# Bernstein's birthday and a historical occasion



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Since it’s Bernstein’s 100th birthday today, our local FM station is playing a lot of his music and recordings. Just finished: Beethoven’s Choral Symphony, played on a special occasion.

East Germany had built a militarized wall separating East and West Berlin. The city lay entirely within East Germany, and “escapees” from the East half of the city to the West were embarrassing to say the least.

The wall became a major propaganda issue, with the advantage obviously to the West. In 1987, Pres. Reagan, visiting Berlin, said, “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!”

East Germany’s will to maintain the wall collapsed over the next few months, and amid demonstrations of its own people the wall was demolished in 1989 and 1990. This was a major step toward the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, an historical event of major magnitude.

“On 25 December 1989, Leonard Bernstein gave a concert in Berlin celebrating the end of the Wall, including Beethoven's 9th symphony (Ode to Joy) with the word "Joy" (Freude) changed to "Freedom" (Freiheit) in the lyrics sung.” (Wiki) The concert was recorded, and this was the performance KUSC just played.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Boy, could the classical music world use someone like Lenny right now. I've been re-reading Humphrey Burton's biography and appreciate more now than ever what a vital force he was. He wasn't perfect; who is? But he left so many fine recordings for us to enjoy. Some great music, books, TV shows -- what a legacy. I'm glad I was able to catch him live a few times, but wouldn't it have been wonderful to live in NY during his heyday there? I just finished my own Lenny tribute: the Franck d-minor (DG), Goldmark Rustic Wedding, and Mahler 2nd in his first recording.


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## Eusebius12 (Mar 22, 2010)

Bernstein was an epochal, primal force, a 'host in himself'. And an underappreciated creator.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

It was thrilling to watch Bernstein on TV. He brought everything to life and didn’t talk down to his audience. His outstanding recordings with the New York Philharmonic were especially thrilling and satisfying. He didn’t linger over his performances then like he did later in Europe and I much preferred them. My first exposure to Mahler, his Symphony No. 1, one of his Young People’s Concerts, left an indelible impression because I had never heard of the composer before. There’s just nothing like the exposure he had then as a conductor, personality, and educator. I loved his early performances of Petrushka, the Firebird, the Rite of Spring, the Emperor Concerto, the Beethoven Violin Concerto with Isaac Stern, Copland, American jazz, his championing of Glenn Gould, his Mahler performances, and other recordings. He was part of the big Mahler revival in the 1960s, the centennial of the composer’s birth, and truly helped put him on the map big time. In fact, the momentum of that still seems to be continuing. Bernstein was an awakener.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

This year so many orchestras worldwide have been performing his music, and not just the Symphonic Dances from WSS, or the three symphonies - a huge amount of it is being played. I hope there are enough conductors who like the music to keep it up. I was listening to Divertimento last night - the vitality of the music is palpable. What a wonderful sound it makes and how nice it would be to hear more fresh music like his rather than the 5000th replay of a tired, worn out repertoire. There's Thomas, Slatkin, Alsop, Mauceri and others. Other than WSS none of his theatrical works really are that successful, but there's the Dybbuk ballet that companies should mount. Regrettably, a lot of his music is quite difficult and well beyond amateur groups to do. I read On the Waterfront suite last year. OMG. So difficult. Candide overture is simple by comparison.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Bernstein's masterpiece is his music for West Side Story and in his honor, this great Bernstein/Robbins show should be revived all over our planet.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

I wasn't a great Bernstein fan, didn't like his compositions and only occasionally enjoyed his recordings. But I wouldn't dismiss his place in classical music. He was one of the last giants, people bigger than the industry who commanded attention themselves. With him in USA and Karajan across the Atlantic, there were two giants in the world of classical music as large as Toscanini and Furtwangler a generation before them.

If you want to pinpoint a time when classical music in USA began to decline it would be synonymous with the deaths of Karajan and Bernstein in 1989 and 1990, respectively. Short of possibly the Three Tenors phenomenon there hasn't been an individual or group in USA in classical music with half Bernstein's influence since he died. It's the same in Europe with Karajan.

The world changed a lot in the 1990s with digital music becoming a norm and hardcopy documentation beginning to disappear in the new century. Bernstein was alive in an era when you had to listen to the radio, watch TV or buy recordings to hear him -- or see him in concert. He was far more than a musician -- he was a celebrity musician the likes of which America hasn't seen in classical music since his death.

