• ri s News for friends of Leonard Bernstein Fall 1997 Saving Bernstein Pearls Lost To Our with a '7 6 Show Readers A London Concert Discards the Dross nce again, we have had to Oincrease the number of our pages to accommodate all the Bernstein-related news this sea­ son. Many new recordings are coming down the pipeline; the Website becomes more intrigu­ ing - and more popular - with each passing month; Bernstein's first musical, ON THE TOWN, was reborn in its native New York, New York; and the stillborn musical, 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, comes merrily back to life as A WHITE HOUSE CANTATA. Around the world, Leonard Bernstein's musical and educa­ tional legacy is making head­ lines. The Leonard Bernstein Jerusalem International Music Competitions complete the three year cycle with submiss ions from young composers; a Bernstein School has sprung up Robert Whitehead, Alan]. Lerner, Frank Corsaro, Roger L. Stevens and Leonard Bernstein, 1976. in Berlin; WEST SIDE STORY is setting fingers snapping in the by Warren Hoge crashing with added percussive­ the City of London Festival at the People's Republic of China (we The New York Times ness because of the lofty heights Barbican Center, performed by would like to see this); and the Saturday, July 12, 1997 of publ ic expectation from which the London Symphony Orchestra Pet Shop Boys have even put it fell. and the London Voices chorus "Somewhere " on the pop charts ONDON - The last "O nly two titans cou ld have a under the direction of the American in Britain! time the British got their fai lure like this," Jerome Robbins, conductor Kent Nagano. "When does he ever hands on the White the choreographer who had a The White House came to be SLEEP?"people used to ask of LHouse, th ey set it on fire, brief involvement with the show, known widely by that name only Leonard Bernstein, the most and it didn't fare much better remarked. after it was re built and painted activity-intensive man on earth. more than a century and a half No cast recording was made, after th e British attack in 1814, The answer was that he didn't, later when Leonard Bernstein and and no advocates like those who and friends, former assoc iates of much, and evidently the same Alan Ja y Lerner seized on it for rescued Bernstein 's CANDIDE Bernstein and Lerner and direc­ is true of his posthumous their ill-fated 1976 musical 1600 after its Broadway failu re in 1956 tors of their estates, so me of existence. J.B .T. • PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE. came forward to champion "1600." whom came to London this week, The show, the sole collabora­ Now the participants in th ese are hopi ng the cantata will do th e tion between two men of formida­ pillagings of the presidential same for the burned-out musical... ble talent and achievement, was home have been given another "I'm commi tted to this piece," one of the greatest flops in chance, and th e result is an exu­ Nagano said. "This music has to Broadway history, closing after berant work ca lled A WHITE be given a chance, it has to be taken only seven performances at the HOUSE CANTATA. It has just out from under the clouds of what Mark Hellinger Theater and had its debut as one evening of (continued on page 4) The BETA Fund BETA Fund Supports Brooklyn School Named After Bernstein: Philharmonic Orchestra Leonard Bernstein Oberschule programmatic allusions in n May 6, 1997, a beautiful Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 "From Ospringtime day in Berlin, the New World." They describe Germany, the first high school how Dvorak arrived in New York anywhere was named after BETA in 1892 to direct the National Leonard Bernstein. The school Conservatory of Music; how he requested permission from the FUND searched for America's folk music Estate of Leonard Bernstein to use among African-Americans and his name because, both students Na ti ve-Americans. and faculty believed that the "The beauty of this instruction­ Maestro's contribution to culture grant from the BET A Fund, al program is that it is effortlessly and humanitarianism would serve Agiven in 1993, has blossomed interdisciplinary and multi-cultural as a role model. The Leonard from a pilot program into an on­ in pursuing the question, 'Who is Bernstein Oberschule situated in Deutsche Grammophon, receiving going curriculum to introduce American?"' comments BPO Hellersdorf in the eastern part of a Grammy Award. In December inner-city schoolchildren to the Executive Producer Joseph Berlin, has an enrollment of over 1989, in East and West Berlin, he arts. The project, conceived by Horowitz. 