Leonard Bernstein Biography (1918-1990)

Original name, Louis Bernstein; name legally changed in 1934; born August 25,1918, in Lawrence, MA; died of heart attack caused by progressive lung failure, October 14, 1990, in Manhattan, NY; son of Samuel Joseph (a hair dressingsupplies wholesaler) and Jennie (Resnick) Bernstein; married Felicia Montealegre Cohn, December 9, 1951 (deceased, June 16, 1978); children: Jamie, Nina,Alexander.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
conductor, pianist, composer, teacher, television host
Birth Details
August 25, 1918
Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States
Death Details
October 14, 1990
Manhattan, New York, United States

Famous Works

  • Credits; Television Appearances; Series
  • (Television debut) Lecturer on music and conductor, Omnibus, CBS,1954-56, ABC, 1956-57.
  • Musical director and conductor, New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts with Leonard Bernstein, CBS, 1957-71.
  • Also appeared as conductor on the programs Lincoln Presents and Ford Presents.
  • Credits; Other Television Appearances
  • Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, CBS, c. 1961.
  • Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in Japan, CBS, 1962.
  • Beethoven's Birthday: A Celebration in Vienna with Leonard Bernstein (special), CBS, c. 1972.
  • Bernstein in London (special), PBS, c. 1973.
  • "Bernstein at Tanglewood," Great Performances (special), PBS, c. 1975.
  • "Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic," Great Performances (special), PBS, 1975.
  • Bernstein/Beethoven (concert anthology of Beethoven's symphonies and other works), PBS, 1982.
  • "Bernstein: Conductor, Soloist, and Teacher," Great Performances (special), PBS, c. 1984.
  • Carnegie Hall: The Grand Reopening (special), CBS, 1987.
  • Bernstein in East Berlin, PBS, 1989.
  • Appeared as a guest and conductor on numerous specials on cable, network,and public television. Also appeared as conductor on numerous episodes of American Masters and Great Performances.
  • Recordings; Selected Albums
  • Symphony No. 1, "Jeremiah" (also see below), Deutsche Grammophon,c. 1942.
  • Fancy Free (also see below), Columbia, c. 1944.
  • On the Town (also see below), Columbia, c. 1944.
  • Symphony No. 2, "Age of Anxiety" (also see below), Deutsche Grammophon, c. 1949.
  • Wonderful Town (also see below), Columbia, c. 1953.
  • On the Waterfront (also see below), Decca, c. 1954.
  • Candide (also see below), Columbia, c. 1956.
  • Humor in Music (spoken word recording), Columbia, 1961.
  • Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf, Columbia, 1961.
  • Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals/Britten: Young Person's Guide toOrchestra. Cloumbia, 1962.
  • Bernstein Conducts for Young People, Columbia, 1963.
  • Symphony No. 3, "Kaddish" (also see below), Columbia, c. 1964.
  • Chickester Psalms (also see below), Columbia, 1965.
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 8 in E Flat Major, "Symphony of a Thousand,"Cloumbia, 1967.
  • Mass (also see below), Columbia, c. 1971.
  • Bizet: Carmen, Deutsche Grammophon, 1973.
  • The Dybbuk (also see below), Columbiia, c. 1974.
  • Concert of the Century, Columbia, 1977.
  • Songfest (also see below), Deutsche Grammophon, c. 1977
  • Divertimento (also see below), Deutsche Grammophon, c. 1980.
  • Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story" (also see below), Columbia, c. 1983.
  • A Quiet Place, Deutsche Grammophon, c. 1984.
  • West Side Story (cast show album; also see below), 1985.
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor, Deutsche Grammophon, 1989.
  • Also recorded Ives: Symphony No. 2, 1990, and Shostankovich: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2, 1990. Numerous other recordings of Bernstein's work as a performer, conductor (often with the New York Philharmonic), and composer have been produced on the Columbia and Deutsche Grammophon labels.
  • Credits; Stage Music
  • Incidental music, The Birds (play based on the work by Aristophanes), Cambridge, MA, 1939.
  • Incidental music, The Peace (play based on the work by Aristophanes), Cambridge, MA, 1940.
  • Fancy Free (ballet; also see below), Ballet Theatre, MetropolitanHouse, New York City, 1944.
  • (And lyrics, with Betty Comden and Adolph Green) On the Town (musical; also see below; adapted from Bernstein's ballet Fancy Free), first produced in Boston, MA, then Adelphi Theatre, New York City, both 1944.
  • Facsimile (ballet), Ballet Theatre, Broadway Theatre, New York City, 1946.
  • Peter Pan, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1950.
  • Wonderful Town (musical), first produced in New Haven, CT, then Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, both 1953.
  • Incidental music, The Lark, Coronet Theatre, New York City, 1955.
