100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth—Huzzah! Bernstein is somebody I have come to appreciate more and more, the older I get. My first exposure was in high school, where I was supposed to play the piano part in the pit band of
West Side Story. I had been in the pit band for a couple of other high school musicals, and they were nothing but oom-pah reductions of pretty un-challenging music. I approached WSS the same way, which was a grave error which I have come to regret terribly. Every time I listen to the music now, I hear those piano cues—those critical, essential cues that I completely missed because I didn’t take it seriously—and I feel bad for Mr. Lish, the director, and for the music. And every time I listen to the music now, I get weepy.
Bernstein wasn’t on my radar in particular for a long time after that, as what musical energy I had tended to be focused in other places than the orchestral canon. I did hear, and really loved,
Candide. I played a little bit more Bernstein during my first teaching gig, when I accompanied a student playing the early clarinet sonata at a talent show. Good stuff, and I was wishing there was more like it.
Now I am listening more closely to the canon, and listening more to Bernstein the composer. There’s still stuff I have a hard time with—sometimes just a little too freshman-earnest or didactic or studiously pop—but most of the time, wow.
———————————————————————
Not naming names, but you may need to rethink your approach to composition if the radio announcer says something like “despite being written in his characteristic 12-tone style, parts of the piece are quite listenable and almost melodic.”
———————————————————————-
Trying to play the piano a bit more as the year winds down. It’s hard to find the energy and time, but it is good to do. I’m working on memorizing, which is a new thing. It’s rough going.
