Leonard Bernstein
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TuneUp! TuneUSaturday, October 18th, 2008 p! New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concert® elcome to a new season of Young People’s Concerts! Throughout history, there have been special times when music flowered in specific cities—Capitals of Music—that for a while W became the center of the musical world. Much of the music we know today comes from these times and places. But how did these great flowerings of music happen? That’s what we’ll find out this year as we discover the distinctive sounds of four of these Capitals. And where better to start than right here in New York? After the Second World War, our city became a cultural capital of the world. Leonard Bernstein—who became Music Director of the New York Philharmonic 50 years ago this fall—defined music in New York in his roles as composer, conductor, and teacher. So what was it like in New York back then? Let’s find out from a child of that time—Leonard Bernstein’s BERNSTEIN’S NEW YORK daughter Jamie! THE PROGRAM: BERNSTEIN “The Great Lover” from On the Town COPLAND “Skyline” from Music for a Great City (excerpt) GERSHWIN “I Got Rhythm” from Girl Crazy BERNSTEIN “America” from West Side Story Suite No. 2 COPLAND Fanfare for the Common Man Jamie Bernstein, host BERNSTEIN On the Waterfront Symphonic Suite (excerpt) Delta David Gier, conductor SEBASTIAN CURRIER “quickchange” from Microsymph Tom Dulack, scriptwriter and director BERNSTEIN Overture to Candide 1 2 3 5 4 CAN YOU IDENTIFY EVERYTHING IN AND AROUND LEONARD BERNSTEIN’S NEW YORK STUDIO? LOOK ON THE BACK PAGE TO SEE WHETHER YOU’RE RIGHT. about the composers and their music… Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990) onductor, pianist, composer, author, and educator, Leonard Bernstein was only 25 years old when he rocketed to world fame in 1943 as a last-minute substitute conductor of a New York Philharmonic Cbroadcast. Fifteen years later, he would become music director of the Philharmonic. Bernstein was greatly admired for his diverse musical talents: he composed hit Broadway shows as well as symphonies and concertos; he conducted the world’s best orchestras and recorded more music than any conductor before or since; and he opened up the world of music for adults and kids through television—then a new medium—in a variety of programs including the Young People’s Concerts. Bernstein brought astounding talent and passion to everything he did. Although he died in 1990, people all over the world still miss him. This year, our whole city is celebrating Leonard Bernstein’s 90th birthday and the 50th anniversary of his New York Philharmonic directorship. “The Great Lover” from On the Town (1944) “America” from West Side Story (1957) udiences at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1944 were so wild est Side Story—a musical retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo Aabout Bernstein and Jerome Robbins’s new ballet, Fancy Free, Wand Juliet—is set on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where the composer and choreographer were inspired to develop the Avery Fisher Hall stands today. The musical portrays young ballet into a Broadway musical, On the Town. Three sailors have 24 love set against the cultural and ethnic differences of two rival gangs: the hours to explore New York City—the musical portrays their fanciful American Jets and Puerto Rican Sharks. Bernstein reflects the cultural adventures set against the backdrop of World War II. “The Great Lover,” diversity in the story through a fusion of Latin-beat dances and jazz one of three orchestral episodes from the show, is about the romantic music, making West Side Story an important milestone in American dreams of one of the sailors, Gabey, who falls for a picture of “Miss musical theater. “America” is a clever musical conversation between two Turnstile of the Month” on display in a subway station and decides to of the Sharks girls about the differences between Puerto Rico and search for her. If you had only one day and one night to spend in New America. Listen to how Bernstein plays with the rhythm by mixing up the York City, what would you choose to do? meter—first two beats, then three—always keeping listeners on their toes! On the Waterfront Symphonic Suite (excerpt) (1955) Overture to Candide (1956) inner of eight Oscars in 1954, including Best Picture, On the ased on a book written in 1758 by the French writer Voltaire, WWaterfront is the story of a dock worker’s fight against BBernstein’s musical Candide tells the story of two lovers— corruption on and around the docks of New York. Filmed in Candide and Cunegonde—who travel the world looking for each Hoboken, New Jersey, and starring Marlon Brando, On the Waterfront other. They encounter one piece of bad luck after another and try to portrays the gritty side of life