Bernstein's 'Candide' reflects 'undercurrent of pushing ahead in spite of everything'

10:55

July 13, 2022

American composer, conductor and pianist Leonard Bernstein conducting, circa 1975. (Erich Auerbach/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Editor's note: This segment was originally broadcast on June 21, 2022. Find that audio here.

Here & Now classical music opinionator Fran Hoepfner joins host Robin Young to discuss how Sen. Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist hearings in 1954 inspired Leonard Bernstein's 1956 comic opera "Candide," which is about an idealistic young man's clash with harsh reality.

This segment aired on July 13, 2022.