On the morning of November 14th, 1943, Leonard Bernstein, the talented 25-year-old assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic, got a phone call saying he would at last be leading the respected orchestral group — in six hours, that afternoon, with no time to rehearse.
The sudden thrust into the spotlight transformed Bernstein into a national celebrity. For almost five decades, the wunderkind would be at the forefront of American music, as a conductor, composer, virtuoso performer, writer, television personality and teacher.
He would also help create the most important Broadway musicals of the mid-20th century — On The Town, Wonderful Town and West Side Story. These shows would not only spotlight the talents of its young creator. They would also spotlight the romance and rhythm of New York City.
Bernstein is one of New York’s most influential cultural figures. He spent most of his life in the city, and that’s the focus of today’s story – Leonard Bernstein’s New York.
The new film Maestro, starring Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan, focuses on Bernstein’s personal story and intimate life. That specific angle is not our objective today – for the most part. We’re looking at the relationship between the creator and his urban inspiration. Where did Bernstein make his name in New York City and how did his work change the city?
FEATURING The Village Vanguard, City Center, Carnegie Hall, the old Metropolitan Opera and the Dakota Apartments
And co-starring Jerome Robbins, Aaron Copland, Stephen Sondheim, Comden and Green, Lauren Bacall, Tom Wolfe of course Felicia Montealegre
Visit the website for more information and images
Music snippet information
“On The Town: Act I: Opening: New York, New York” (Studio Cast Recording 1961)
CBS Broadcast, Manfred Overture, Op 115 (New York Philharmonic)
“Joan Crawford Fan Club” The Revuers
Symphony No. 1 Jeremiah (New York Philharmonic)
CBS Broadcast, Don Quixote, Fantastic Variations on a Theme of Knightly Character, op. 35 (New York Philharmonic)
Fancy Free Ballet_ VII. Finale
I Get Carried Away, On The Town
Christopher Street (From Wonderful Town Original Cast Recording 1953)
On the Waterfront Main Title (Revised)
Candide, Act II - No. 31, Make Our Garden Grow (Finale)
West Side Story_ Act II_ Somewhere
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Samuel Barber, Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 (New York Philharmonic)
Leonard Bernstein - Young People's Concerts - What Does Music Mean? (1958)
Kaddish, Symphony No. 3 (To the Beloved Memory of John F. Kennedy) I. Invocation - Kaddish 1
The Ladies Who Lunch / Company Original Broadway Cast
Mass - Hymn and Psalm_ A Simple Song
Dybbuk Suite No. 2 - Leah (New York Philharmonic)
Leonard Bernstein and Shirley Verrett at GMHC Circus Benefit, Madison Square Garden
Mahler - Symphony No.5 (New York Philharmonic)
#420 Garbo Walks: Old Hollywood in New York
The Official Gilded Age Podcast: S2 E1 with Lord Julian Fellowes
Rewind: The Gilded Age Mansions of Fifth Avenue
#419 Ghost Stories by Gaslight
#418 Theodore Roosevelt's Wild Kingdom
#417 Walking the East Village 1976-1996
#416 Creating the East Village 1955-1975
Rewind: The Rebellious History of Tompkins Square Park
#415 The Early Years of Central Park
#414 The Brooklyn Navy Yard and Vinegar Hill
#413 The New Storytellers: Landmarks, Diners and Everyday New Yorkers
A Gilded Age Tour Up the Island of Manhattan
Rewind: The Deadly Draft Riots of 1863
The Making of the Pledge of Allegiance
#412 The New York Parking Wars
#411 Miss Subways: Queens of the New York Commute
#410 The Roeblings: The Family Who Built The Brooklyn Bridge
Rewind: The Birth of the Broadway Musical
#409 The Great New York City Pizza Tour
#408 The Titanic and the Fate of Pier 54
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