Leonard BernsteinAmerican Composer

Early LifeBorn Louis Bernstein - August 25th, 1918 in Lawrence, MAGrandmother insisted he be named Louis, though his parents called him Leonard. He officially changed his name after his grandmothers death in 1933.Son of Jennie and Samuel Joseph Bernstein. Neither parent was musical. Became interested in music at a young age. Learned piano simply because his cousin had an underused piano.Parents were not always supportive of his interest, but allowed him to pursue his love. EducationBernstein graduated Boston Latin in 1935.Attended Harvard University and graduated Cum Laude in 1939 Thesis written in 1939 on The Absorption of Race Elements into American MusicAccompanied the Harvard Glee Club Met Aaron Copland after a performance. The two would go on to be great friends and Bernstein would refer to Copland as his only real composition teacherFollowing graduation Bernstein enrolled at Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia Early CareerAfter completing his education, Bernstein moved to New York.He worked as a transcriber and arranger for a music publishing company under the alias Lenny Amber.Studied conducting at BSOs TanglewoodIn 1943, Bernstein was appointed assistant conductor for the New York Philharmonic OrchestraServed as the Music Director for the New York Symphony Orchestra from 1945-1947By 1951, Bernstein became the head of the orchestral and conducting departments of Tanglewood in Massachusetts. CompositionBernstein made his debut as a composer with Fancy Free - a ballet choreographed by his frequent colleague Jerome Robbins. This piece was later turned into the musical On the Town, which premiered on Broadway in 1944. In 1956, He penned the score to Candide, an operetta based on the Voltaire novel with the same title. Bernstein would go on to compose a Mass entitled Mass: a theatre piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers in the 70s.

West Side StoryProbably his most famous work, Bernstein composed the score to West Side Story. A musical based on Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Bernstein, Arthur Laurents, and Jerome Robbins began working on the project in 1949.After several years, the trio brought lyricist Stephen Sondheim in and the show finally premiered on broadway in 1957. Personal LifeBernstein married actress Felicia Cohn Montealegre in September of 1951.It was said that he married Montealegre to squash any rumors about his sexual orientation, and assist him in landing major conducting positions.In her memoir published in 2013, Montealegre admits to Bernsteins bisexuality and the toll it took on their marriage. The pair had three children Jamie, Alexandre, and Nina. Later LifeFollowing his major compositions, Bernstein spent the majority of his musical career with a baton in his hand, serving as head conductor for the New York Philharmonic until the mid 1970s.Even after stepping down, he would continue to appear with them until his death. Additionally, Bernstein would conduct with the Vienna Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Isreal Philharmonic, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Leonard Lenny Bernstein died on October 14th, 1990 in New York. He is buried in the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, next to his wife.

Mass: A Theatre piece for singers, players and dancersAgnus Dei

Agnus DeiTempo: Allegretto Melody: Disjunct - lots of large interval jumpsRhythm: Begins in cut time, but experiences many meter changesTexture: HomophonicDynamics: P-FFHarmony: A MajorForm: ABAGenre: Massnull338154.16