I think it rather sad that we have to celebrate his 100th birthday because there isn't anyone else that has turned us on like him that past 30 years. Ideally, the classical music industry would still churn out giants like it did in the past. But it doesn't and we look to past glory of Lenny and others to relive what once was.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

larold said:


> ...there isn't anyone else that has turned us on like him that past 30 years. Ideally, the classical music industry would still churn out giants like it did in the past. But it doesn't and we look to past glory of Lenny and others to relive what once was.


Bernstein was one of a kind. There had never been anyone like him before or after. His accomplishments in so many things is astonishing. He lived the life of five or six mere mortals. I don't even know if it's possible for someone like him, however gifted, to have the same fame and acclaim by a wider public. Times have really changed (not for the better) and classical music is relegated to a minor role in American life. Long gone are the owners of ABC, CBS, and NBC who thought it in the public interest to broadcast live classical music. Bernstein himself killed off the Broadway musical with West Side Story. Now, it's all about money. Broadway shows are heading further into movie-remakes like the Disney crap. TV runs mindless shows like America's Got Talent and American Idol. Movies are also basically inane, violent, meaningless. Would anyone dare make a show like On the Waterfront today? It's our culture - or lack of it - that's the real problem. There are many fine conductors, pianists, composers - but not wrapped up into the LB package of having everything. He was very special, indeed.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

One of my favorite conductors.
Thanks for all the music Lenny.
:tiphat:


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)




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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Some weeks ago I purchased the DG box set _Bernstein Complete Works_.









I cracked it open on August 25th and have been sampling it ever since. (Am currently listening to CD5 which features "Divertimento", "A Musical Toast", "Slava!", "On the Town -- 3 Dance Episodes", "Facsimile", and "CBS Music." A lot of this is show tune like, and unmistakably Bernsteinish.) On the 25th in honor of Lenny's 100th I started with CD1 which features the First Symphony "Jeremiah", which remains the Bernstein work to which I turn most often, and his Concerto For Orchestra titled "Jubilee Games". The following day I gave a hearing to the Second Symphony "Age of Anxiety", which is on CD2. I'm fond of that one, too. I've never been much fond of the "talky" Third Symphony "Kaddish", which I was reminded of again yesterday when I listened to that, also on CD2.

This Bernstein box features 26 CDs and 3 DVDs, all of his published works. Some of the material is reissued, but new recordings have been produced especially for this edition. Several conductors and orchestras are presented, with Bernstein at the helm on some of the music as well. There is much here to explore.

In my absolute insanity as a collector of musical discs I will admit to having also added to my collection in the past year the two large EMI box sets (Leonard Bernstein Edition, Vol 1 and 2) and the two large DG box sets (Leonard Bernstein Collection, Vol 1 and 2) which feature Bernstein the conductor. I've been listening to Lenny all year. I've longed liked the guy's style on the podium and feel this is the year to really indulge in this American original and American master.















I was saddened to learn of Senator John McCain's death which happened on Lenny's birthday. The loss of this great patriot and heroic soldier moved me to much reflection last Saturday. I feel that hearing the "Jeremiah" that day can also be aptly applied as a remembrance of this other great American.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I like how Bernstein always kept changing stylistically, no two works of his are the same. His music shows how he thought there where no boundaries between music of the popular and classical realms.

A brilliant musician from the beginning, winning the Pulitzer Prize and starting conducting while still in his twenties. A true polymath in music, comparable to Liszt of the previous century. There are some major landmarks in his career which I can think of, including the phenomenon that was West Side Story, his work with the new medium of television and also his tour of the Soviet Union (around thirty years before the Berlin Wall came down). Am I being facetious if I say that apart from all these talents he also gave classical a cool image? 

There where also dark aspects there, and although he was not affiliated with any political group, he was under surveillance during the McCarthy years (I've read Barry Seldes book and its an interesting portrait of the composer, particularly in light of the political divisions during the Cold War era).


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## Ras (Oct 6, 2017)

*Bernstein "new" releases*

The English classical cd store www.mdt.co.uk lists 11 new releases for the big birthday:

https://www.mdt.co.uk/new-releases.html?composer=171&dir=asc&order=name&releaseperiod=9550

Among them these:

*BERNSTEIN, LEONARD The Harvard Lectures. Sony 13cds








BERNSTEIN, LEONARD The Complete Solo Piano Works of Leonard Bernstein. Leann Osterkamp. Steinway and Sons 2cds*


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