Leonard Bernstein biography at QuotationFun

A Short Biography of Leonard Bernstein

Author Name:

Leonard Bernstein

Born As:

Louis Bernstein

Other Names:

Leonard Bernstein

Born:

25 Aug 1918

Died:

14 Oct 19901990




author picture
Composer, pianist and conductor                          
Selected Works:

Stage works:

Fancy Free - ballet, 1944
On The Town - musical, 1944
Facsimile - ballet, 1946
Peter Pan - songs, incidental music, 1950
Trouble in Tahiti - opera in one act, 1952
Wonderful Town - musical, 1953
On the Waterfront - film score, 1954
The Lark - incidental music, 1955
Candide - operetta, 1956 - new libretto in 1973, operetta revised in 1989
West Side Story - musical, 1957
The Firstborn - incidental music, 1958
Mass - theatre piece for singers, players and dancers, 1971
Dybbuk - ballet, 1974
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue - musical, 1976
The Madwoman of Central Park West - songs, 1979
A Quiet Place - opera in two acts, 1983
The Race to Urga - musical, 1987

Orchestral:

Symphony No. 1, Jeremiah, 1942
Fancy Free and Three Dance Variations from "Fancy Free,", concert premiere 1946
Three Dance Episodes from "On the Town," concert premiere 1947
Symphony No. 2, The Age of Anxiety, - after W. H. Auden for Piano and Orchestra, 1949 - revised in 1965
Serenade for Solo Violin, Strings, Harp and Percussion - after Plato's "Symposium", 1954
Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs for Solo Clarinet and Jazz Ensemble, 1949
Symphonic Suite from "On the Waterfront", 1955
Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story", 1961
Symphony No. 3, Kaddish, for Orchestra, Mixed Chorus, Boys' Choir, Speaker and Soprano Solo, 1963 - revised in 1977
Dybbuk, Suites No. 1 and 2 for Orchestra, concert premieres 1975
Songfest: A Cycle of American Poems for Six Singers and Orchestra, 1977
Three Meditations from "Mass" for Violoncello and Orchestra, 1977
Slava! A Political Overture for Orchestra, 1977
Divertimento for Orchestra, 1980
Halil, nocturne for Solo Flute, Piccolo, Alto Flute, Percussion, Harp and Strings, 1981
Concerto for Orchestra, 1989 - Originally Jubilee Games from 1986, revised in 1989
Overture to Candide

Choral:

Hashkiveinu for Solo Tenor, Mixed Chorus and Organ, 1945
Missa Brevis for Mixed Chorus and Countertenor Solo, with Percussion, 1988
Chichester Psalms for Boy Soprano - or Countertenor, Mixed Chorus, and Orchestra, 1965 - Reduced version for Organ, Harp and Percussion

Chamber music:

Piano Trio, 1937, Boosey & Hawkes
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, 1939
Brass Music, 1959
Dance Suite, 1988

Vocal music:

I Hate Music: A cycle of Five Kids Songs for Soprano and Piano, 1943
La Bonne Cuisine: Four Recipes for Voice and Piano, 1948
Arias and Barcarolles for Mezzo-Soprano, Baritone and Piano four-hands, 1988
A Song Album, 1988
Big Stuff, sung by Billie Holiday

Other music:

Various piano pieces
Other occasional works, written as gifts and other forms of memorial and tribute
"The Skin of Our Teeth": An aborted work from which Bernstein took material to use in his "Chichester Psalms"
"Simhu Na" - arrangement of traditional song

Videography

The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard. - Video . Film of the Charles Eliot Norton Lectures given at Harvard in 1973.
Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic. West Long Branch -  DVD.                          
Wife Felicia Montealegre Cohn, three children Jamie, Alexander and Nina.
Louis was gay, and left his wife for Tom Cothran. When Felicia became ill,Leonard moved back to look after her until her death.                          

Ditson Conductor's Award, 1958
Sonning Award - 1965; Denmark
George Peabody Medal - Johns Hopkins University
Grammy Award for Best Album for Children
Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance
Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance
Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording
Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance
Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition
Grammy Award for Best Classical Album
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
Tony Award for Best Musical
Special Tony Award.