The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard (The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures)

This used book arrived in better condition than described. And, more surprisingly, the international shipping arrived within one week. It is also a great pleasure to listen to the music with Bernstein's introduction.

I watched the lectures when first broadcast on UK TV and bought the book and record when it was first published. I enjoyed it tremendously and it had a big impact on my musical knowledge and appreciation. His centenary reminds me that somewhere in the space of forty years and three marriages, I no longer have it. It's just arrived and opening it is like meeting an old friend after a long separation. Sadly there's no longer a record/CD.

This book is the literal transcript of the 6 Norton talks at Harvard in 1973. Brilliant and kudos to Bernstein for attempting to explicate the semantics of language vis-à-vis musical expression. Though you do feel he is at times trying to fit square pegs into round holes, you have to admire this creative insight. It is on the whole an eye opener and his snippets of musical analysis of musical scores simply wonderful and are worth it. I read this while watching the videos (from youtube) and found it delightfully illuminating.

Lenny scores again with this insightful book based on the Norton lectures he gave at Harvard College. He was a graduate of Harvard and studied with Walter Piston among others. Together with Noel Chomsky, Bernstein has made music understandable to the masses. His lectures show a very detailed and careful analysis of musical structures and the nature of poetic vagueness and stretching tonal limits. I would not only recommend this book, I would call it a necessity to the serious music student.

Great read, my only qualm is the dimensions of the the book make it very difficult to store. It doesn't fit on one of my bookshelves, and it always poking out and mismatching from the other book shelf. I don't understand why it had to be printed in this matter, as opposed to a standard dimension. Oh well - the book is great though!

There is little to say that has not already been said. These lectures are classic because of their multi-disciplinary focus. Simiply put, they are an integration of diverse material that fosters an awareness of the larger picture. In the final analysis all intellectual disciplnes are arbitrary in terms of lines drawn in the sand. Ultimately they all come together as a whole. The Norton Lectures underscore this theme as well as any piece written in the 20th century.

Item as described

Great book to complement the video series. Seller shipped quickly and book arrived in pristine condition.

If proof was needed to demonstrate thet Leonard Bernstein was a profound thinker, here it is. This book is the transcript of his Harvard lectures. After having given the lectures, he recorded the same presentation in a television studio, and these form the audio/video material that is in general circulation. In reality this book should be considered as support item to the audio/video. The book has all the texts plus the musical examples in manuscript form which he demonstrates on the piano. These lectures are easily found in audio form on Spotify as 'Leonard Bernstein at Harvard'. In any case, the content and presentation of the lectures are essential listening. Think of them as advancements on his (also inavluable) Young People's Concerts, which are as relevant today as they were when they were first presented from the late 1950's onwards.

Prompt delivery and well packed, with a nice message from the sender.The book is the textual version of the six lectures given by Leonard Bernstein when he was professor at Harvard. They were illustrated by Bernstein on the piano or by orchestral excerpts and although there are many written musical excerpts to illustrate the text, they are a not a substitute for the real thing unless you are expert at reading a full score. Unfortunately the DVD of the original lectures are unobtainable. Nevertheless, Bernstein's musical insight is so important that the lectures will fascinate anyone with a serious interest in music.

These lectures would be best for serious, University educated musicians. I had a difficult time getting through the first one. Maybe I’ll try again later. His genius is beyond my pay grade!

Everything in his lectures is in this book. Get it if you want to be able to reference back to it at your convenience.

Bello, bello , bello