The Leonard Bernstein Letters (97 page)

Dear Lensk,

How to thank you for that
splendiferous
talk at the Kennedy Center Sunday night. (Not to mention the special effort needed to be in 2 cities almost simultaneously!)

And everyone around me seemed to be enjoying the talk as much as I did (including Mrs. Carter,
⁷
who was seated next to me).

It was truly a night to be remembered – thanks a million!

Love,

A

My most respected Maestro Bernstein,

Certainly the telephone conversation that my assistant Tess related to me broke my heart. The confusion that comes when four different artists attempt
to assemble a collaboration; the complexity of each individual's time, place and temperament – the more difficult areas of lawyers, agents and deals – is the reason very often that desirable collaborations never happen at all.

I'm sure you can understand how hard it must be on me, who essentially must be the pivot-point for the project – and also work as writer and director, when it's quite obvious to me that my ideas are being auditioned by you, and I can plainly see that every so often those with whom I wish to collaborate are obliged to talk to their agents to see whether or not a deal has been struck.

So that, as I understand it, the collaboration hinged on whether in fact you were committed and approved the project as it had been (however vaguely) outlined by me to you, Betty [Comden] and Adolph [Green].

I didn't know I was expected to call you or that you were waiting to hear from me, as of course I had just assumed that we were all friends enough that if you or anyone wished to talk to me, you would simply call, and not stand on ceremony.

In short, as I see the entire situation, it is as follows:

My ideas and concept for this kind of musical–opera–film are too embryonic in form to really be presented to collaborators who must have something defined and specific so that they can do their work. I guess I had hoped that the discovery of this kind of unprecedented film would be made together, on a slow, arduous hit or miss kind of artistic exploration. But I realize now that this process is too difficult to put together between three different groups of artists, who are also all working on other things and have a tight schedule. I also understand, Maestro, that your own composition schedule is heartbreakingly short, and that you can ill afford to waste your time.

I have personal opinions also, about this matter, which I have never mentioned because it would have been rude to you, whom I have always admired. My opinion is that for a composer of your scale and stature to limit his composition, which is the flower of his work, to take a second chair to certain other of the performing arts of which others are perfectly capable, is wrong. But no one can
write
music like Bernstein. And Bernstein's theatrical music is as good as any that has
ever
been written.

And so I came to say … “Here, let me give you musical cinema. Take theatrical music to its next step, in a medium that the whole world will see and respond to.” Well, that is my dream, and I know as sure as I know anything that it is your dream too. Please bear with me – maybe we'll work more informally, over the next six months or even year.

But then when we put these sketches together, it would be a pleasure to fully collaborate with you and Adolph and Betty.

Excuse me for the ownership and the beginning of a new movie studio, Zoetrope Studio, which makes you want to say that I have gone from being an artist to a “mogul”. Zoetrope Studios will create the most modern, electronic studio in the world, and its first work will be TUCKER by Leonard Bernstein,
Betty Comden and Adolph Green – who knows, maybe even Jerome Robbins, and Francis Coppola. I'd sure want to see that film.
⁹

Maybe someday you'll say: “I didn't know he was going to be Francis Coppola”.

With sincere love,

Francis

Dearest Steve

This Es/la
¹⁰
tritone comes with warmest memories of work and play and friendship. S–L is almost a quarter of a century old, and it seems all wrong that I should not be in attendance on your glorious 50th. But I'll be down in the Caribbean with my children on that date, and will be thinking strongly and affectionately of you. More power to you and much merriment.

L = 50 = Love = Lenny

Dear Lenny,

As usual, clever, appropriate, poetic and touching. Thank you for this one, and the others, and what's behind them.
¹¹

I am sorry you won't be here, but I suspect you'll have a better time anyway among the natives.

Love,

Steve

I remember saying, “Dear son, some day you will have it all.” Your Dad of blessed memory objected to your career out of his love for you.

You write and think young. Stay that way my dear, for many more healthy musical years.

With much love and good wishes,

Your ever loving,

Mom

Dear Lenny,

Thank you for sending me the tape and score of your latest work.
¹³
I really like it very, very much, and I'm in love with so many of the middle movements. I'd love to do it, but I worry about it because, as you know, music tends to shrink when you add dancing to it, and the pieces themselves are so short to start with that I don't know how it would avoid resulting in broken, tiny pieces. At least, that's my reaction now. Let me know if you have any suggestions, and we'll get together. But I do love the work.

Sorry that I've only gotten to this now. I just finished the Mozart Rondo in A minor, and I like it, although like the music, it is a fairly quiet work. If you want to come see it, let me know.

All my love,

Jerry

Dear Lenny,

Just a note to tell you, in writing, that it was an enormous pleasure you gave me this year, to play your
Halil
with you. It is rare one flutist plays a solo with a great conductor who is
that
involved in the same work. I suspected as much and the anticipation nearly tore me apart, and I loved
Halil
right from the start. Still it was more than that: even if it had
not
been your composition, I knew once you decided to perform it you were giving it your creative attention & delivery.
That
is what was added to make this time a magical, great adventure for me.

