Leonard Bernstein: American Original

by Burton Bernstein, Barbara Haws

One of the most gifted, celebrated, scrutinized, and criticized musicians in the second half of the twentieth century, Leonard Bernstein made his legendary conducting debut at the New York Philharmonic in 1943, at age 25. A year later, he became a sensation on Broadway with the premiere of On the Town . Throughout the 1950s, his Broadway fame only grew with Wonderful Town , Candide , and West Side Story . And in 1958, the Philharmonic appointed him the first American Music Director of a major symphony orchestra—a signal historical event. He was adored as a quintessential celebrity but one who could do it all—embracing both popular and classical music, a natural with the new medium of television, a born teacher, writer, and speaker, as well as a political and social activist. In 1976, having conducted the Philharmonic for more than one thousand concerts, he took his orchestra on tour to Europe for the last time. All of this played out against the backdrop of post-Second World War New York City as it rose to become the cultural capital of the world—the center of wealth, entertainment, communications, and art—and continued through the chaotic and galvanizing movements of the 1960s that led to its precipitous decline by the mid 1970s. The essays within this book do not simply retell the Bernstein story; instead, Leonard Bernstein's brother, Burton Bernstein, and current New York Philharmonic archivist and historian, Barbara B. Haws, have brought together a distinguished group of contributors to examine Leonard Bernstein's historic relationship with New York City and its celebrated orchestra. Composer John Adams, American historians Paul Boyer and Jonathan Rosenberg, music historians James Keller and Joseph Horowitz, conductor and radio commentator Bill McGlaughlin, musicologist Carol Oja, and music critics Tim Page and Alan Rich have written incisive essays, which are enhanced by personal reminiscences from Burton Bernstein. The result is a telling portrait of Leonard Bernstein, the musician and the man.

Genres: Music, Classical Music, Nonfiction, Biography

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2008

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the hardest "gift for someone else" I've ever had to part with. My father and I are both fans of "Lenny" and this book gives the reader personal, professional, and artistic insight into the man that gave classical music so much of himself, both as a composer and conductor. The photos are fantastic--personal, hilarious at times, and amazing--my favorite is of Bernstein, George Balanchine, and Rudolf Bing standing next to their resepective signs for the Philharmonic, Ballet, and Opera. What really comes across in this book is Bernstein's absolute delight in music, his passion for sharing it with others, his joy in the music of other countries and cultures. His story is inspiring for more than just his music, and this book gives the reader the man as well as the legend.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like the essays in this book are hit-or-miss. The photos and scans are superb.

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for the interesting content about Leonard Bernstein.
0 stars for the lack of flow and repetitiveness.

This collection of essays didn’t really flow for me. It felt like I was a teacher that assigned my class to write an essay on Leonard Bernstein and I had to spend the weekend reading all the essays to grade. I was getting impatient to finish toward the end because of the repetitiveness.

Bernstein had such a fascinating, impactful, and legendary life - that while I learned some great new things about him from this book, I am sure there are better Bernstein books out there.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading this. My granddad, who was a conducter, was the one person who introduced me to everything classical, besides my parents. From my Granddad I fell in love with Bernstein. What I really loved about this book, on a personal level, was that I felt like I was seeing my Granddad on every page. They also kinda look alike, as well. I have more of an appreciation for the man, and I'm so happy that my Granddad and my parents immersed me in music. What a git.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amalgam of personal reflection, coffee-table-book, cultural critique, NYC...big brother, a celebrity, a personality back when classical music was a presence (not so long ago alas), composer (great stuff: WSS, Candide, Chichester), conductor.