nown as “The Musical Ambassadors of the Army,” The United States The consummate composer, conductor, and Army Field Band of Washington, D.C. is the Army’s premier touring educator, Leonard Bernstein is one of the most musical organization. Each of its performing components travels celebrated musicians in American history. Perhaps thousands of miles each year, carrying out the Army Field Band’s more than any other composer, his work has become Kmission: to serve and inspire the American people by telling the Army story and synonymous with the very identity of American honoring our Soldiers and Veterans at home and abroad. music, and his time as Music Director of the New In addition to its primary mission, The U.S. Army Field Band’s educational outreach York Philharmonic resulted in hundreds of timeless initiative—including educational clinics, instructional videos, the Legacy Recording recordings, including the Young People’s Concerts, Series, and much more—has made it the U.S. military’s greatest supporter of music his celebrated series of televised educational concerts, education. The Legacy Recording Series provides school music programs with and lectures. reference recordings of some of the most significant musical works, while honoring Bernstein’s incomparable work and his many the lives and music of individuals who have made significant contributions to the contributions to music education make him a natural concert repertoire and to music education. These recordings are carefully researched partner of The U.S. Army Field Band, and the perfect to accurately reflect the original intent of the composer and are accompanied by subject of The Legacy Recording Series. Please enjoy biographical information, detailed program notes, and historical photographs to The Legacy of Leonard Bernstein. provide music educators and students with insight into the compositions. On the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth, the Army Field Band proudly presents the sixteenth installment in the Legacy Recording Series: The THE MILITARY’S MOST Legacy of Leonard Bernstein. TRAVELED MUSICIANS and preserving perhaps his greatest contributions: THE LEGACY OF his dedication to music education, and his ability to connect with students. ernstein was born in 1918 to Russian- Jewish immigrants making a life for LEONARD BERNSTEIN themselves in Massachusetts. His father was intense and severely religious, a for- e stands onstage at Carnegie Hall, the New York Philharmonic at his Bmer scholar who found himself toiling in the back. Hundreds of entranced children lean forward in their seats, New England beauty supply industry to build a pure and honest reactions on their young faces. One moment he en- stable life for his family. His mother was likable thusiastically bangs out a rag on the piano, then leaps onto the po- and gregarious, and Leonard grew up extremely Hdium to conduct the orchestra for a few bars. He tells vivid stories and asks close to his sister, Shirley Anne, and brother, important, difficult questions about music and life. In all the hundreds of Burton. He was drawn to music from an early hours of video footage that exist of age, and when his Aunt Clara left an unwanted Leonard Bernstein, his ground- old mahogany upright piano with his family, the breaking Young People’s Concerts is course of his life was unknowingly set. His early where he seems most at home. musical education included picking out tunes Leonard Bernstein was an American from the radio, lessons with a neighborhood girl, original. Extravagant, driven, mag- and improvising and composing music to play nificently talented, and one of the for his mother. His musical exposure was elevated most accomplished American musi- at the Mishkan Tefila temple in Boston, where cians of all time. His star rose along- his family worshipped. He began studying more Bernstein rehearsing Beethoven's Fidelio with the Vienna side the advent of video recording complex music when he acquired a formal teach- State Opera Chorus and the Vienna Philharmonic, December 3, 1971. To be filmed by CBS for the program Beethoven's technology and television, amplify- Top: Bernstein, age 3, with parents Samuel and Jennie; Bottom: Bernstein Birthday: A Celebration in Vienna with Leonard Bernstein. ing his impact on American culture with parents Samuel and Jennie, and sister, Shirley, ca. 1935. 