1,000 students and a faculty of led an international orchestra and the Brooklyn Philharmonic Remy Gilles, a student at 70. Opened in 1990, after the singers in perfomances of Orchestra (BPO ), took the form Brooklyn's Midwood High School reunification of Germany, it offers Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, of an interdisciplinary course at who has participated in the pro­ a wide range of disciplines. substituting the word "freiheit" the Philippa Schuyler Middle gram, said: "When I first heard Though not a specialized music (freedom ) for "freude" (joy) in School in Brooklyn's African­ about this project I thought I school, music and the arts play an the Schiller text. These concerts American Bushwick district. would have to listen to a lot of important role in its curriculum. celebrated the reunification of the In subsequent seasons, the boring music, but as I started to The school has a choir, bands, divided city. On this occasion, his Dvorak curriculum developed at learn about Dvorak, I started to and chamber music ensembles. last time in Berlin, Bernstein was Philippa Schuyler has become a like him, his ideas, and his music. Many of the school's perfor­ photographed hammering away mainstay of BPO educational I also like the fact that Dvorak mances have been recorded in the at "the wall". activities. The orchestra's in­ saw only music, not color or social student-run recording studio and The Leonard Bernstein school concerts, at which BPO status." released on compact discs. Oberschule naming ceremony fea­ musicians play alongside students, The BET A Fund is pleased to Bernstein had a special rela­ tured lectures and concerts pre­ are frequently conceived as see that our initial grant has grown tionship with Berlin beginning in sented by the students. Greetings Dvorak programs. into thi s successful program. • 1959, when he toured there with from people around the world A regular feature of these con­ the New York Philharmonic. He were read, including one from certs is a slide show illustrating returned to Berlin with the New Bernstein's daughter Jamie York Philharmonic in 1960 and Bernstein Thomas on behalf of 1968. In June of 1976 he pre­ the family: "Leonard Bernstein sented an all-American concert in had a gift for bringing a lively honor of the United States Bicen­ curiosity and a spirit of joy to the tennial. Bernstein later returned search for knowledge. We are cer­ with the Israel Philharmonic, the tain, therefore, that our father Vienna Philharmonic (fo r the would be delighted to see yo ur reopening of th e Schauspielhaus school bearing his name." in former East Berlin), the After a recent visit to the Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam, school, Harry Kraut, an executor 2 the London Symphony Orchestra, of the Bernstein Estate enthusias­ and the Schleswig Holstein Music tically remarked, "Lenny would Festival Orchestra. In 1979 he have loved it!" • cond ucted the Berlin Philharmonic in Ma hler's SymphonyNo. 9, which was later released by BPO 's pri 11 ciple oboist, Heury Slmma11, t1111es up a io i11t st11de11t!pro(essio11al orchestra for the BPO 's More Tha11 Music Co11cert at Brookly11 Technical High School. In Europe The British Leonard Bernstein Programme Leonard for Young People Bernstein Stich ting his work as a great teacher to be n May of 1996 the Leonard remembered. In association with IBernstein Stichting (Foundation) our good friends at the London was established in the Symphony, the Leonard Bernstein Netherlands. The concept of the Programme was created three years Stichting was formulated by ago. Young people have written Mickey Warners who, through to us telling us how, because of her work at the American the Leonard Bernstein Programme, Embassy in the Netherlands, their ears have been opened! became aware that many young The program, now in its Dutch musicians wanted to devel­ fourth year, boasts a legion of op their professional skills in the participating artists and com­ United States often had difficulty posers. We plan to expand the in raising funds to pursue this Alan Fluck, Leonard Bernstein, Sir Robert Mayer, founder of Youth and Leonard Bernstein Programme to goal. Aware of the fact that Music, and Harry Kraut. other cities in the United Maestro Bernstein was devoted to Kingdom including Manchester, developing young talent, and by Alan Fluck end result is not just another con­ Liverpool and Glasgow. • wanting to honor his memory in cert but an enjoyable musical the Netherlands, Ms. Warners magine yourself in London's experience. Alan Fluck found an ideal mission in assisting IBarbican before a London The roots of the Leonard Artistic Director outstanding young musicians. Symphony Orchestra Concert. Bernstein Programme for Young Yu111h and Music Creal Britain Thus, the Leonard Bernstein Having been warmly greeted by People go back a long way. Stichting was born. staff members from Youth and In the Sixties, it was Youth and Funded through donations Music and the London Music which presented Leonard and sponsorship, the Stichting, Symphony, you and some 60 Bernstein's one and only YOUNG annually awards an amount of young people are crammed into a PEOPLE'S CONCERT in Great Dfl.3000 ($1500) to a promising side room for one of our Britain at a packed Royal Albert young Durch musician who plans Leonard Bernstein Evenings.