in a big city, including crime, poverty, and figure out what it all means. While Candide premiered on Broadway in homelessness, and the difference a brave, honest person can make. 1956, it was inspired by both the classical and musical theater worlds Bernstein composed the music after the film was already complete. He and the work has been successfully adapted to the opera stage. The needed to create music that would set the mood for the movie and not Overture to Candide reflects the optimism of the title character who, interfere with the actors’ lines or actions. After he finished the score, despite all his troubles, always keeps a positive attitude. The Overture Bernstein admitted it was some of the hardest work he ever had to do! was given its concert premiere by the New York Philharmonic in 1957 Then next year, he arranged the music from the film into a concert suite and was instantly popular: nearly 100 orchestras performed the work that conveys the whole story in sound alone. Can you hear what the within two years! What do you think it would be like to play a piece with New York waterfront was like in 1955? the composer conducting? Aaron Copland (1900-1990) ne of America’s great artists, Brooklyn-born Aaron Copland earned the title “Dean of American Composers” for his influence on generations of American composers and his ability to create sounds that evoke the beauty of the OAmerican landscape. Copland skillfully combined American folk themes with modern composition techniques, such as polyrhythms (the simultaneous sounding of two or more rhythms), percussive orchestration, and harsh harmonies. In this way, he achieved a distinct American style of composition. Copland’s last public appearance was at an Aaron Copland Day celebration at Tanglewood where his close friend, Leonard Bernstein, conducted his Third Symphony. “Skyline” from Music for a Great City (excerpt) (1964) Fanfare for the Common Man (1942) hile many of Copland’s works evoke Americana—from the ne of the most recognizable works in 20th century W vastness of the prairies to the quaintness of homespun O American classical music, Fanfare for the Common Man America—Music for a Great City explores the modernity and was one of many fanfares commissioned by the energy of his beloved cosmopolitan New York. Athough Copland Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra to help generate a patriotic spirit originally intended to call it Music for New York, he changed the title during World War II. Copland’s work, the most memorable of the since the work was commissioned by the London Symphony commissions, was so successful that the composer worked the Orchestra. In this four-movement descriptive symphony, Copland theme into his Third Symphony. Fanfare has been performed by alternates between a big-city buzz and softer moments of personal many popular artists, including the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. reflection on the urban experience. “Skyline” opens the work with a It is orchestrated for brass and percussion. percussion solo that gives way to a jazzy theme in the brass, piano, and pizzicato strings. George Gershwin (1898-1937) “I Got Rhythm” from Girl Crazy (1930) orn in Brooklyn, Gershwin was a composer who, like riginally written as a slow song for Gershwin’s musical Bernstein a generation later, led a double life writing OTreasure Girl, “I Got Rhythm” became popular in its new, Bfor both Broadway and the concert hall. Gershwin faster setting in Broadway’s Girl Crazy, sung by the often worked in collaboration with his elder brother Ira writing legendary Ethel Merman. But perhaps the song is best known today from the 1951 musical film An American in Paris, sung lyrics. Together they gave a musical voice to the 1920s and and danced by Gene Kelly. With its infectious syncopations and 30s, now referred to as the “Jazz Age.” Many of their songs clever harmonies, “I Got Rhythm” became a standard for jazz have endured as jazz standards sung by great artists like Ella artists from Charlie Parker to Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonius Monk, Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and Louis Armstrong. who all used variations of the “I Got Rhythm” harmonic changes George Gershwin was also a virtuoso pianist and even gave the premiere for their improvisations. Imagine a song that can stay so popular performance of one of his works with the New York Philharmonic. for so long! Sebastian Currier (b. 1959) “quickchange” from Microsymph (1997) merican composer Sebastian Currier—who won the he composer explains that Microsymph is a largescale five- world’s largest prize for composition, the Grawemeyer T movement symphony that has been squeezed into only ten AAward, in 2007—lives in New York but travels all over minutes. The result is a frantically paced, restless, quick- the world for performances of his music.