On his birthday anniversary, here’s Leonard Bernstein in 1966 to conduct probably my favorite symphony, the Symphony No. 5 by Jean Sibelius. I once heard him lead this glorious music at Carnegie Hall, around the time he made his Deutsche Grammophon recording with the Vienna Philharmonic. I’m happy to say, I never got over it. By 1987, Bernstein learned to really savor the nobility of the climactic “swan theme.”

Later, I nearly heard him conduct the Sibelius 1st in Philadelphia, with the student orchestra of the Curtis Institute of Music, but it was toward the end of his life, and sadly he had to cancel due to illness.

I’ve lost track of the Carnegie program, but I’m sure I’ve got it somewhere. Here’s a record of what else was on the concert.

https://www.carnegiehall.org/about/history/performance-history-search?q=&dex=prod_PHS&page=2&event=7794&cmp=Jean%20Sibelius_&pf=Leonard%20Bernstein_

Needless to say, the performance linked above, with the London Symphony Orchestra, is excellent.

BONUS: Glimpse into a Bernstein masterclass on the Sibelius 5th: