Leonard Bernstein explores the evolution of the "concerto form" from the era of Bach to the compositions of Bartok. Bernstein proceeds to illustrate this progression by conducting excerpts from early concertos, including Bach's Fifth Brandenburg Concerto and Vivaldi's Concerto in C Major. Moving into the classical period, he presents Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante, followed by the finale of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. Concluding his discussion, Bernstein conducts excerpts from the fourth and fifth movements of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.