1964, TELECINE, "WHAT IS AMERICAN MUSIC", PT1, NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC, YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS

1964, TELECINE, PT1, Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Young People's Concert series, "WHAT IS AMERICAN MUSIC".

Leonard Bernstein discusses and analyzes nature and development of American concert music, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra performs pieces illustrating the analysis. Aaron Copeland is a guest conductor.
Part one
What makes American music sound American? The orchestra plays a part of “An American in Paris” By George Gershwin. This music is unmistakably American; but why does it sound American?
If we consider the national music of other countries, we find that each country music there’s a stamp of individuality, based largely upon it’s folk origins. An African drumbeat, an Arab chant, a Polish mazurka, and Italian tarantella, an Irish reel, each has the character of the folk music of its country. Symphonic music of Spain, Hungary and Russia is played to illustrate how composers use their native folk music in their symphonic works. The Russian folk song” The Little Birch Tree” for example, is used by Tchaikovsky in his fourth symphony. The people of these countries know their folk music; but what is American folk music? Our people come from so many different countries that it is difficult to define American folk music. Is it Indian? About 75 years ago our composers began to write music. This period may be called kindergarten of American composition. Differed little from European music of the same period. The orchestra plays an overture by George W. Chadwick.
Good music, but it sounds like Brahms. Chadwick studied in Leipzig in Munich In 1877 to 1879. Around 1900, Dvorak wrote his “Symphony from the New World”To point out that there was an American spirit in Indian and Negro themes which he said inspired is melodies. The music is still essentially European.
American music,s grammar school period was begun by Edward McDowell, Who wrote an “American Suite”, and Henry F. Gilbert with his “Bamboula”. They and many others used American themes in titles, but wrote in the European style. Music of these composers is played by the orchestra. In the 1920s we entered our high school period With the incorporation of jazz into concert music. The orchestra plays Aaron Copeland’s “Music for the Theater”.