Broadcasts (DVD)

i stumbled on this issue of programs by chance last xmas--some of us of-a-certain-age will remember watching these broadcasts (often to the pleased wonder of our parents) and will rejoice to watch them (with or without grandkids) 50 years later--AND the issue is on sale!