The Unanswered Question

Season 1

TV-G

Leonard Bernstein's Harvard University lectures on the future of music, originally delivered in 1973, but not broadcast until 1976.

Where to Watch Season 1

6 Episodes

Musical Phonology
E1
Episode 1Musical PhonologyExplores the origins and development of music and language, with a performance of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in g minor; K. 550
Musical Syntax
E2
Episode 2Musical SyntaxCompares the structures of music and speech, and discusses the multiple transformations of which both are capable, with examples from Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in g minor; K. 550
Musical Semantics
E3
Episode 3Musical SemanticsDemonstrates layers of meaning in Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F Major; op. 68
The Delights and Dangers of Ambiguity
E4
Episode 4The Delights and Dangers of AmbiguityExplorations of new tonal fields by composers of the Romantic era. Musical illustrations include: Berlioz's Romeo Alone and The Ball at the Capulets from Romeo & Juliet, Wagner's Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan & Isolde, and Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune.
The Twentieth Century Crisis
E5
Episode 5The Twentieth Century CrisisArnold Schoenberg's movement toward atonality and Gustav Mahler's anticipation of the crisis in twentieth century music. Includes performances of Ives's The Unanswered Question, Ravel's 'Feria' from Rhapsodie espagnole and Mahler's Symphony No. 9 in D Major; Mvt. 4.
The Poetry of Earth
E6
Episode 6The Poetry of EarthExamines how Igor Stravinsky kept tonality viable while experimenting freely with dissonance. Includes a complete performance of Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex.