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Leonard Bernstein (pronounced /ˈbɝːnstaɪn/ "BERN-stine";[1] August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Conducting is the act of directing a Musical performance by way of visible gestures A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance An author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created Lecturer is a term of Academic rank. In the United Kingdom lecturer is the name given to University Teachers in their first permanent The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers He was the first conductor born and educated in the United States of America to receive world-wide acclaim. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the He is perhaps best known for his long conducting relationship with the New York Philharmonic, which included the acclaimed Young People's Concerts series, and his compositions, including West Side Story, Candide, and On the Town. The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active Symphony Orchestra in the United States, organized during 1842 The Young People's Concerts at the New York Philharmonic are the longest-running series of family concerts in the world having begun in 1924 under the direction of "Uncle" Ernest West Side Story is a musical by Arthur Laurents (book Leonard Bernstein (music and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics Candide (1956 is an Operetta with music composed by Leonard Bernstein, based on the Novella of the same name by Voltaire On the Town is a musical with music by Leonard Bernstein and book and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, based He is known to baby boomers primarily as the first classical music conductor to make many television appearances, all between 1954 and 1989. Baby boomer is a term used to describe a person who was born during the Post-World War II baby boom between 1946 and 1964 Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music He is one of the most influential figures in the history of American classical music, championing the works of American composers and inspiring the careers of a generation of American musicians.

Contents

Biography

Childhood

Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1918 to a Polish-Jewish family from Rivne, now Ukraine. Lawrence is a city in Essex County Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. The history of the Jews in Poland dates back over a Millennium. Soborna Street-Rivne 2JPG|thumb|left|200px|Soborna (Cathedral Street]]Maidan Nezalezhnosti-Rivne Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. His grandmother insisted his first name be Louis, but his parents always called him Leonard, as they liked the name better. He had his name changed to Leonard officially when he was fifteen. [2] His father, Sam Bernstein, was a businessman, and initially opposed young Leonard's interest in music. Despite this, the elder Bernstein frequently took him to orchestra concerts. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well At a very young age, Bernstein heard a piano performance and was immediately captivated; he subsequently began learning the piano. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers As a child, Bernstein attended the Garrison School and Boston Latin School. The Boston Latin School is a public exam school founded on April 23 1635, in Boston, Massachusetts, making it the [3]

University

After graduation from Boston Latin School in 1934 Bernstein attended Harvard University, where he studied music with Walter Piston and was briefly associated with the Harvard Glee Club. The Boston Latin School is a public exam school founded on April 23 1635, in Boston, Massachusetts, making it the Walter Hamor Piston Jr ( January 20, 1894 &ndash November 12, 1976) was an American composer and music theorist The Harvard Glee Club is a 60-voice all-male choral ensemble at Harvard University. [4] One of his friends at Harvard was Donald Davidson, considered one of the leading philosophers of the 20th century, with whom he played piano four hands. Donald Davidson is the name of Donald Davidson (poet (1893–1968 American poet Donald Davidson (philosopher (1917–2003 American philosopher Piano four hands is a specific form of duet for a single Piano with two players Bernstein wrote and conducted the musical score for the production which Davidson mounted of Aristophanes' play The Birds in the original Greek. Some of this music was later to be reused in Bernstein's ballet Fancy Free.

After completing his studies at Harvard he enrolled in the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he received the only "A" grade Fritz Reiner ever awarded in his class on conducting. The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia Pennsylvania that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma Bachelor of Music Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Frederick Martin “Fritz” Reiner ( December 19, 1888 During his time at Curtis, Bernstein also studied piano with Isabella Vengerova. [5]

Adult life

During his young adult years in New York City, Bernstein enjoyed an exuberant social life that included relationships with both men and women. The City of New York After a long internal struggle and a turbulent on-and-off engagement, he married Chilean actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn on September 9, 1951, reportedly in order to increase his chances of obtaining the chief conducting position with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Dimitri Mitropoulos, conductor of the New York Philharmonic and Bernstein's mentor, advised him that marrying would help counter the gossip about him and appease the conservative BSO board. Dimitris Mitropoulos (Δημήτρης Μητρόπουλος ( &ndash November 2, 1960) known in the West as Dimitri Mitropoulos The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based at Symphony Hall in Boston Massachusetts, USA [6]

Leonard and Felicia had three children, Jamie, Alexander, and Nina. [7] During his married life, Bernstein tried to be as discreet as possible with his extramarital liaisons. But as he grew older, and as the Gay Liberation movement made great strides, Bernstein became more emboldened, eventually leaving Felicia to live with his lover Tom Cothran. Gay Liberation is the name used to describe the radical Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender movement of the late 1960s and early to mid 1970s Some time after, Bernstein learned that his wife was diagnosed with lung cancer. Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung. Bernstein moved back in with his wife and cared for her until she died. [8]

It has been suggested that Bernstein was actually bisexual — an assertion supported by comments Bernstein himself made about not preferring any particular cuisine, musical genre, or form of sex — and it has been alleged that he was conflicted between his devotion to his family and his gay desires, but Arthur Laurents (Bernstein's collaborator in West Side Story), said that Bernstein was simply "a gay man who got married. Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation Arthur Laurents (born July 14, 1918) is an American Playwright, Novelist, Screenwriter, Librettist and West Side Story is a musical by Arthur Laurents (book Leonard Bernstein (music and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics He wasn't conflicted about it at all. He was just gay. " [9] Shelly Rhoades Perle, another friend of Bernstein’s, said that she thought "he required men sexually and women emotionally. " [10]

Career

Bernstein in 1944
Bernstein in 1944

Bernstein was very highly regarded as a conductor, composer, and educator, and probably best known to the public as longtime music director of the New York Philharmonic, for conducting concerts by many of the world's leading orchestras, and for writing the music for West Side Story. The title of music director or musical director is used by many Symphony orchestras to designate the primary conductor and artistic leader of the orchestra The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active Symphony Orchestra in the United States, organized during 1842 West Side Story is a musical by Arthur Laurents (book Leonard Bernstein (music and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics He wrote three symphonies, two operas, five musicals, and numerous other pieces. A symphony is a Musical composition, often extended and usually for Orchestra. Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance.

Bernstein conducting the New York City Symphony (1945)
Bernstein conducting the New York City Symphony (1945)

In 1940, he began his study at the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer institute, Tanglewood, under the orchestra's conductor, Serge Koussevitzky. The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based at Symphony Hall in Boston Massachusetts, USA Tanglewood is an estate and Music venue in Lenox and Stockbridge Massachusetts and is the home of the annual summer Tanglewood Music Festival WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes -->Dr Bernstein later became Koussevitzky's conducting assistant. [11] He would later dedicate his Symphony No. 2 to Koussevitzky. Leonard Bernstein 's 2nd Symphony known as The age of anxiety was composed from 1948 to 1949 in the US and Israel. [12]

On November 14, 1943, having recently been appointed assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, he made his conducting debut on last minute notification, and without any rehearsal, after Bruno Walter came down with the flu. Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Bruno Walter ( September 15, 1876 &ndash February The next day, The New York Times editorial remarked, "It's a good American success story. The warm, friendly triumph of it filled Carnegie Hall and spread far over the air waves. "[13]He was an immediate success and became instantly famous because the concert was nationally broadcasted. The soloist on that historic day was Joseph Schuster, solo cellist of the New York Philharmonic, who played Richard Strauss's Don Quixote. Joseph Schuster (1903&ndash1969 was born in Constantinople of Russian descent Richard Georg Strauss (11 June 1864 &ndash 8 September 1949 was a German Composer of the late Romantic era and early modern era particularly noted es '''''Don Quixote''''' (, see spelling and pronunciation below fully titled es '''''El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha''''' ("The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Since Bernstein had never conducted the work before, Bruno Walter coached him on it prior to the concert. It is possible to hear this remarkable event thanks to a transcription recording made from the CBS radio broadcast that has since been issued on CD.

After World War II Bernstein's career on the international stage began to flourish. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In 1946 he conducted his first opera, the American premiere of Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes, which had been a Koussevitzky commission. Edward Benjamin Britten Baron Britten, OM CH (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976 was an English Composer, conductor, Peter Grimes is an Opera by Benjamin Britten, with a Libretto adapted by Montagu Slater from the Peter Grimes section of In 1949 he conducted the world première of the Turangalîla-Symphonie by Olivier Messiaen, and when Koussevitzky died two years later, Bernstein became head of the orchestral and conducting departments at Tanglewood, holding this position for many years. The Turangalîla-Symphonie is a large-scale piece of Orchestral music by Olivier Messiaen. Olivier Messiaen ( December 10 1908 &ndash April 27 1992 was a French Composer, organist and ornithologist.

In 1951, Bernstein conducted the New York Philharmonic in the world premiere of the Symphony No. 2 of Charles Ives. The Second Symphony was written by Charles Ives between 1897 and 1901. Charles Edward Ives (October 20 1874 – May 19 1954 was an American Composer of modernist Classical music. The composer, old and frail, was unable to attend the concert, but listened to the broadcast on the radio with his wife, Harmony. They both marveled at the enthusiastic reception of his music, which had actually been written between 1897 and 1901, but until then had never been performed. Bernstein did much to promote the music of this American composer throughout his career. Ives died in 1954. Bernstein was also a visiting music professor in the early 1950's, and founder/head of the Creative Arts Festivals at Brandeis University from 1952 onward. Brandeis University is a private research University with a Liberal arts focus located in Waltham Massachusetts, United States. [14] The festival was named after him in 2005, becoming the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts.

Bernstein was named Music Director of the New York Philharmonic in 1957 and began his tenure in that position in 1958, a post he held until 1969, although he continued to conduct and make recordings with that orchestra for the rest of his life. The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active Symphony Orchestra in the United States, organized during 1842 He became a well-known figure in the US through his series of fifty-three televised Young People's Concerts for CBS, which grew out of his Omnibus programs that CBS aired in the early 1950s. The Young People's Concerts at the New York Philharmonic are the longest-running series of family concerts in the world having begun in 1924 under the direction of "Uncle" Ernest CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. His first Young People's Concert was televised only a few weeks after his tenure as principal conductor of the New York Philharmonic began. He became as famous for his educational work in those concerts as for his conducting. Some of his music lectures were released on records, with several of these albums winning Grammy awards. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences To this day, the Young People's Concerts series remains the longest running group of classical music programs ever shown on commercial television. They ran from 1958 to 1972. More than thirty years later, twenty-five of them were rebroadcast on the now-defunct cable channel Trio, and released on DVD. Trio (or TRIO) was an American cable and Satellite television channel DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is

In 1947, Bernstein conducted in Tel Aviv for the first time, beginning a life-long association with Israel. Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel In 1957, he conducted the inaugural concert of the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv; he subsequently made many recordings there. In 1967 he conducted a concert on Mt. Scopus to commemorate the reunification of Jerusalem. Mount Scopus ( Hebrew הַר הַצּוֹפִים ( Har HaTzofim) Arabic جبل المشارف Ǧabal al-Mašārif, Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the During the 1970s, Bernstein recorded most of his own symphonic music with the Israel Philharmonic.

Bernstein at the piano, making annotations to a musical score
Bernstein at the piano, making annotations to a musical score

In 1959 he took the New York Philharmonic on a tour of Europe and the Soviet Union, portions of which were filmed by CBS. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. A major highlight of the tour was Bernstein's performance of Shostakovich's fifth symphony, in the presence of the composer, who came on stage at the end to congratulate Bernstein and the musicians. Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich ( Russian: ru Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович ( &ndash 9 August 1975 was a Russian Composer In October, when Bernstein and the orchestra returned to New York, they recorded the symphony for Columbia. He made two recordings of Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony, one with the New York Philharmonic in the 1960s, and another one in 1988 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the only recording he ever made with them (along with Shostakovich's Symphony No. Shostakovich]] completed his Symphony No 7 in C major, Op 60 dedicated to the city of Leningrad, on 27 December 1941 The Chicago Symphony Orchestra ( CSO) is an American orchestra based in Chicago Illinois. 1, also recorded live in concerts at Orchestra Hall in Chicago at that time).

In 1960 Bernstein began the first complete cycle of recordings in stereo of all nine completed symphonies by Gustav Mahler, with the blessings of the composer's widow, Alma. The success of these recordings, along with Bernstein's concert performances, greatly revived interest in Mahler, who had briefly been music director of the New York Philharmonic late in his life. That same year, Bernstein conducted an LP of his own score for the 1944 musical On The Town, in stereo, the first such recording of the score ever made, for Columbia Masterworks Records. On the Town is a musical with music by Leonard Bernstein and book and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, based Columbia Masterworks Records was a Record label started in 1927 by Columbia Records. Unlike his later recordings of his own musicals, this was originally issued as a single LP rather than a 2-record set. It was later issued on CD. The recording featured several members of the original Broadway cast, including Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Betty Comden ( May 3 1917 November 23 2006) along with Adolph Green (1914 2002 was one-half of the musical duo Comden and Green Adolph Green ( December 2, 1914 October 23, 2002) was an American Lyricist and Playwright who with long-time

In one storied incident, in April 1962, Bernstein appeared on stage before a performance of the Brahms D Minor Concerto Op. 15. The soloist was the legendary pianist Glenn Gould. Glenn Herbert Gould At a young age he reportedly behaved differently from typical children at the piano he would strike single notes and listen to their long decay During rehearsals, Gould had argued for tempi much broader than normal, which did not reflect Bernstein's concept of the music. Bernstein gave a brief address to the audience stating,

"Don't be frightened Mr. Gould is here. (audience laughter) He will appear in a moment. I'm not- um- as you know in the habit of speaking on any concert except the Thursday night previews, but a curious situation has arisen, which merits, I think, a word or two. You are about to hear a rather, shall we say, unorthodox performance of the Brahms D Minor Concerto, a performance distinctly different from any I've ever heard, or even dreamt of for that matter, in its remarkably broad tempi and its frequent departures from Brahms' dynamic indications. I cannot say I am in total agreement with Mr. Gould's conception and this raises the interesting question: "What am I doing conducting it?" (mild laughter from the audience) I'm conducting it because Mr. Gould is so valid and serious an artist that I must take seriously anything he conceives in good faith and his conception is interesting enough so that I feel you should hear it, too.
But the age old question still remains: "In a concerto, who is the boss (audience laughter)- the soloist or the conductor?" (Audience laughter grows louder) The answer is, of course, sometimes the one and sometimes the other depending on the people involved. But almost always, the two manage to get together by persuasion or charm or even threats (audience laughs) to achieve a unified performance. I have only once before in my life, had to submit to a soloist's wholly new and incompatible concept and that was the last time I accompanied Mr. Gould. (audience laughs loudly) But, but THIS time, the discrepancies between our views are so great that I feel I must make this small disclaimer. Then why, to repeat the question, am I conducting it? Why do I not make a minor scandal -- get a substitute soloist, or let an assistant conduct? Because I am FASCINATED, glad to have the chance for a new look at this much played work; because, what's more, there are moments in Mr. Gould's performance that emerge with astonishing freshness and conviction. Thirdly, because we can ALL learn something from this extraordinary artist who is a THINKING performer, and finally because there IS in music what Dimitri Mitropoulos used to call "the SPORTIVE element" (mild audience laughter) that FACTOR of curiosity, adventure, experiment, and I can assure you that it HAS been an adventure this week (audience laughter) collaborating with Mr. Gould on this Brahms concerto and it's in this spirit of adventure that we now present it to you. "

This speech was subsequently interpreted by NY Times Critic Harold Schoenberg as an attack on Gould, but Bernstein always denied that this had been his intent. Throughout his life he professed enormous admiration and personal friendship for Gould.

During his New York Philharmonic directorship, Bernstein was also responsible for introducing the symphonies of the Danish composer Carl Nielsen to American audiences, leading to a revival of interest in this composer whose reputation had previously been mostly regional. Carl August Nielsen (9 June 1865 &ndash 3 October 1931 was a conductor, Violinist, and Composer from Denmark. Bernstein recorded three of Nielsen's symphonies (Nos. 2, 4 and 5) with the Philharmonic, and recorded the composer's 3rd Symphony with a Danish orchestra after a critically-acclaimed public performance there.

In 1966 he made his debut at the Vienna State Opera conducting Luchino Visconti's production of Verdi's Falstaff, with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as Falstaff. The Vienna State Opera ( Wiener Staatsoper) located in Vienna, Austria, is one of the most important Opera houses - and opera companies - in Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo ( November 2, 1906 - March 17, 1976) was an Italian Falstaff is an Operatic commedia lirica in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, adapted by Arrigo Boito from Shakespeare 's plays The German Baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (born 28 May 1925 is a German singer and conductor of Classical music, one of the most famous In 1970 he returned to the State Opera for Otto Schenk's production of Beethoven's Fidelio. Otto Schenk (born June 12, 1930 in Vienna, Austria) is an actor theater director and production designer Fidelio (Op 72 is an Opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven. Sixteen years later, at the State Opera, Bernstein conducted his sequel to Trouble in Tahiti, A Quiet Place. Bernstein's final farewell to the State Opera happened accidentally in 1989: Following a performance of Modest Mussorgsky's Khovanchina he unexpectedly entered the stage and embraced conductor Claudio Abbado in front of a stunned, but cheering audience. Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (Моде́ст Петро́вич Му́соргский Modest Petrovič Musorgskij) ( March 21 March 9 1839 &ndash March WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Claudio Abbado, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (born June

Beginning in 1970, Bernstein conducted the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, with which he re-recorded many of the pieces that he had previously taped with the New York Philharmonic, including sets of the complete symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms and Schumann. The Vienna Philharmonic (in German: die Wiener Philharmoniker) is an Orchestra in Austria, regularly considered one of the finest in the The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active Symphony Orchestra in the United States, organized during 1842 Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. Johannes Brahms ( pronounced ˈbʁaːms (May 7 1833 &ndash April 3 1897 was a German Composer Robert Schumann, sometimes given as Robert Alexander Schumann (June 8 1810 &ndash July 29 1856 was a German Composer, Aesthete and influential Music critic Some of the Mahler symphony recordings from Bernstein's second cycle for Deutsche Grammophon were also made with the Vienna Philharmonic.

Later that year, Bernstein wrote and narrated a ninety-minute program filmed on location in and around Vienna, featuring the Vienna Philharmonic with such artists as Plácido Domingo, who in his first television appearance performed as the tenor soloist in Beethoven's Ninth. WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes --> José Plácido Domingo Embil KBE (born January 21, 1941) better The Symphony No 9 in D minor Op 125 "Choral" is the last complete Symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. The program, first telecast in 1970 on Austrian and British television, and then on CBS on Christmas Eve 1971, was intended as a celebration of Beethoven's 200th birthday. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Christmas Eve, December 24, is the day before Christmas Day, the celebrated birthday of Jesus. The show made extensive use of the rehearsals and finished performance of the Otto Schenk production of Fidelio. Originally entitled Beethoven's Birthday: A Celebration in Vienna, the show, which won an Emmy, was telecast only once on U. S. commercial television, and remained in CBS's vaults, until it resurfaced on A&E shortly after Bernstein's death - under the new title Bernstein on Beethoven: A Celebration in Vienna. A&E is a cable and Satellite television network with headquarters in Manhattan and offices in Stamford, Atlanta, It was immediately issued on VHS under that title, and in 2005 was issued on DVD. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is

Bernstein was invited in 1973 to the Charles Eliot Norton Chair as Professor of Poetry at his alma mater, Harvard University, to deliver a series of 6 lectures on music. Charles Eliot Norton, (November 16 1827 - October 21 1908 was a leading American author social critic and professor of art Borrowing the title from a Charles Ives work, he called the series "The Unanswered Question"; it is a set of interdisciplinary lectures in which he borrows terminology from contemporary linguistics to analyze and compare musical construction to language. Three years later, in 1976, the entire series of videotaped lectures was telecast on PBS. The lectures survive both in book and DVD form today. Noam Chomsky wrote in 2007 on the Znet forums about the linguistic aspects of the lecture: I spent some time with Bernstein during the preparation and performance of the lectures. Avram Noam Chomsky (noʊm ˈtʃɑmski born December 7 1928 is an American linguist, Philosopher, cognitive scientist, Political My feeling was that he was on to something, but I couldn't really judge how significant it was.

In 1978, the Otto Schenk Fidelio, with Bernstein still conducting, but featuring a different cast, was filmed by Unitel. Like the program, Bernstein on Beethoven, it also was shown on A&E after his death and subsequently issued on VHS. Although the video has since long been out-of-print, it was released for the first time on DVD by Deutsche Grammophon in late 2006. Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical Record label. The company has long been known for its high standards of audio fidelity.

In 1979 Bernstein conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for the first and only time, in two charity concerts. The Berlin Philharmonic (in German: Die Berliner Philharmoniker) is an Orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. The performance, of Mahler's Ninth Symphony, was broadcast on radio, and posthumously released on CD. The Symphony No 9 in D major by the Composer Gustav Mahler was written in 1909 and 1910 and was the last Symphony that he completed

He received the Kennedy Center Honors award in 1980. The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to artists in the performing arts

On PBS in the 1980s, he was the conductor and commentator for a special series on Beethoven's music, which featured the Vienna Philharmonic playing all nine Beethoven symphonies, several of his overtures, one of the string quartets arranged for the full string section of the Vienna Philharmonic, and the Missa Solemnis. The Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) is a Non-profit Public broadcasting Television service with 354 member TV stations in the The Missa solemnis in D Major Op 123 was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1819-1823 Actor Maximilian Schell was also featured on the program, reading from Beethoven's letters. Maximilian Schell (born December 8, 1930) is an Academy Award -winning Austrian Actor.

In 1982, he and Ernest Fleischmann founded the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute, where he served as Artistic Director through 1984. The Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute was a summer training program held in Los Angeles, California for Conservatory aged orchestral instrumentalists and

In 1985, he conducted a complete recording of his score for West Side Story for the first and only time. The recording, much criticized for featuring what critics felt were miscast opera singers such as Kiri te Kanawa, Jose Carreras, and Tatiana Troyanos in the leading roles, was nevertheless a national bestseller. Dame Kiri Janette Te Kanawa, ONZ, DBE, AC (ˈkiri ˈtɛ ˈkɑːnəwə born WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes --> Josep Carreras i Coll (born December 5, 1946, Barcelona Tatiana Troyanos ( September 12, 1938 – August 21, 1993) was an American Mezzo-soprano.

In 1989, Bernstein again conducted and recorded another complete performance of one of his musicals, again featuring opera singers rather than Broadway stars. This time it was Candide, and because the show was always intended to be an operetta, the recording made from it was much more warmly received. Operetta is a genre of light Opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter The performance was released posthumously on CD (in 1991). It starred Jerry Hadley, June Anderson, Adolph Green, and Christa Ludwig in the leading roles. Jerry Hadley ( June 16 1952 – July 18 2007) was an American Operatic Tenor, who was a protegé of June Anderson (born December 30, 1952) is a Grammy -award winning American Coloratura Soprano. Christa Ludwig (born March 16, 1928) is a German retired Mezzo-soprano, distinguished for her performances of Opera and Lieder The Candide recording, unlike the West Side Story one, also included previously discarded numbers from the show.

A TV documentary of the West Side Story recording sessions was made in 1985, and the Candide recording was made live, in concert. This concert was eventually telecast posthumously.

On Christmas Day, 25 December 1989, Bernstein conducted the Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in East Berlin's Schauspielhaus (Playhouse) as part of a celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. The Symphony No 9 in D minor Op 125 "Choral" is the last complete Symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990 The Berlin Wall (Berliner Mauer was a physical barrier separating West Berlin from the German Democratic Republic (GDR ( East Germany) including The concert was broadcast live in more than twenty countries to an estimated audience of 100 million people. For the occasion, Bernstein reworded Friedrich Schiller's text of the Ode to Joy, substituting the word Freiheit (freedom) for Freude (joy). Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller krɪstɔf friːtʁɪç fɔn ʃɪləʁ/ʃɪlɐ (10 November 1759 9 May 1805 was a German Poet, Philosopher " To Joy " ( An die Freude in German, in English often familiarly called the Ode to Joy) is an Ode written in [15] Bernstein, in the introduction to the program, said that they had "taken the liberty" of doing this because of a "most likely phony" story, apparently believed in some quarters, that Schiller wrote an "Ode to Freedom" that is now presumed lost. Bernstein's comment was, 'I'm sure that Beethoven would have given us his blessing. "

Bernstein was highly regarded as a conductor among many musicians, including the members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, evidenced by his honorary membership, the London Symphony Orchestra, of which he was President, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom he appeared regularly as guest conductor. The London Symphony Orchestra ( LSO) is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit ha-Yisre'elit He was considered especially accomplished with the works of Gustav Mahler, his own compositions, and with American composers Aaron Copland, Charles Ives, William Schuman, and George Gershwin, his recordings of Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris with the Philharmonic released in 1959 considered definitive. Aaron Copland (November 14 1900 &ndash December 2 1990 was an American Composer of concert and film music as well as an accomplished Pianist. Charles Edward Ives (October 20 1874 – May 19 1954 was an American Composer of modernist Classical music. William Howard Schuman ( August 4, 1910 – February 15, 1992) was an American George Gershwin (September 26 1898 &ndash July 11 1937 was an American Composer. Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924 which combines elements of classical music with This article is about the Gershwin composition For the 1951 musical starring Gene Kelly see An American in Paris (film. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Unfortunately, Bernstein never conducted a performance of Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F, nor did he ever conduct Porgy and Bess. Porgy and Bess is an Opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, Libretto by DuBose Heyward, and However, he did discuss Porgy in his article, Why Don't You Run Upstairs and Write a Nice Gershwin Tune?, originally published in the New York Times and later reprinted in his 1959 book The Joy of Music.

He had a gift for rehearsing an entire Mahler symphony by acting out every phrase for the orchestra to convey the precise meaning, and of emitting a vocal manifestation of the effect required, with a subtly professional ear that missed nothing.

Bernstein influenced many conductors who are performing now, such as Marin Alsop, Alexander Frey, John Mauceri, Seiji Ozawa, Carl St.Clair, and Michael Tilson Thomas. Marin Alsop (born October 16 1956) is an American conductor and the current music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Alexander Frey is a Symphony orchestra conductor known for his electrifying passionate performances John Mauceri (born 1945 New York is an American conductor producer and Composer for theatre Opera and television WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> is a Japanese conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations Carl Ray StClair (born June 5, 1952) is the music director of Pacific Symphony in Orange County, California, the Komische Oper Michael Tilson Thomas (b December 21, 1944) is an American conductor, pianist and Composer. Ozawa made his first network television debut as guest conductor on one of the Young People's Concerts.

Bernstein conducted his final performance at Tanglewood on August 19, 1990, with the Boston Symphony playing Benjamin Britten's "Four Sea Interludes" and Beethoven's Seventh Symphony. Tanglewood is an estate and Music venue in Lenox and Stockbridge Massachusetts and is the home of the annual summer Tanglewood Music Festival Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Edward Benjamin Britten Baron Britten, OM CH (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976 was an English Composer, conductor, Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. Ludwig van Beethoven began concentrated work on his Symphony No [16] He suffered a coughing fit in the middle of the Beethoven performance which almost caused the concert to break down. The concert was later issued on CD by Deutsche Grammophon.

He died of pneumonia and a pleural tumor just five days after retiring. Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal A longtime heavy smoker, he had battled emphysema from his mid-20s. Emphysema is a chronic obstructive Pulmonary disease ( COPD) formerly termed a chronic obstructive Lung disease (COLD On the day of his funeral procession through the streets of Manhattan, construction workers removed their hats and waved and yelled "Goodbye Lenny. "[17] Bernstein is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City.

Recordings

Bernstein recorded extensively from the 1950s until just a few months before his death. Aside from a few early recordings in the mid-1940's for RCA Victor, Bernstein recorded primarily for Columbia Masterworks Records, especially when he was music director of the New York Philharmonic. RCA Records (originally The Victor Talking Machine Company, then RCA Victor is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. Columbia Masterworks Records was a Record label started in 1927 by Columbia Records. Many of these performances have been digitally remastered and reissued by Sony as part of the "Royal Edition" and "Bernstein Century" series. is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with His later recordings (1976 onwards) were mostly made for Deutsche Grammophon, though he would occasionally return to the Columbia Masterworks label. Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical Record label. The company has long been known for its high standards of audio fidelity. Notable exceptions include recordings of Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique (1976) for EMI and Wagner's Tristan und Isolde (1981) for Philips Records, a label joint with Deutsche Grammophon as PolyGram at that time. An Episode in the Life of the Artist Opus 14 usually referred to by its subtitle Symphonie fantastique ( Fantasy Symphony) is The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in Tristan und Isolde ( Tristan and Isolde, or Tristan and Isolda) is an Opera, or Music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner Philips Records is a Record label that was founded by Dutch electronics giant Philips. PolyGram was the name from 1972 of the Major label recording company started by Philips as a holding company for its music interests in 1945

Awards and recognitions

Further information: List of Leonard Bernstein awards

Principal works

Musical theatre

Orchestral

Choral

Chamber music

Vocal music

Other music

Bibliography

By Bernstein

About Bernstein

Videography

References

  1. ^ Karlin, Fred (1994). Listening to Movies (recording), New York City: Schirmer, p. 264.   Bernstein's pronunciation of his own name as he introduces his Peter and the Wolf
  2. ^ Peyser, Joan (1987). Peter and the Wolf is a composition by Sergei Prokofiev written in 1936 after his return to the Soviet Union. Bernstein, a biography. New York: Beech Tree Books, p. 22-23. ISBN 0-688-04918-4.  
  3. ^ Peyser (1987), p. 34
  4. ^ Peyser (1987), p. 39-40
  5. ^ Peyser (1987), p. 38-9
  6. ^ Burton, Leonard Bernstein)
  7. ^ Peyser (1987), p. 196, 204, 322
  8. ^ Burton, Leonard Bernstein)
  9. ^ Charles Kaiser, “The Gay Metropolis, New York City: 1940-1996"
  10. ^ Meryle Secrest, “Leonard Bernstein: A Life”
  11. ^ About Bernstein. Leonard Bernstein Official Site. Retrieved on 2007-01-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign
  12. ^ Leonard Bernstein - Biography. Sony Classical. Retrieved on 2007-01-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign
  13. ^ Deems Taylor, Pathétique, Music-Appreciation Records, 2007-25-07.
  14. ^ The Official Leonard Bernstein Web Site. http://www.leonardbernstein.com/about.php
  15. ^ Naxos (2006). Naxos Records is a Record label for classical music Compact discs and DVDs Founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a Ode To Freedom - Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (NTSC). Naxos. com Classical Music Catalogue. Retrieved on 2006-11-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus"
  16. ^ Garrison Keillor (25 August 2003). Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Writer's Almanac. American Public Media. Retrieved on 2007-01-17. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca
  17. ^ American Masters documentary, PBS

External links

Persondata
NAME Bernstein, Leonard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bernstein, Louis
SHORT DESCRIPTION Composer, conductor, pedagogue, pianist, writer
DATE OF BIRTH August 25, 1918
PLACE OF BIRTH Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States
DATE OF DEATH October 14, 1990
PLACE OF DEATH New York City, New York, U.S.
The Internet Broadway Database ( IBDB) is an online Database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance Conducting is the act of directing a Musical performance by way of visible gestures In Education, a teacher is one who helps Students or pupils often in a School, as well as in a Family, religious or The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Lawrence is a city in Essex County Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
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