Michael Tilson Thomas: Where Now Is

This American Masters segment lives up to its potential--quite a remarkable accomplishment given how much there is to tell. The documentary traces Michael Tilson Thomas's life from early childhood to the present, adding details from his family background that helped to shape him as a person and as a performer.

MTT's talent was recognized early on by his teachers and by his high school classmates (one of whom later went on to become his husband), and from there his ascent was steep, and, as far as we can gather from this documentary, unbroken. Along the way, the classical music world, including his biggest fans, may have expressed doubts about some of his daring choices of repertoire and of performance style, but he and the musical giants that helped him along always seem to have made the right choices.

What makes this documentary stand out most is the first-hand feel we gain for MTT's special talents--his musical judgment and his ability to out the best in performers. As we watch him working with orchestras and with students, we see him embracing his own humanity while drawing out the humanity in others.

Central to the success of this documentary is MTT's own articulateness. In the interviews that dominate the program, he is admirably forthright--without seeming at all full of himself--about what he gained from his teachers and about his career choices.