BERNSTEIN, LEONARD

born Aug. 25, 1918, Lawrence, Mass., U.S. died Oct. 14, 1990, New York, N.Y. American conductor, composer, and pianist noted for his accomplishments in both classical and popular music, for his flamboyant conducting style, and for his pedagogic flair, especially in concerts for young people. Bernstein played piano from the age of 10, attended Boston Latin School and Harvard University (A.B., 1939), and studied at the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia (193941). He studied conducting with Fritz Reiner and Serge Koussevitzky. In 1943 Bernstein was appointed assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic; his first signal success came on Nov. 14, 1943, when he was summoned unexpectedly to substitute for the conductor Bruno Walter. His technical self-assurance under difficult circumstances and his interpretive excellence made an immediate impression and marked the beginning of a brilliant career. He subsequently conducted the New York City Center orchestra (194547) and appeared as guest conductor in the United States, Europe, and Israel. In 1953 he became the first American to conduct at La Scala in Milan. From 1958 to 1969 Bernstein was conductor and musical director of the New York Philharmonic, becoming the first American-born holder of those posts. With this orchestra he made several international tours in Latin America, Europe, the Soviet Union, and Japan. His popularity increased through his appearances not only as conductor and pianist but also as a commentator and entertainer. Bernstein explained classical music to young listeners on such television shows as Omnibus and Young People's Concerts. After 1969 he continued to write music and to perform as a guest conductor with several symphonies throughout the world. As a composer Bernstein made skillful use of diverse elements ranging from biblical themes, as in the Symphony No. 1 (also called Jeremiah; 1942) and the Chichester Psalms (1965); to Jewish liturgical themes, as in the Symphony No. 3 (Kaddish; 1963); to jazz rhythms, as in the Symphony No. 2 (The Age of Anxiety; 1949), after a poem by W.H. Auden. His best-known works are the musicals On the Town (1944), Wonderful Town (1953), Candide (1956), and the very popular West Side Story (1957; film version 1961). He also wrote the scores for the ballets Fancy Free (1944), Facsimile (1946), and Dybbuk (1974), and he composed the music for the film On the Waterfront (1954). His Mass, written especially for the occasion, was performed at the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., in September 1971. Bernstein published a collection of lectures, The Joy of Music (1959); Young People's Concerts, for Reading and Listening (1962, rev. ed. 1970); The Infinite Variety of Music (1966); and The Unanswered Question (1976), taken from his Charles Eliot Norton lectures at Harvard (1973). Additional reading Biographies include Schuyler Chapin, Leonard Bernstein: Notes from a Friend (1992), an anecdotal account; Humphrey Burton, Leonard Bernstein (1994); and Meryle Secrest, Leonard Bernstein (1994). Jane Fluegel (ed.), Bernstein Remembered (1991), is a pictorial work. Bernstein's multifaceted career is discussed in Peter Gradenwitz, Leonard Bernstein: The Infinite Variety of a Musician (1987; originally published in German, 1984); Steven Ledbetter (ed.), Sennets & Tuckets (1988); and William Westbook Burton (ed.), Conversations about Bernstein (1995).