Leonard Bernstein filmed Piano Concertos 3, 4, and 5 in 1989, but did not live to film the first two. He died in 1990. So Krystian Zimerman, the pianist, paid tribute to Bernstein and rounded out the set in 1991 by both playing and conducting Concertos 1 and 2.
Although all the concertos were performed and filmed in the same location, the first two were filmed and recorded without an audience, while the last three were filmed and recorded live, with an audience. After his contract with Columbia Masterworks (now Sony Masterworks) was terminated, Leonard Bernstein always recorded and filmed his performances live, except for his 1985 "West Side Story" album with an operatic cast. He felt that it generated more excitement in the performances.