4 5 er from the New England Conserva- an environment lush with incredible tory. Subsequent piano teachers fed music and opportunities. He consumed and developed the passion he so in- new music with an unfettered appetite. stinctively wielded, almost from the Bernstein was astonished upon first hear- very beginning. ing Aaron Copland’s Piano Variations. Bernstein was captivated by his first At a chance meeting in 1937, Bernstein live orchestra concert, the Boston caught his attention by sitting down at Pops under Arthur Fiedler. Their Copland’s own piano and playing the performance of Ravel’s Bolero made piece from memory. Thus began a life- such an impression that he began long relationship, with Copland serving attending as many concerts as pos- as one of Bernstein’s most important sible with whatever money he could mentors and friends. scrounge up. Gershwin’s Rhapsody in t was at Harvard that Bernstein first Blue was a revelation for the young delved into conducting, which he pianist, who purchased the score was encouraged to pursue after grad- and immediately adapted it for four uation. He possessed an uncanny hands. As he basked in these rich new abilityI with the physical elements of conducting, and musical experiences, Bernstein devel- his intuitive musical understanding and analytical oped into a skilled reader, and honed ability quickly set him apart from his contemporaries. the adaptability and improvisation He auditioned for Fritz Reiner at the Curtis Institute that proved foundational as he began of Music in Philadelphia, and attended on scholarship Bernstein at the piano, 1935. to compose more substantive works. in 1939. At Curtis, Bernstein would encounter some Top: Bernstein conducts Stravinsky's L'histoire du Soldat at an informal Bernstein’s father was a music lover, but was extremely displeased with his Tanglewood tea party. Serge Koussevitzky - conductor and Bernstein mentor - and son's decision to pursue music as a career. Nevertheless, Bernstein arrived his wife Natalie look down from the balcony. The inscription to Helen Coates refers humorously to L'histoire d'un éléve - the tale of the student, 1940; Bottom: at Harvard in 1935 as a vivacious and opinionated freshman, soaking up Bernstein at Harvard graduation, 1939. 6 7 of his most challenging teachers, as he immersed The concert was broadcast live on national ra- himself in studying piano, arranging, and orches- dio and headlines of his astonishing triumph tral conducting. splashed across The New York Times, News- In the summer of 1940, Bernstein met Serge week, Time, Look, and Vogue. Leonard Bern- Koussevitzky, director of the Boston Symphony stein became an overnight sensation. Orchestra, at the newly created Summer Insti- Bernstein’s magnetic personality and natural tute at Lake Tanglewood. Bernstein later became openness made him a media darling, and Koussevitzky's conducting assistant. he reveled in the attention. He was soon fter graduation from Curtis, Bernstein conducting the Pittsburgh Symphony, the moved to New York and earned a living Boston Symphony, and was engaged as a guest playing piano for dance classes, while conductor both nationally and internationally. composing and waiting for his big break. No American had yet penetrated the exclusive, AThat day would come after he was offered the role European-ruled world of orchestral conducting. Bernstein made history as the first American-born of Assistant Conductor of the New York Philhar- Bernstein with conductor Artur Rodziński, monic. His job was to shadow musical director Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1943. and American- Artur Rodziński, preparing scores, attending rehearsals, and being ready to trained conductor step in should the unlikely need arise. On November 14th, 1943 (his birth- to work with top day), Bernstein woke, groggy and hungover, to the news that guest conductor orchestras all over Bruno Walter had the flu. Rodziński was out of town and unable to get back the world, paving the to New York for the Philharmonic’s concert that evening. Bernstein spent a way for all American few frantic hours going over scores with the sick Walter before taking the stage conductors who at Carnegie Hall and conducting the orchestra completely unrehearsed. At followed him. Left: newspaper article heralding the end of the show, the entire hall, including the audience and the orchestra, Bernstein's appointment; were standing and cheering. At just 25 years old, Bernstein was the youngest Right: portrait with signature inscribed to the New York person to ever conduct a philharmonic orchestra in a subscription concert. Philharmonic, 1944. 8 or two years, Bernstein served as Music Director of the New York City Bernstein’s compositional Symphony and led the orchestral and conducting departments at Tan- achievements during this glewood after the death of Serge Koussevitzky in 1951. That same year time are equally impressive. he married Felicia Montealegre, a Chilean actress and pianist whom he His first publication Fhad seen on and off for several years. Together they had three children: Jamie, was a four-hands piano Alexander, and Nina. Bernstein’s family grounded him and offered him a arrangement of Copland’s El place of normalcy and comfort amid the swirling drama of his Salón México, which Boosey hectic, jet-setting life. & Hawkes published for In 1958, Bernstein became the Music Director of the New $25. From these meager York Philharmonic. During his 11-year tenure, Bernstein led beginnings, Bernstein would thousands of concerts, more than any prior conductor. He go on to compose ballets, took the orchestra around the globe, performing in practically film scores, three operas, every major city in the world.