Little Drummer Boy: An Essay on Gustav Mahler (1985)

Engrossing video essay by Leonard Bernstein commemorates the 125th anniversary of Gustav Mahler's birth. Bernstein recorded a cycle of the Mahler symphonies and was clearly obsessed with the man. Bernstein himself was a world-class raconteur and the film provides many insights into both Mahler and Bernstein himself, both now regarded as exceptional composers, showmen, and (self-consciously) Jews. Bernstein's thoughts on how his Jewish background influenced Mahler and his music are as controversial now as they were in 1985.