Happy Birthday, Leonard Bernstein! The Lenny Centenary-Worthy Fun Five
It's nearly August 25th, and our favorite publications are sharing the Bernstein love. Here are just a handful of Bernstein birthday long-reads worth your attention.
Author: Classical.org
Bernstein on Koussevitzky: Passing the Tanglewood Baton (Audio exclusive)
Leonard Bernstein says Olga Koussevitzky hadn't mentioned Serge's failing health on the phone; yet, somehow he "knew" that he had to rush back to Boston. Bernstein got one last chance to talk with his beloved conducting mentor. Listen to this exclusive audio clip of Bernstein.
The Note that Costs: Bernstein Celebrates Copland (Video)
Leonard Bernstein devoted two Young People's Concerts to his beloved mentor and friend, composer Aaron Copland.
The New York Philharmonic This Week: The Year 1958
The New York Philharmonic This Week celebrates the Bernstein Centenary with a five-part series of broadcasts dedicated to their former music director. In episode 3, host Alec Baldwin explores a tumultuous year in Leonard Bernstein's life.
The New York Philharmonic This Week: Bernstein Educates Audiences
The New York Philharmonic This Week presents a five-part series for Leonard Bernstein's 100th birthday month. In the second episode of this audio miniseries, host Alec Baldwin guides us through excerpts from the televised Young People’s Concerts.
Life is Juicy: A Poem by Leonard Bernstein, 1947 (Audio exclusive)
Actor Jeremy Irons reads "Life is Juicy," a poem written by Leonard Bernstein in 1947 "on the mucky shore" of a lake near Tanglewood.
The New York Philharmonic This Week: The Mahler Revival
The New York Philharmonic This Week celebrates the Bernstein Centenary with a five-part series of broadcasts dedicated to their former music director. In Part 1, host Alec Baldwin guides us through some of the landmark recordings and archival material from the Gustav Mahler renaissance that Bernstein helped cultivate and inspire. […]
Letters from Bernstein: The First Summer at Tanglewood, 1940
"These last six weeks have been the happiest and most productive of my life," writes twenty-two-year-old Leonard Bernstein to Serge Koussevitzky, following a momentous summer at Tanglewood Music Festival in 1940.
Understanding Serge Koussevitzky and Leonard Bernstein: A Primer
So how did Leonard Bernstein meet Serge Koussevitzky, and how did Koussevitzky decide to take Bernstein under his wing? Find out more in this primer.
