The Leonard Bernstein Letters (46 page)

Dear Lenny,

I'm sorry you've decided not to do the show, sorrier still because of the main reason which led you to drop out. I think I understand. And feeling as you do, your decision is undoubtedly all for the best.

One thing I'd like to make clear – and I trust you will believe me. I did not start out with “a priori prejudices”. Rather, I started out with admiration for your work and eagerness to become a friend. Along the line, hostility popped up. But since I felt it from you, just as you say you felt it from me, and made the exact same efforts you did, I can only conclude we were both projecting a little and, possibly, were further impaired by the occasional whispers which are ever present.

It's a pity we had such a short run. However, now that the tension is gone, there is probably a much better chance that we can become friends. I certainly hope so.

Whatever show or venture you embark on next, please know I'll be rooting for you.

Arthur

Dearest little Lennie,

Once I wrote you and never mailed the letter and now I can't even find it. I have heard all about you from Bobby Lewis who was here, and now from Harold
¹⁴³
who arrived a few days ago. I know that you are writing a musical and that you arrived at 161 West 54
¹⁴⁴
with several other talented young men, each of you with agents flanking you, all of which amused my mother greatly.

I am well. By this time I speak French, I look French and I am assimilated into Paris, all of which makes me miss New York the more. I see your friends around from time to time, once [François] Valéry,
¹⁴⁵
at a café, who told me he was about to write a play about Noah's ark. Now and again I see Nadia [Boulanger] who
looks more and more like a Grant Wood
¹⁴⁶
and is indeed a lurid creature. And then there is, of course, Marie Blanche
¹⁴⁷
always seen sweeping into an enormous automobile, and leaning, almost toppling into the arms of her tall, blonde painter friend. But I suppose Bigelow
¹⁴⁸
is the funniest. At first this lad was strictly a right-bank spectacle and very dashing, now he is to be seen in the leftest of left-bank hangouts and always sporting a pair of blue jeans. So there, you see, is the evolution of Paris. I started with the left-bank and shall end up on the right, Bigelow started with the right and was doomed for the left.

I have heard wonderful, wonderful things about your last tour and am happy that everything goes on so very well.

Paris is magical, romantic, perfumed and a city of miracles. A spring such as has never been before is here, and it is quite elegant as only Paris can be, and I am very happy. I think of you often, Lennie. Take care of yourself and give my love to all the people about you such as Helen [Coates], Shirley [Bernstein], D[avid] D[iamond] and A[aron] C[opland]. In fact, everyone but Burtie
¹⁴⁹
because he's a kid and I want him to take me flying one day.

And kisses to you,

Ellen

Dear P,

Just time for a few notes:

1) A great joy to receive
our
book, & many thanks for the sweet dedication.
¹⁵¹

2)
The Age of Anxiety
was a walloping success, & I thought of you often in preparing it.
¹⁵²
Everyone adored it, which amazed me.
¹⁵³

3) Doesn't look so good for you & Tanglewood this summer. I have very little to do with it this year – just a token appearance, and I've taken a farm 45 miles from it! Have you heard from them?

4) I'd love to see the “Bernstein article”. The Variations you saw remain about the same.

My love to you & Rosi & the kids, & from Helen – sorry this is too short – I'm rushed with plans for a new show.

Lenny

My visible verb, my very Dear,

It's Sunday morning, I am playing
Jeremiah
and loving it, and you very, very much. It was so wonderful talking to you the other night. I am sorry that I woke you again, and Shirley too. I hope so very much she really doesn't dislike me. But I have a feeling we two (Shirley and I) will work out well.

Last night I wore the cuff links you gave me. They are so beautiful, and I thank you always. But the thing with me is that I don't feel that I have to wear something you gave me, to be reminded how much I love you. Because [e]very kind, and happy, and warm thing that happens to me I share with you. You are in the lovely adolescent green of the spring trees, you are in the breath of the warm breeze. You surround me with a rare and God given feeling – called love (you are also making a bit of a poet out of me).

My picture is still going very well and I am most happy in my work. Tell Betty and Adolph that for a night club scene in the picture the studio reproduced the Village Vanguard.
¹⁵⁴
I'm getting a kick out of working in the same place the Revuers did.

I was asked if I would like to do a picture in China, a thing called
Rickshaw Boy
which sounds very exciting but will not come into being for a while. How about arranging a few concerts for the Far East.

Saw
Ball Game
again and agree with you, there's a good deal of ham in our boy Gene.
¹⁵⁵

Please thank Helen for me, that was very sweet of her.

Write me as much as you can. I will call again soon, but will not make it a late one next time. You are a wonderful man and I love you.

F

Dear Bill,

I love it when excuses pop up for me to write you – it seems the only way we get to communicate these days. There are three such at the moment: and may I preface them with my warmest hello to you & Frankie.

1) I take it you've received a copy of the enclosed from [James] McDonald in Israel. I wish I could say that I'd heard the boy, but I don't recall any such experience, although I do remember hearing good things about him. Of course, I'm all for this Israeli stream into Juilliard on general principles, since Israel is the most musical country I've ever seen, and Juilliard is the best school I know for developing that native talent.

2) At the risk of seeing the Juilliard School turned into a little Tel-Aviv, I make so bold as to propose another Israeli for the student body – a young conductor who is now here at Tanglewood – Elyakum Shapirra – who won a competition over there & was selected to be one of Koussy's chosen “Three”. He arrived displaying great musicality, integrity, etc., & a lack of knowledge caused by his years in the Israeli Army. He desperately needs schooling, is wild to go to Juilliard; & I think [Jean] Morel would be marvelous for him. The kid's a natural, but such a primitive! He needs Kulture. It would be a great blessing to him.

