The Leonard Bernstein Letters (101 page)
Read The Leonard Bernstein Letters Online
Authors: Leonard Bernstein
48
David Del Tredici (b. 1937), American composer.
49
Mass
was performed at Tanglewood on 27 August 1988 by the Opera Theater of the Indiana School of Music to celebrate Bernstein's 70th birthday.
50
When Bernstein was to conduct Del Tredici's
Tattoo
.
51
This is the last letter Bernstein wrote to Diamond. See note 47 to Bernstein's letter (Letter 633) of 8 August 1988.
52
Bernstein conducted the US premiere of
Tattoo
with the New York Phiharmonic at concerts on 17, 18, 19, and 22 November 1988.
53
Charles (Charlie) Harmon joined Amberson (Bernstein's publishing company) as his personal assistant in 1982. After Bernstein's death, Harmon contacted many of the people who had been close to Bernstein, requesting photocopies of letters. These are an invaluable addition to the Leonard Bernstein Collection in the Library of Congress. Harmon also edited several Bernstein works for publication, including the full orchestral scores of
West Side Story
and
Candide
, and the definitive piano-vocal scores of
On The Town
and
Wonderful Town
.
54
Bernstein suffered from acute hay-fever all his life.
55
Written on a postcard on the verso of which is a picture of the house in Key West, Florida, where Bernstein stayed in the summer of 1941. An arrow points to the right-hand window on the top floor and reads “This was my first abode. Cattie room in KW, 1941.” Another postcard from Bernstein to Charles Harmon (undated, but with the same image of the house in Key West, with an arrow pointing to the same top-floor window) reads: “This room is where I worked on my Clarinet Sonata, late
August '41
, when I was fleeing from Ragweed & total hayfever (2 nights & days by train from Boston). LB. P.S. The house was then a drab dark grey-brown.”
56
Sondheim's reference to “the song” concerns his affectionate spoof “The Saga of Lenny” (based on the “Saga of Jenny” by Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin) written for Bernstein's 70th birthday gala concert at Tanglewood in August 1988, when it was sung by Lauren Bacall. This was broadcast in the
Great Performances
series on 19 March 1989, the Sunday night mentioned by Sondheim.
57
Marin Alsop (b. 1956), American conductor, who became Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 2007. As an undergrautate at Yale, she played with Steve Reich and Philip Glass, developing a passionate interest in new music. A decade earlier, when she was nine years old, Alsop's father had taken her to one of Bernstein's
Young People's Concerts
: “I immediately knew that I wanted to become a conductor. Becoming his student at Tanglewood in 1988 was a dream come true. To have a hero exceed my expectations was too much to hope for, but Leonard Bernstein certainly did that and more. I loved being around him, soaking in his way of looking at the world and connecting the dots in life. His encouragement and support were invaluable on every level” (interview for National Public Radio, 12 October 2012).
58
Carlos Kleiber (1930–2004), conductor. Famously elusive, his performances were legendary for their unique combination of blazing intensity and attention to detail.
59
This near-quotation comes – aptly enough – from Act II scene 6 of Verdi's
Don Carlos
.
60
This letter was probably written while Carlos Kleiber was in New York to conduct Franco Zeffirelli's production of
La Traviata
at the Metropolitan Opera.
61
The third of Bernstein's
Thirteen Anniversaries
, published in 1989, is “For Stephen Sondheim (b. March 22, 1930)” dated at the end of the piece “20 March 1965”.
62
Bernstein's annotations on this letter include “Right?” beside the “G, not an A” (it is corrected to G in the 1990 revised edition); Bernstein has written “Beats me” next to Sondheim's question about “runic significance” of the final cadence that ends in D major in the 1990 edition.
63
“Masque” is the Scherzo from
The Age of Anxiety
Symphony, a movement described by Bernstein in 1949 as “a kind of fantastic piano-jazz […], by turns nervous, sentimental, self-satisfied, vociferous.” Foss specialized in playing the solo piano part of
The Age of Anxiety
: he was the soloist in the first New York performance (26 February 1950; see Letter 295), and he recorded it twice with Bernstein conducting (in 1950 and 1977).
64
Foss composed
Time Cycle
(for soprano and orchestra) in 1959–60. The first performances were given on 20, 21, and 23 October 1960 by Adele Addison with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Bernstein.
65
A reference to lyrics from
Gypsy
:
Wherever I go, I know he goes
Wherever I go, I know she goes
No fits, no fights, no feuds and no egos
Amigos
Together!
66
The “new score” was
Assassins
, which opened Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons on 18 December 1990. It includes a crazed and darkly amusing monologue addressed to Leonard Bernstein by Samuel Byck (1930–74), a psychopath who attempted to hijack a plane in order to crash it into the White House and kill President Richard Nixon.
67
In June 1990, Marin Alsop traveled with Bernstein to the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan.
68
Jennie Bernstein outlived Leonard. She died in December 1992 at the age of 94.
69
This letter was written a few days before Leonard Bernstein's death on 14 October 1990.
Appendix One
Arthur Laurents (with Leonard Bernstein): Outline for Romeo sent to Jerome Robbins
[New York, undated, shortly before 18 October 1955]
ROMEO
Act One
Scene One: Back Alley – Nightfall.
Against music, we see two or three shadowy figures beating up a boy. A lookout signals, the assailants flee. Their clothes are different from the “cool” outfits of the boys who stroll on: Mercutio and members of his gang including Romeo and Benvolio. Their exaggerated talk is interrupted by the discovery of a kid who was beaten up: A-rab. Baby, the youngest member of the gang, is shocked by what has been done to A-rab and by the “Puerto Rican mark” left on him. The others are enraged, want to have a rumble with the Puerto Rican gang because there have been too many of these raids (by both sides). It is up to Mercutio to decide – and he does in a “Let's Have A Rumble” song with the gang. During this, the formalized ritual of sending scouts to summon the PR gang leader, Bernardo, to a War Council is done. Benvolio, the best fighter, is to be one scout. Romeo – much to Mercutio's pleasure for M is Romeo's protector and Romeo doesn't partake too much of gang activities – volunteers to be the second scout. But Romeo's real reason is to see Rosalind who loves dancing and will probably be at the Crystal Cave, the dancehall where Bernardo is and which is neutral territory. The “Rumble” song comes back as the scouts start off on their mission.
Scene Two: Crystal Cave – Later.
A wild mambo is in progress with the kids doing all the violent improvisation of jitterbugging. Benvolio and Romeo enter, searching for Bernardo. Benny (Benvolio) has to keep Romeo's mind on their mission, for the latter thinks only of Rosalind who snubs R as she whirls by. They find Bernardo and start negotiations. Romeo keeps looking around for Rosalind. (All this in pantomime.) Then
Romeo sees a lovely young girl, dressed more simply, more innocently than the others; obviously a newcomer being shown around by an older, more experienced girl: Juliet and Anita. Romeo goes to Juliet and, as they meet, the music goes into half-time, the dancers keep going but as in a dream state, the lights change. Now there is dialogue – between the two. It is finally interrupted by Bernardo who pulls Juliet away. The music goes back to tempo and the number finishes and the lights go back to normal. Bernardo is Juliet's brother and Romeo's opponent. Thus, the two lovers learn, to their mutual dismay, that they belong to opposing factions. Benny takes Romeo off to report the results of their meeting with Bernardo to Mercutio; and Bernardo, despite the pleading of Anita, sends Juliet home with one of his Lieutenants as escort.
Scene Three: Gang Hangout – Later.
A shack of some sort, depending on the designer. Mercutio and the gang are horsing around when Benny and Romeo enter, to report. Romeo, his mind on Juliet, gets the facts wrong so Benny takes over: War Chieftains from the two gangs (Mercutio and Bernardo and aides) are to meet in Doc's Drugstore at midnight. Then Mercutio, in song, proceeds to give Romeo some advice about love: the older bon vivant (probably just old enough to vote if that) to the neophyte. The gang joins in a razzing, possibly they chase Romeo – who tries to duck them – in a number which overflows out of the set. And at the end, he does elude them.
Scene Four: Tenement – Later.