  • Candide (operetta), first produced in Boston, then Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, both 1956; revised version produced at Cheslea Theatre Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City, 1973, then Broadway Theatre,1974-75.
  • West Side Story (musical; also see below), first produced in Washington, DC, then Winter Garden Theatre, both 1957, then Her Majesty's Theatre,London, 1958.
  • Incidental music and songs, The Firstborn, Coronet Theatre, 1958.
  • Leonard Bernstein's Theatre Songs, Theatre De Lys, New York City,1965.
  • Dybbuk (ballet), first performed in New York City, 1974.
  • By Bernstein (revue), Westside Theatre, New York City, 1975.
  • 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: A Musical About the Problems of Housekeeping (musical), Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City, 1976.
  • Side by Side by Sondheim, Music Box Theatre, New York City, 1977.
  • Song contributor, The Madwoman of Central Park West, 22 Steps Theatre, New York City, 1979.
  • Also wrote incidental music for Salome, 1955.
  • Credits; Film Music
  • On the Town, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1949.
  • On the Waterfront (also see below), Columbia, 1954.
  • West Side Story, United Artists, 1961.
  • Credits; Selected Orchestral, Choral, And Chamber Music Compositions
  • Psalm CXLVIII (solo vocal with piano accompaniment), 1935.
  • Music for the Dance, Nos. 1 and 2, 1938.
  • Scenes from the City of Sin (four piano hands), 1939.
  • Symphony No. 1, "Jeremiah" (for orchestra), 1942.
  • Seven Anniversaries (piano solo), 1943.
  • I Hate Music (song cycle), 1943.
  • Hashkivenu (Hebrew liturgy; for solo tenor, chorus, and organ), 1945.
  • Afterthought (solo vocal with piano accompaniment), 1945.
  • Choreographic Essay for Orchestra, 1946.
  • La Bonne Cuisine (four "recipes" for solo vocal with piano accompaniment), 1947.
  • Ssimchu na (Hebrew folksong; for four-part choir and piano or orchestra), 1947.
  • Five Pieces for Brass, 1947.
  • Re'ena (Hebrew folksong; for chorus and orchestra), 1947.
  • Four Anniversaries (piano solo), 1948.
  • Symphony No. 2, "The Age of Anxiety" (for piano and orchestra), 1949.
  • Yigdal (Hebrew liturgy; for chorus), 1950.
  • Trouble in Tahiti (opera), 1950.
  • Five Anniversaries (piano solo), 1951.
  • Silhouette: Galilee (solo vocal with piano accompaniment), 1951.
  • Serenade (for solo violin, string orchestra, harp, and percussion), 1954.
  • On the Waterfront (symphonic suite based on film score), 1955.
  • Harvard Choruses (lyrics by Lerner), 1957.
  • West Side Story (symphonic dances based on musical), 1960.
  • Fanfare I (for inauguration of J. F. Kennedy), 1961.
  • Fanfare II (for 25th anniversary of New York High School of Musicand Art), 1961.
  • Symphony No. 3, "Kaddish" (Hebrew liturgy; for orchestra, chorus,boys' choir, speaker, and solo soprano), 1963.
  • Chichester Psalms (for chorus and orchestra), 1965.
  • Shivaree (for brass and percussion), 1969.
  • Mass (theatre piece) commissioned for the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 1971, then Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, 1972.
  • Songfest (a cycle of American poems for six singers and orchestra), 1977.
  • Slava! (overture), 1977.
  • Divertimento (for orchestra), 1980.
  • A Musical Toast (for orchestra), 1980.
  • Touches (piano solo), 1981.
  • Olympic Hymn (lyrics by G. Kunert), 1981.
  • Halil (nocturno for solo flute, string orchestra, and percussion),1981.
  • A Quiet Place (opera), 1983, revised version, 1984.
  • Jubilee Games (for orchestra), 1986.
  • Prayer (for baritone and orchestra), 1986.
  • My Tweleve-Tone Melody, 1988.
  • Arias and Barcarolles (four piano hands and singers), 1988.
  • Credits; Other
  • The Joy of Music (essays and scripts from seven Omnibus episodes), Simon & Schuster, 1955.
  • Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts--For Reading and Listening, Simon & Schuster, 1962, revised edition, 1970.
  • The Infinite Variety of Music, Simon & Schuster, 1966.
  • The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard, Harvard UniversityPress, 1976.
  • Findings (a collection of short stories, essays, poems, and memorabilia), Simon & Schuster, 1982.

Further Reference

Books

  • Contemporary Authors New Revision Series, Volume 21, Gale, 1987.
  • Contemporary Composers, St. James Press, 1992.
  • Contemporary Musicians, Volume 2, Gale, 1990.
  • Gradenwitz, Peter, Leonard Bernstein: The Infinite Variety of a Musician, Oswald Wolff Books, 1987.
  • Gruen, John, The Private World of Leonard Bernstein, Viking Press,1968.
  • Peyser, Joan, Leonard Bernstein: A Biography, Beech Tree Books, 1987.
Periodicals
  • New York Times, October 15, 1990.
  • Time, October 29, 1990.
  • Variety, October 22, 1990, p. 80.

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