Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: Leonard Bernstein 100th anniversary celebrations

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Philadelphia Area
    Posts
    1,805

    Leonard Bernstein 100th anniversary celebrations

    This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Leonard Bernstein. To mark the occasion there are numerous festivals to celebrate his life and music. Since Bernstein was one of the most important musical figures of the 20th century I thought we could share some info on his life and music on here. I have to admit embarrassing that there's much about him that I don't know. His music has been very influential and known around the world. If you ever get a chance to watch video of him conducting you will find him one of the most charismatic personalities and so enjoyable to watch.

  2. #2
    Geriatric Anomaly progeezer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Madison, WI
    Posts
    11,318
    ^^^^ Completely agree, and I've always been amazed how many people don't realize that aside from his classical mega-cred, he composed "Tonight", "Somewhere" & "Maria" etc..
    "My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"

    President Harry S. Truman

  3. #3
    Member rapidfirerob's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    near Berkeley, Ca.
    Posts
    1,194
    I was very young when he did the Young People's Concerts. What an amazing musician and human being.
    West Side Story is pure genius. Cool is my favorite song of all the amazing songs he wrote for WSS.

  4. #4
    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Utopia
    Posts
    5,390
    I have occasion to pull out this inspirational quote, originally made in reference to John F. Kennedy, all too often in these times.

    Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
    https://michaelpdawson.bandcamp.com
    http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...MCD-spc-7.aspx

  5. #5
    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Copenhagen, Denmark
    Posts
    7,264
    His version of Stravinsky: Le Sacre was for many years the best.

  6. #6
    Member proggy_jazzer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Waterloo, IA, USA
    Posts
    1,549
    Quote Originally Posted by Zeuhlmate View Post
    His version of Stravinsky: Le Sacre was for many years the best.
    His version of many compositions was the best and in some cases still is, IMO. This is what I grew up with, and have managed to keep through the years:

    IMG_1146.jpg

    Five 7" records and a book. I also watched all the films available at the time. His recording of Peter and the Wolf is permanently etched upon my brain.
    David
    Happy with what I have to be happy with.

  7. #7
    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Mesa, Arizona
    Posts
    3,809
    I also like many of his original compositions, like his 3 symphonies, Divertimento, On The Waterfront, and West Side Story Symphonic Dances, the instrumental interludes from the musical West Side Story.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

  8. #8
    Member jake's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Xxxxxxx
    Posts
    1,064
    I found his music much later in life - but I must admit his operetta Candide is one of the most magnificent achievements of 20th Century music I have ever heard. From the Shostakovich inspired overture to the heart-wrenching plangent melodies and smart humour of the libretti reuniting him with Sondheim and other great writers - John Latouche, Dorothy Parker, Lillian Hellman, John Mauceri and, a surprise to me, English satirist John Wells.
    Opera and operetta are not usually my 'thing' at all, but this is just so good, so well constructed and so successfully realised, that I just can't get enough of it.

  9. #9
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Portland, OR, USA
    Posts
    1,865
    Quote Originally Posted by Zeuhlmate View Post
    His version of Stravinsky: Le Sacre was for many years the best.
    There's an interesting story behind that. Apparently, Serge Koussevitzky (Bernstein's mentor) could not conduct the piece as written, with its numerous meter and pulse changes - he simply found it too difficult and confusing. So he got his friend Nicholas Slonimsky to re-bar the whole thing, into easier combinations of 3/4 and 4/4 with accents inserted as needed. Then he could play it. For example, Slonimsky changed the succession of 3/16, 2/8, 1/16, 4/8, into a single bar of 4/4, counted as "One-e-and-A-two-E-and-A-Three-and-Four-and-..." Which may look just as tricky, but experienced musicians are more used to syncopations and shifting accents within 4/4 than they are to constant meter shifts, and can often play them more musically.

    And then later, for the whole of his career, Bernstein conducted from Koussevitzky's personal copy of the score, with Slonimsky's re-barrings written in blue pencil. So I wonder whether that had anything to do with Bernstein's interpretation: Did it maybe enable him to make out and emphasize the forest of larger rhythmic phrases, rather than being tripped-up by the trees of constantly-changing bars?

  10. #10
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Philadelphia Area
    Posts
    1,805
    Quote Originally Posted by progmatist View Post
    I also like many of his original compositions, like his 3 symphonies, Divertimento, On The Waterfront, and West Side Story Symphonic Dances, the instrumental interludes from the musical West Side Story.
    His second symphony is my favorite piece by him and one of my favorite symphonies period. It’s close to being a piano concerto I have to get his Candide.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  11. #11
    Member jake's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Xxxxxxx
    Posts
    1,064
    Quote Originally Posted by Fracktured View Post
    His second symphony is my favorite piece by him and one of my favorite symphonies period. It’s close to being a piano concerto I have to get his Candide.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Check it out - excellent intro from the maestro himself

  12. #12
    One of my lifelong idols and always brilliant. I was just listening to his Piano Concerto and Symphony #2 today, actually. No one did it like Lenny
    And the code is a play, a play is a song, a song is a film, a film is a dance...

  13. #13
    Member StarThrower's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Upstate NY
    Posts
    1,847
    Quote Originally Posted by progmatist View Post
    I also like many of his original compositions, like his 3 symphonies, Divertimento, On The Waterfront, and West Side Story Symphonic Dances, the instrumental interludes from the musical West Side Story.
    The Serenade for violin, strings and percussion is another fine work.

  14. #14
    I think it's significant that Bernstein's spirit was there at the very beginning of progressive rock, inspiring two of prog's most distinctive cover versions - The Nice's "America" (1968) and Yes' "Something's Coming" (1969).

    "America is pregnant with promise and anticipation, but is murdered by the hand of the inevitable."

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •