Leonard Bernstein conducts his New York Philharmonic Orchestra in New York City, July 9, 1959. (AP Photo)
New York City is taking some hard blows this season as the titans of Wall Street come tumbling down.
But there was a time, in the heart of the American Century, when New York was on top of the world. The colossus of world wealth and energy and culture.
And at the pinnacle of that energy and culture was Leonard Bernstein. From Broadway and “West Side Story,” to Carnegie Hall and Shostakovich, to CBS and the television nation, Bernstein — conductor, composer, magnetic showman — was everywhere.
This hour, On Point: New York looks back on Leonard Bernstein and the American Century.
Do you remember how he glowed? How New York and the country glowed when Bernstein took the podium? You can join the conversation right here.
-Tom Ashbrook
Guests:
Joining us from New York City is Barbara Haws, archivist and historian of the New York Philharmonic since 1984. She’s co-author of the new book “Leonard Bernstein: American Original.” The Philharmonic’s Bernstein festival begins on September 24.
Also with us from New York is Clive Gillinson, executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall, and former managing director of the London Symphony Orchestra. A cellist, he played under Leonard Bernstein for the LSO. Carnegie Hall’s website features a special section devoted to this season’s Bernstein festival.
Joining us from Los Angeles is Tim Page, former music critic for The Washington Post, where he won the Pulitzer Prize in 1997. He’s now a visiting professor of musicology at the University of Southern California. He contributed an essay to “Leonard Bernstein: American Original.”
And from Hanover, New Hampshire, is Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst and senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly.
Tags: Classical Music, Leonard Bernstein, Music, New York Philharmonic
I have a recording of Louis Armstrong performing St. Louis blues with Bernstein and the NY Philharmonic. Could you talk about that performance?
Posted by joshua michael stewart, on September 18th, 2008 at 11:17 AMOk, I’m hooked. What is a good starting place for a newly converted Bernstein fan? Is there a album that you can recommend as my first? Books? Lectures? etc.? What should I look for?
(Richmond, Vermont)
Posted by Scott Lowe ("Lau"), on September 18th, 2008 at 11:40 AMGet your hands on Deutschegrammaphone’s “Bernstein Conducts: West Side Story.” I got my copy on eBay about 5 years ago. You get to see all sides of this brilliant musician, conductor, composer and teacher with the best opera singers in the world.
Posted by Laura, on September 18th, 2008 at 11:56 AMI was a BU music student in the ’70’s. A friend with press passes got us into the Green Room at Symphony Hall after Bernstein conducted Beethoven’s 6th. We knocked, and Lennie opened the GR door himself, wearing a bathrobe and towel. He looked his impossibly gorgeous, leonine self. We spent an hour with him grouped around the grand piano as he played his favorite sections from the symphony. A charming, engaging, magnetic person. We walked out on air.
Posted by lindy, on September 18th, 2008 at 12:37 PMMy mother dragged me to a number of Young People’s Concerts at Carnegie Hall including the wonderful Peter and the Wolf. I have fond memories of Bernstein speaking directly to kids. No dumbing down but from the heart concern that kids would get as excited as he was about the music, the composers, the musicians, their instruments and the history of classical music.
I also have memories of running up and down the aisles during concerts. I’m not sure if those memories are true at this point but they might be. What an amazing time to be alive. I’m glad to have those memories.
It could be done again but first you’d have to find another Bernstein and that would be tough. Still, if it were done I’d surely take my granddaughter so she too could run up and down the aisles and have the great memories I do.
Posted by Richard, on September 19th, 2008 at 6:30 AMOne of the listeners and a guest mentioned lectures Berstein gave at Harvard that were available on video. I would like to track this down. What is the title of the series? Any info on publisher? Thanks!
Posted by Susan, on September 19th, 2008 at 11:44 AMNot the cheapest place to find them no doubt, but Kultur has a ton of Bernstein DVDs. http://estore.websitepros.com/1652646/Categories.bok
My daughter is a huge Bernstein fan, and we’ve bought her several of the series over the years – they are absolutely wonderful.
Posted by Diane, on September 19th, 2008 at 11:53 PMI remember where I was when I found out Lennie had died: I was an undergrad running late to quartet rehearsal. When I arrived I found my three quartet-mates sitting outside the recital hall, smoking (not unusual). We were going to rehearse my second quartet which we were going to premiere in a few days on a programme with some Barber and Schostakovich and I felt badly being a few minutes late. When I got closer, I could see that they all had tears in their eyes. Silently, our first violinist handed me the New York Times and soon I was weeping, too.
After some tears, we made our way to our rehearsal space and began with that famous Barber Adagio. After some more tears, we collected ourselves and continued our rehearsal.
Lennie, whom none of us ever met in person (though had seen live on the podium) was such a major force in our musical lives that tears and music–rather than words–were the only expression we could find for our grief at his passing. Yet Bernstein lives on today and he will continue to touch the hearts of musicians and music lovers everywhere. He was clearly the most brilliant American musician of the 20th Century.
Posted by William, on September 20th, 2008 at 2:21 PM