I
hope
we can work together again in some similar capacity. I don't expect, exactly. But I will keep on with this stimulus, this gift of your composition & performing with such as you & I
do
thank you for it – a lot!

Doriot

Dear Maestro Karl,

They tell me you are now very ill, worse than our last time in Munich. Some people even imply that you feel your life coming to a close – for me, an inadmissible thought. The years of physical age have mounted close to 90, and even I, on the eve of my 63rd birthday, can feel their weight and the concomitant panic at time running out before all our works can be finished.

I have always been somewhat amazed at the warmth and musical closeness of our relationship. After all, you were born in the lap of Mozart, Wagner and Strauss, with full title to their domain; whereas I was born in the lap of Gershwin and Copland, and my title in the kingdom of European music was, so to speak, that of an adopted son. That is why I was so surprised to receive your message, some months ago, when you were stopped by illness from completing your
Elektra
recording, that if you should in time not recover to finish the missing central love scene, I, of all people, must be the one to complete it for you. You can imagine the honor I felt at this request and, also, my sense of inadequacy at the prospect of replacing so great a master.

But you
must
recover; I know what your recuperative powers can be. You are resilience itself. I have observed it in brilliant action last January in Munich when I watched and heard your last
Entführung
. It was charming and subtle as ever, but I did notice the difficulty you were having in moving, the extra long time it took you to reach the podium, and the extra effort the singers on stage had to make in order to follow your beat, usually small, but always so clear. Backstage, in the interval, you asked me if you might attend one of my
Tristan
rehearsals for only 20 minutes – all you thought your body could bear. Remember that you stayed for all of it – all 91 minutes of Act I (in a not very well polished first run-through). Remember, if you can, that you came bounding down the aisle to my podium, when orchestra and singers had left, your eyes aflame, and your cheeks ablaze. “Na Bernstein,” you said looking up (up!) at me from floor to stage, “jetztz hab' ich endlich zum ersten Mal im Leben
Tristan
gehört.” You looked like a young man, burning, radiant. I was in heaven, not only because of this unbelievable
imprimatur
from the Wagnerian pope himself, but also because I was watching a mystical, quasi-Faustian rejuvenation. “Auch das Vorspiel?”, I asked timorously, knowing that there was at least a five-minute difference between your timing of the Prelude and mine. “Überhaupt das Vorspiel,” you answered, and began to give me an extraordinary analysis of what I had just done in terms of phrasing, tempo relationships, etc. You
taught
me, in wisdom, what I had been performing by intuition. You were a young, strong man.

You are young. Please stay so, for me, for my colleagues, for the holy art. What you have done in music has already made you immortal; does that not encourage you to remain with us, and teach us forever?

I pray for you, as does the whole world of music.

With devotion,

Bernstein

For Dick H,

Dear friend, and cherished colleague, Dick:

Loving thanks,

Lenny

Hi Lenny,

Halil
arrived this morn. What a moving piece. As an x-flutist (I used to play well at 15) I enjoy the flute writing, and I love the Alto Flute's role. The end reminds me of the 1st version of the
Age of Anxiety
with that reentry for one chord; here it is reentry for 2 notes. It works though and if I can't get Rampal or Galway to play it with me, I'll have my 1st flute in Milwaukee learn it (she is wonderful).

Sometime can I hear a tape or will the record be out soon?

Love

Ever

Lukas

Dear Lenny,

I want to thank you from my heart for having made possible my debut with
Mass
in Berlin. When I stepped off the podium last night, I felt so wonderful, I could have conducted the whole piece through right there again. Had I planned it all when I was twelve years old sitting backstage at the Kennedy Center listening to
Mass
, I could not have done better than the reality. It gives me so much joy to conduct your music. I know it so well and I love it so much and believe in it and understand what it has to say – it makes me very happy that
Mass
is the first piece I have conducted professionally. I grew up with
Mass
, and I hope God will permit me to grow old and die with it too.

There are some things about this production which would please you very much. I think that the space it is in, an enormous arena, is better for the work than an opera house. The Deutschlandhalle, however, is just
too
big.
¹⁷
I would like to see
Mass
done in a smaller arena in three-quarter round as it is here.
When we see each other next, I'd like to discuss this production and what should be done in the future.

Everyone here working on the show – the cast, the staff, singers, players and dancers – send their love and gratitude. It is really wonderful working with this Czech orchestra, all very fine musicians, who consider it such an honor to be invited to the West to play an American piece. They understand the music quite well and find a lot of joy in it. As with every production of
Mass
that I know, the piece has brought the cast together as a family. It is an experience which everyone comes away from a little bit changed. I am always in awe of its power.

I wish you joy with your tours and hope that you are having time to work on your new opera. I have a feeling that “Tahiti Two” is a very important work for you and for all of us who know and love you. I am looking forward to hearing it and seeing it and studying it.

I hope to see you in Milano at the end of the month. If not, until July.

Shalom,

David Abell

P.S. And the flowers! I'm having them framed – will you sign them? Thanks so much.