Lenny the Legend
Maestro of Musicals.
Leonard Bernstein was the first symphonic composer to collaborate on an American musical.
For those of us who grew up on the familiar tunes of West Side Story, it is difficult to imagine a world in which Leonard Bernstein is not a household name. In the early 1940s, however, he was not yet world-famous. Bernstein enjoyed a reputation as a talented young pianist and composer whose interests were leaning more and more toward conducting. Still, his career showed tremendous promise: at age 25 he was assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic, and the exciting young choreographer Jerome Robbins had asked him to collaborate on a wartime ballet entitled Fancy Free.
– Laurie Shulman ©2024
Three Dance Episodes
“Three Dance Episodes from On the Town is Leonard Bernstein’s love letter to New York with many dance and rhythm elements. Alondra de la Parra is one of the most famous female conductors in the world and performed this piece together with the WDR Funkhausorchester.”
WDR Funkhausorchester © 2019
The KSO will perform this piece live on Sept 28!
The plot concerns three sailors on shore leave in search of the perfect girl. Within a year, Bernstein expanded the ballet score into On the Town, a full-fledged musical. The upbeat, fun show was a big success, delighting audiences weary of war and hungry for lighthearted entertainment. Bernstein’s music is more sophisticated than most other contemporary musicals. It reflects not only his keen theatrical instincts, but also his thorough understanding of writing for large orchestra. The city’s vibrant pulse courses through these three episodes: The Great Lover, Lonely Town, and Times Square, 1944.
– Laurie Shulman ©2024
“I think Lenny brought with him the joy of making music (…) I mean the bloke was a genius. When you think of, you know, sort of “Westside [Story]” and the musicals and his classical compositions…There’s no one to touch that, is there.”
— Sue Mallet, Planning Director, London Symphony Orchestra
Did You Know?
– Laurie Shulman ©2024
Bernstein and the London Symphony Orchestra
The impact Leonard Bernstein had on his colleagues is truly remarkable. Hear from members of the 2023 film “The Maestro” on the captivating magic of working with Bernstein, and the experience of carrying on his legacy.
“I just think Lenny was so incredible. That he was able to never soften his own light and at the same time welcome an orchestra.” — Bradley Cooper
London Symphony Orchestra © 2023
Experience the Symphony!
Explore the Symphony season and join us for a concert.
