In order to get an idea of Bernstein’s position in the world of conductors, we must have a look at how he got there. In that period he received conducting lessons which naturally had a large influence on what kind of conductor he would become, and the struggles of getting acknowledged as a conductor.
General background
Leonard Bernstein (August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, and author. Till this day he remains one of the most influential music educators, famous for his efforts to connect with the mass audience, such as through the Young People’s Concerts broadcast series. Bernstein was versed in a wide variety of genres both as a conductor and as a composer. His own compositions range from chamber music, orchestral music and opera to film, theater-, and ballet music and more. As conductor Bernstein is considered one of the most important of his time and he was one of the first American conductors of international renown.
Bernstein was born is Massachusetts to Ukranian-Jewish immigrants. They occasionally took their children to concerts but were no musicians themselves. His sister however put a piano in their house when Leonard was ten, and he quickly taught himself how to play. Later he got lessons as well from a variety of teachers, and eventually decided to study music. From a Jewish point of view being a musician was extremely low on the social ladder, so not an obvious career choice. In fact, his father Samuel originally wanted Leonard to take over his business, The Samuel Bernstein Hair and Beauty Supply Company, and initially did not support his son’s decision.1Burton, Leonard Bernstein, 112 However, in 1935 Bernstein enrolled at Harvard University and studied music with, amongst others, Edward Burlingame Hill and Walter Piston, and graduated in 1939. At Harvard Bernstein also encountered the prejudice and power of the upper classes: being Jewish, he was not let into art societies and did not get invited to perform at certain Harvard shows.2Burton, Leonard Bernstein, 73 Back then in 1939 Bernstein still thought he would become a composer, and the decision to switch his focus to conducting was sudden.3Burton, Leonard Bernstein, 113 A composing career would probably be expected to bring more glory, as no American conductor at that time enjoyed international recognition and Bernstein’s compositions so far were received with great enthusiasm, but that evidently did not his choice to study conducting instead.4 Burton, Leonard Bernstein, 116 – 117 Bernstein’s friend Aaron Copland advised him to ask conductor Fritz Reiner to teach him.5Burton, Leonard Bernstein, 111 Reiner, a friend of Copland’s, was in charge of conductor studies at the Curtis Institute conservatoire in Philadelphia.6Burton, Leonard Bernstein, 111 Reiner agreed to a routine examination at the end of September of 1939, and accepted Bernstein to his class.7Burton, Leonard Bernstein, 111 – 112 Bernstein studied conducting there from 1939 – 1940.8Burton, Leonard Bernstein, 114 Bernstein’s conductor friend Dimitri made this all possible for Bernstein by contributing financial support; Sam Bernstein initially did not support his son as he considered it a wrong choice9Burton, Leonard Bernstein, 112 In the summer of 1940, conductor Serge Koussevitzky arranged a festival and musical center in Tanglewood, where for six weeks in the summer intensive training would be provided to music students at the Berkshire Music Centre.10Burton, Leonard Bernstein, 131 In March of 1940 Bernstein had gone to Boston to meet Koussevitzky and ask whether Koussvitzky would take him in his class, and which against his expectations Koussevitzky immediately did.11Burton, Leonard Bernstein, 125 That summer, Koussevitzky taught Bernstein lessons he would never forget and they became life-long friends.
Conducting career
Bernstein was one of the first American conductors of international renown.12Laird, Bernstein, Leonard, 4. Conductor; There is only a couple of American conductors before Bernstein, including: Ureli Corelli Hill (actually a violinist), Franck van der Stucken (although he got his education in Germany), Henry Hadley (whose conducting did not make much of an impression), Leon Barzin (a violinist), Alfred Wallenstein (a cellist), and Milton Katims (a violinist) [Schonberg, The Great Conductors, 351]. The following persons were trained conductors who got their education in America: Howard Mitchell, Izler Solomon, and Robert Whitney. Then some follow who got international attention: Thomas Schippers, and Lorin Maazel. Serge Koussevitzky had various gifted young musicians as students including Thor Johnson, Walter Hendl, and Lukas Foss (Berlin-born). However, none of them were as successful as Leonard Bernstein. [Schonberg, The Great Conductors, 352] Since at the time American conductors were unheard of among the world-class conductors – except perhaps for Howard Barlow -, it was tough for Bernstein to prove his worth and make a name for himself.13EuroArtsChannel, Leonard Bernstein’s Reflections: Portrait Of Bernstein At The Zenith Of His Career, [17:06] Not only he was American, but also a young conductor and a Jewish one at that. Clearly, Bernstein was in a difficult position to be starting an international conducting career.14EuroArtsChannel, Leonard Bernstein’s Reflections: Portrait Of Bernstein At The Zenith Of His Career, [16:33]In the end Bernstein’s success was an overnight change. At 25 years old, Bernstein got asked to be the assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, which meant he was supposed to be on stand-by and able to step in if a conductor was indisposed. 15Burton, Leonard Bernstein, 184 As chance would have it, on Sunday 14 November 1943, conductor Bruno Walter fell ill, which meant Bernstein was expected to substitute and conduct the concert that day in Carnegie Hall, with no chance of a rehearsal.16Burton, Leonard Bernstein, 184; Coates, Leonard Bernstein Scrapbook: Vol. IB., 69-70The concert happened to be broadcasted allowing millions of people to hear Bernstein’s grande debut and turned out to be a huge success.17Coates, Leonard Bernstein Scrapbook: Vol. IB., 69; Burton, Leonard Bernstein, 194This concert formed the upbeat to Bernstein’s lifelong successful international conducting career.
In all the years that followed Bernstein conducted music of practically every genre that includes an orchestra, went abroad regularly to conduct, and made many video recordings of both concerts and lectures. Television was relatively new in the early years of his career, and Bernstein was one of the first to understand the possibilities of broadcasting these concerts and lectures: he could reach a much wider audience as he taught both the people in the concert hall and the viewers at home about music and the orchestra.18Gow, Leonard Bernstein: Musician of Many Talents, 427The combination of this will to educate his broad taste in music resulted in a wide assortment of programs that Bernstein offered. This way he taught the audience not just about pieces on the program, but also taught them to listen to less well known pieces: ‘And, more than any other single individual, Leonard Bernstein, through his tireless and enthusiastic proselytizing at the head of the Philharmonic, led the full-scale Mahler revival of the 1960’s. After years of neglect, Mahler suddenly became a truly popular composer, and his popularity continues unabated.’19Page, Mahler To Open Juilliard Season, Section C, Page 1