This is in the Puerto Rican area and shows the scrabbly building Juliet lives in, with a fire escape. Puerto Rican music from the unseen interior of the flat as Romeo moves in the shadows looking for her house. Then she comes out on the fire escape and the “balcony” scene begins. This should go from dialogue to song and back, ending in song. In it, these facts: Romeo works for Doc as drugstore delivery boy and general helper; Juliet sews in the bridal shop and has not been long in this country (let us take the dramatic license of eliminating all accents) and Anita is her confidante and adviser. Plus, of course, R and J's mutual lack of caring about prejudice, gangs, hostility, etc. It might end with “Good night” and “Buenos noches”, the latter repeated lovingly by Romeo.
Scene Five: Street or outside Crystal Cave.
Bernardo taking his girl, Anita, home, before he goes to the Rumble meeting. Various points can come up here: Bernardo's hatred of the “American” gang and thus his hate for Romeo as beau for his sister (as opposed to Anita's feeling that love is love and it all ends anyway); note of future disaster, heightened by Anita's plea to B not to get into bloody rumble. She is probably a little older than Bernardo and tho she has been kicked by love before, is still in love with Bernardo – but
expects the worst. Her attitude is explained in a torch version of Mercutio's song after Bernardo has gone off to the rumble.
Scene Six: Drugstore – Midnight.
Mercutio and his aides impatiently awaiting Bernardo. Doc (possibly a Jew) tries vainly to stop the coming rumble. Here the violence, restlessness, lost feeling of these strange kids should be explored. The bursting inside then which needs a release should build and build until it explodes into a violent cold jitterbug number kicked off by a record on the jukebox. First the boys dance by themselves. But, as the set should show both inside and outside the drugstore, as gang girls come along the street, they grab them as partners, though still maintaining that frozen-faced solo quality such jitterbugging has. At the peak, Bernardo and aides enter; the dance continues to its finish, though the attitude of Mercutio and his gang changes subtly. They are aware of Bernardo but will not, deliberately, stop for him. At the conclusion, silence: the girls go, the boys line up in formalized gang positions. Mercutio, as “host”, offers cokes; negotiations on the rumble begin. Time: sundown; place: Central Park. But the type of rumble is argued over as Romeo – who has arrived with a happy “Buenos noches” – argues for the simplest and least bloody kind: a “fair fight” between the two best fighters from each side. Romeo, who seems to have grown, to have become stronger as a result of his love, manages to prevail. Partly because, however, of Mercutio's fondness for him and happiness that Romeo is finally interested in the gang. Bernardo wants to fight Romeo at the rumble but Benny is the best fighter for Mercutio's gang. At this point, Shrank the policeman enters. He is suspicious because the boys are so quiet: he is their common enemy and this is the one time all are allied against the same thing. He suspects they are planning a rumble. No one says a word but Shrank, starting quietly, builds himself up to a frustrated frenzy which makes him throw everybody out of the store except Romeo since he works for Doc. Shrank makes a crack against both sides and goes. Romeo and Doc are alone. There must be some sharp note to underline the prejudice that stands between Romeo and Juliet, then Doc goes (his closeness to Romeo must emerge here, too) leaving Romeo to close up, turn out the lights as he sings softly of his love.
Act Two
Scene One: The Neighbourhood.
This is a musical quintet which covers various parts of the neighbourhood in space and the whole day in time. Its theme is “Can't Wait for The Night”; its mood is impatience of different kinds, exemplified by five of the principals: Mercutio (with humor) and Bernardo (with anger) can't wait for the rumble; Romeo can't wait to see Juliet; Juliet, at her bridal shop sewing machine, can't wait to see Romeo. Only Anita strikes a different note: she is afraid of the night because of what the rumble may bring. It should end with Juliet and thus go directly into:
Scene Two: The Bridal Shop – Late Afternoon.
Everyone has gone except Juliet who has pretended she has to finish up a wedding veil needed for the next morning. Romeo comes in and they arrange the mannequins as a bridal party, almost like children playing a game, and marry themselves. Here again, dialogue goes in and out of song. The entrance to the shop is at the rear of the stage and as they leave at the end, the curtain closes for:
Scene Three: Outside the Park.
Bernardo and his aides come from one side and, after a moment, Juliet and Romeo from the other. Bernardo is furious that his sister is with a member of the other gang. He wants to provoke a fight but Romeo won't be provoked and Juliet becomes surprisingly strong. Romeo is going to take her home and no one is going to stop that – and no one does. Alone with his aides, Bernardo says the hell with a fair fight: get ready for a real rumble.