By Brett Peruzzi, Managing Editor
Photo/Wikimedia Commons/Allan Warren
LAWRENCE – Just over a century ago, as World War I was drawing to a close, one of the most acclaimed American composers and orchestra conductors was born in this mill city on the Merrimack River. Leonard Bernstein was the firstborn child of immigrant parents who had come to the United States from Ukraine.
Film focuses on personal life
The life and career of Bernstein, who died in 1990, has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity and attention recently, with the release in late 2023 of the film “Maestro.” The film focuses on his complex relationship with his wife, actress Felicia Montealegre, who tolerated his substance abuse and numerous affairs with men throughout their 26-year marriage, until her death from cancer in 1978.
A talented piano player from childhood, he attended the prestigious Boston Latin School after the family moved to the state’s capital city, and they later lived in the nearby city of Newton. Bernstein attended and graduated from Harvard University, where he studied music. After continuing his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and at Tanglewood in the Berkshires, Bernstein rose to prominence in the New York City music world.
A meteoric rise
He conducted the New York Philharmonic for the first time in 1943 at only 25 years old, after he was asked to fill in for the guest conductor who had fallen ill. Bernstein then achieved fame literally overnight. The concert was broadcast live on the radio, and the next day he was prominently featured in newspapers across the country, including on the front page of the New York Times.
He would later become the music director of the New York Philharmonic for over a decade, teach and conduct around the world to great acclaim, and also composed numerous classical pieces and musicals, including one of the most enduring Broadway productions, “West Side Story.”
Now streaming
“Maestro” has been critically acclaimed and has won a number of awards. The role of Leonard Bernstein was played by actor Bradley Cooper, who also directed the film. It had its debut at the Venice Film Festival last September and then was featured at several other film festivals before a limited theatrical release in November. It is currently streaming on Netflix.
From Lawrence to Boston, Newton to Harvard and Tanglewood, Leonard Bernstein, despite living most of his adult life in New York City and Connecticut, remains an indelible presence in Massachusetts history.
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