Joy of Music, The

Bernstein seems to have excelled in everything he undertook, and this short collection of thoughtful essays and television transcripts is no exception. In the first half, Bernstein creates a series of fictitious characters and writes simple, witty dialogues to explain complex musical ideas. As a musician myself, this first half of the book was the highlight for me.The second half contains transcripts of an old television program called Omnibus, and while these transcripts are interesting, I recommend watching the actual television program to receive the full benefit of Bernstein's creative visual and musical illustrations.This book is for anyone and everyone, not just musicians. Self-titled "non-musicians" might discover that many of the great classical masterworks are not so difficult to relate to given a little willingness to learn and an engaging teacher, like Lenny Bernstein.

Leonard Bernstein, aside from being a brilliant conductor and composer, was a dedicated educator. If you wanted a guide for how to listen to great classical music, or a discussion of the relevance of this music in an evolving artistic culture, you could do a whole lot worse.I think, for the money, if you bought this book, and the Young People's Concerts DVD's, you might have the greatest intro to music course ever.

It is a book, so I am reading.

A very clever book, and an interesting read. The imaginary conversations are a unique way to convey ideas. Bernstein was a master teacher and communicator, who could break down the most complex ideas into simple, understandable concepts. It takes true genius to do that. My only complaint, albeit small, is that having said all of the above, I still have have to pull out the dictionary too much. His genius shows through his work-he doesn’t need to show off by being erudite. Touché.

Great book. All music lovers should read this...great overview and detailed look at composer's process and insights into many of the musical worlds great masterpieces. Leonard Bernstein is able to teach complex subjects so that average music listeners can understand the points he makes and advanced music students can derive greater understanding. It is a pleasure to be able to share this man's insights and genius.

A must read for music educators and students. Bernstein covers a lot of topics, one of which is conducting, and as a future K-12 Music educator I find it very helpful and encouraging. Bernstein also covers, Jazz, comedy and modern music all of which I plan on bringing into my classroom. Oh, and the price is just right.

This was a pocket book edition and type very small; however, useful for reference work if one loves Bernstein.

Entertaining and inspiring!