What the Leonard Bernstein Centennial has wrought
Please don't kid yourself that you will be able to escape the sweaty reach of Leonard Bernstein this weekend.
Had he not smoked like a chimney and drank like a fish, not abused his body with uppers and downers, not been a tortured insomniac or tormented spiritual thinker, not been driven and guilt-ridden to distraction, Bernstein might have lived to celebrate his 100th birthday on Saturday.
Had he not conducted exuberant and shamanistic concerts seeming to inject music from his inner being directly into your bloodstream, not written those questing, profound final works, not exhaustively drained his herculean supply of sexual energy, he might not have so early deteriorated into the worn-out wreck who died at 72.
Yet had he not been all those things, would this composer, conductor, pianist, educator and television personality who avidly embraced all aspects and genres of music become America's greatest musical figure?
His home state of Massachusetts declared Aug. 25 to be Leonard Bernstein day. Hundreds of Bernstein recordings have been remastered, repackaged and released in lavish box sets, along with major new recordings of Bernstein works. Three illuminating Bernstein books have been published. Performances have been nonstop. Dueling biopics, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Bradley Cooper, are in the works.
