Growing up sheltered from the echoes of World War II, Gustav forges an intense relationship with a mercurial Jewish boy, Anton, a talented pianist who introduces him to the harsh realities of racism, tolerance, and cruelty during a friendship spanning half a century.

Leonard Bernstein earned glory as a composer, conductor, and pianist (classical and jazz), but nothing gave him more pleasure than the joy of teaching. He presented the unique blend of spoken words and music. He is an intensely interactive teacher, getting his audience to sing, springing a quiz full of trick questions. He can take the most abstruse subject and present them to a young audience with clarity, without condescension, and with a clear sense...