The Leonard Bernstein letters / edited by Nigel Simeone.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bernstein, Leonard, 1918-1990, author.

Contributor:

Simeone, Nigel, 1956- editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bernstein, Leonard, 1918-1990--Correspondence.

Bernstein, Leonard.

Musicians--United States--Correspondence.

Musicians.

Conductors (Music)--United States--Correspondence.

Conductors (Music).

Composers--United States--Correspondence.

Composers.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (641 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Haven, Connecticut : Yale University Press, [2013]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Leonard Bernstein was a charismatic and versatile musician-a brilliant conductor who attained international super-star status, and a gifted composer of Broadway musicals (West Side Story), symphonies (Age of Anxiety), choral works (Chichester Psalms), film scores (On the Waterfront), and much more. Bernstein was also an enthusiastic letter writer, and this book is the first to present a wide-ranging selection of his correspondence. The letters have been selected for the insights they offer into the passions of his life-musical and personal-and the extravagant scope of his musical and extra-musical activities. Bernstein's letters tell much about this complex man, his collaborators, his mentors, and others close to him. His galaxy of correspondents encompassed, among others, Aaron Copland, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins, Thornton Wilder, Boris Pasternak, Bette Davis, Adolph Green, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and family members including his wife Felicia and his sister Shirley. The majority of these letters have never been published before. They have been carefully chosen to demonstrate the breadth of Bernstein's musical interests, his constant struggle to find the time to compose, his turbulent and complex sexuality, his political activities, and his endless capacity for hard work. Beyond all this, these writings provide a glimpse of the man behind the legends: his humanity, warmth, volatility, intellectual brilliance, wonderful eye for descriptive detail, and humor.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Illustrations

Introduction and Acknowledgments

1. Early Years, 1932-41 (Letters 1-89)

2. First Successes: From Tanglewood to On the Town, 1941-4 (Letters 90-185)

3. Conquering Europe and Israel, 1945-9 (Letters 186-294)

4. Marriage, Passport Problems, and Italy, 1950-55 (Letters 295-358)

5. West Side Story, 1955-7 (Letters 359-409)

6. The New York Philharmonic Years, 1958-69 (Letters 410-544)

7. Triumphs, Controversies, Catastrophe, 1970-78 (Letters 545-591)

8. Final Years, 1979-90 (Letters 592-650)

Appendix One: Arthur Laurents (with Leonard Bernstein): Outline for Romeo sent to Jerome Robbins

Appendix Two: Bernstein's Letters and Postcards to Mildred Spiegel

Bibliography

Index of Compositions by Leonard Bernstein

General Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (Pages [584]-586) and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780300186543

0300186541

OCLC:

861692638