Memories of a Concert from a Historical Series
                   by Janos Sandoryi

   In December 1989 Bernstein conducted the historic "Berlin Celebration
   Concerts" on both sides of the dismantled Wall.  The concerts were
   unprecedented gestures of cooperation, the musicians representing
   the former East Germany, West Germany and the four powers that had
   partitioned Berlin after World War II.  The Berlin Celebration Concert
   featuring Beethoven's Symphony No.  9 performed in Berlin on Christmas
   Day, December 25, 1989, to celebrate the crash of the Communist
   Regime, was Bernstein's last production with Unitel.  Intent on
   conveying a message of peace and brotherhood, Bernstein reworded
   Schiller's Ode to Joy as Ode to Freedom.  An audience of over 100
   million shared in this unique event which was telecast live in more
   than 20 countries around the world.

   After the famous concert Bernstein conducted yet again, but not
   recorded, Mahlers 1st symphony and Haydns "Abscheidsinfonie", as a
   special concert.  And with that concert he put an aera to end I'd
   say.  And what a concert!  Never the strings of the Berlin Philharmonics
   sounded of such a rich lush.  The brass was just amazing!  We all
   cried of that day, for the freedom!  For the music!  The third movement
   of Mahler 1 was irresistible sad, with the minor version of "Bruder
   Jakob" and the Jewish Wedding.  The finale ended in a tremendeous
   outpouring that was completely overwhelming of energy.  Everybody
   thought it tremendous.

   I don't know if Berlin, or Bernstein himself, really have felt most
   what they lost when he left this time.

Forwarded by Mats Norrman