"Tanglewood is not a school, in the strict sense. It does not offer courses, degrees, credits," Leonard Bernstein said at the opening exercises in 1951. "Tanglewood is a musical universe..."
Seventy years ago, Leonard Bernstein began a conducting tour of Europe, marking a critical development point for him, as a musician and a human being, and for a world reeling from war.
Broadway legend and television icon Carol Lawrence describes the "charming" Leonard Bernstein and what it was like auditioning for the role of "Maria" in West Side Story. Watch the video on Classical.org, courtesy of The Leonard Bernstein Office, Inc.
"What better classroom than an interdisciplinary festival of the highest caliber?"
When West Side Story premiered in 1957, no one could have known that this seminal musical would resonate with audiences for more than half a century.
"Leonard Bernstein's music is immortal. It still sounds different from every other Broadway score you'll hear."