3) A strong recommendation for Ralph Berkowitz, whom, I hear, you are considering for an additional post at Schirmer's. A nicer guy you couldn't find, nor a harder-working, or more knowledgeable.

There! Now I can go back to Mann's
Dr. Faustus
which sits particularly well in this divine isolation 40 miles from Tanglewood. I'm at last finding a few days for myself – to read, to sleep: it is a most welcome novelty.

Let me hear from you.

Love,

Lenny

Main,

No need to voice my reaction to the rumor heard the other day of Alan J. [Lerner]'s plan to do a show with Loewe, nor to the item confirming it in today's
Times
.
¹⁵⁷
The bastard. A fine double-x. Destroy this letter.

No word yet from Adolph and Betty and Adolph. I am really irked at the Lerner thing. Rest and think, main foot!

The enclosed came to Tangle for you.

I wormed the Gabe personally each night, but he still drags his arms to the ground. Well, so many of us do, and nobody worries.

It was lovely seeing you for an extra hour at the Shelton, even under such trying conditions.

Farfel's mad, and the world is full of apes. I suppose you're as disappointed in Lerner as I am. Maybe you should have snapped up Michael Dreyfuss.
¹⁵⁸

Loveoah,

Dein

Dear Mr. Bernstein,

Although much in arrears (for which I am only very little to blame, having had so many appearances and marriage to boot), I still could not deprive myself
of the pleasure of writing to you and telling you how much I enjoyed playing your
Anniversaries
.

On the occasion of American Independence Day I was invited to play on the radio an American programme. For this programme I also chose seven of your
Anniversaries
.

All the time (for it is ever fresh in my memory) I wanted to write to you and tell you how much I liked them on account of their quaintness, and rare and thrilling harmonizations so strangely appealing to the senses and the intellect. These dedications are real masterpieces of modern art and I admired them very much.

With my best regards to you and your sister. I am admiringly yours,

Menahem Pressler

Cher Maître et ami,

I hope you have had the time to look carefully and to work on the very difficult score of my
Turangalîla-Symphonie
.
¹⁶¹
Take great care of the dark photocopy that I gave you: it's the only copy that it is possible for your work – if you lose it, that will be a catastrophe! You will have realized that this work is very long (1#fr1/2> hours) and very difficult for the whole orchestra. You will decide for yourself how many rehearsals are necessary. The work requires, in addition, the presence of 2 soloists: an Onde Martenot solo and a piano solo. The only possible Ondiste is Ginette Martenot. The only possible pianist is Yvonne Loriod.
¹⁶²
Ginette Martenot is leaving in any case for New York (being invited for a different event) and Boston, and she will be there from 28 October to 1 January. The Boston Symphony Orchestra thus does not need to concern itself with her travel expenses.

On the other hand, the piano solo part of my symphony is of a difficulty such that only Yvonne Loriod can play it with the special techniques that it requires (triple notes, modes, very complex rhythms, birdsong, lightness, power, passion, etc.), and to play it
by heart
. Yvonne Loriod has a matchless technique, she is a composer, she is the best French pianist for ultra-modern music, and finally she is the specialist in my music, having played my piano works for the last seven years in all the great cities of Europe. She has already been working for a year on the piano part of my symphony, and not only does she know it by heart, but she understands the whole orchestral score perfectly. The [piano] part is considerable in the work on account of its difficulty and importance, and no one on earth can play it with such brilliant eloquence.

Moreover, I also think that my presence would be quite useful at the rehearsals, for giving exact tempos, and the balance of timbres. It would be a great joy for me to hear my work.

I therefore ask the Boston Symphony Orchestra:

1. To engage Yvonne Loriod and Ginette Martenot to play the parts for piano solo and Onde solo of my symphony and to send them their contracts (date of the concerts, total fees, etc.)

2. To kindly pay the expenses of Yvonne Loriod and myself for about 25 days – a total of $524.

3. You told me that you would give the
Turangalîla-Symphonie
in the last week of November 1949 in Boston and the first week of December 1949 in New York (Boston Symphony Orchestra). I remind you that this will be the world premiere in Boston, and the second ever performance in New York. Will you be very kind and specify for me the
exact dates
of the two concerts?

4.
The orchestral material of the Turangalîla-Symphonie is ready
. It belongs to my publisher Durand et Cie, 4 place de la Madeleine, Paris (8e). When should Durand send it? And to whom? Would you prefer that I bring it myself?

5. I recommend especially your studying my work. Serge Koussevitzky commissioned it from me in 1944, which is to say that I have worked on it for a long time. Of all my works, it is the most accomplished and the most original. I am 41 years old, and I put into my symphony all my powers of love, of hope, and of research. But I know that you are a brilliant man and that you will conduct it as I feel it.

I await a prompt reply and ask you to believe my feelings of warm admiration.

Olivier Messiaen
¹⁶³

My dear Bernstein,

I compared the Victor recording of the Love Scene from Berlioz's
Romeo
with the broadcast and confirmed the fact that the Victor is much faster.

And I confirmed also another fact – namely that every man, no matter the importance of his intelligence, can be from time to time a little stupid. So is the case of the old Toscanini.

Your kind visit and dear letter made me very happy. I felt myself forty years younger.

I hope to see you very soon and it will give me a great amount of pleasure.

Most cordially, believe me, dear Bernstein.

Yours ever,

Arturo Toscanini