The Leonard Bernstein Letters

by Leonard Bernstein

First complete performance: 8 April 1949, Boston, Symphony Hall, Leonard Bernstein (pf), Boston SO, Serge Koussevitzky (cond.)

  First New York performance: 23 February 1950, New York, Carnegie Hall, Lukas Foss (pf), New York PO, Leonard Bernstein (cond.)

  First performance of revised version: 15 July 1965, New York, Philharmonic Hall, Philippe Entremont (pf), New York PO, Leonard Bernstein (cond.)

  Dedication: For Serge Koussevitzky, in tribute

  Symphony No. 3, Kaddish (1963; rev. 1977) (i) n2, (ii) n108, (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x), (xi) n23

  First performance: 10 December 1963, Tel Aviv, Frederick Mann Auditorium, Hannah Rovina (speaker), Jennie Tourel (mezzo-sop.), Abraham Kaplan (choirs dir.), Israel PO, Leonard Bernstein (cond.)

  First US performance: 31 January 1964, Boston, Symphony Hall, Felicia Montealegre (speaker), Jennie Tourel (mezzo-sop.), New England Conservatory Chorus, Columbus Boychoir, Boston SO, Charles Munch (cond.)

  First performance of revised version: 25 August 1977, Mainz, Michael Wager (speaker), Monserrat Caballé (soprano), Wiener Jeunesse Chor, Wiener Sängerknaben, Israel PO, Leonard Bernstein (cond.)

  Dedication: To the Beloved Memory of John F. Kennedy

  Thirteen Anniversaries (1974–89) (i) n61

  Dedications: I. For Shirley Gabis Rhoads Perle; II. In Memoriam: William Kapell; III. For Stephen Sondheim; IV. For Craig Urquhart; V. For Leo Smit; VI. For My Daughter, Nina; VII. In Memoriam: Helen Coates; VIII. In Memoriam: Goddard Lieberson; IX. For Jessica Fleischmann; X. In Memoriam: Constance Hope; XI. For Felicia, On Our 28th Birthday (& Her 52nd); XII. For Aaron Stern; XIII. In Memoriam: Ellen Goetz

  Trouble in Tahiti (1951, libretto by Leonard Bernstein) (i) n46, (ii), (iii) n47, (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x), (xi), (xii), (xiii), (xiv), (xv), (xvi) n45

  First performance: 12 June 1952, Brandeis University Festival of the Creative Arts, cast incl. Nell Tangeman (Dinah), David Atkinson (Sam), Constance Bingham, Robert Kole and Claude Heater (Trio), Elliot Silverstein (dir.), Leonard Bernstein (cond.)

  First New York performance: 19 April 1955, Playhouse Theatre, cast incl. Alice Ghostley (Dinah), John Tyers (Sam), Constance Bingham, John Taliafero, James Tushar (Trio), David Brooks (dir.), Joseph D. Lewis and Urey Krasnopolsky (pfs), Max Rich (drums), Leonard Gaskin (bass)

  Dedication: For Marc Blitzstein

  West Side Story (1949–57; based on an idea by Jerome Robbins, book: Arthur Laurents, lyrics: Stephen Sondheim) (i) n4, (ii) n104, (iii), (iv), (v) n145, (vi) n5, (vii) n132, (viii) n140, (ix) n173, (x) n76, (xi), (xii), (xiii), (xiv), (xv), (xvi), (xvii), (xviii), (xix), (xx), (xxi), (xxii), (xxiii), (xxiv), (xxv), (xxvi), (xxvii), (xxviii), (xxix), (xxx), (xxxi), (xxxii), (xxxiii), (xxxiv), (xxxv), (xxxvi), (xxxvii), (xxxviii), (xxxix), (xl), (xli), (xlii), (xliii), (xliv), (xlv), (xlvi), (xlvii), (xlviii), (xlix) n58, (l), (li), (lii), (liii), (liv), (lv), (lvi), (lvii), (lviii)

  First performance: 19 August 1957, Washington, D.C., National Theatre, cast incl. Carol Lawrence (Maria), Chita Rivera (Anita), Larry Kert (Tony), Ken Le Roy (Bernardo), Mickey Calin (Riff), Art Smith (Doc); Jerome Robbins (concept and dir.), Max Goberman (cond.)

  First New York performance: 26 September 1957, Winter Garden Theatre, cast as above

  Orchestrations by Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal with Bernstein

  Dedication: To Felicia, with love

  White House Cantata, A (scenes from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue), arr. Charlie Harmon and Sid Ramin (1997) (i), (ii) n38

  First performance: 8 July 1997, London, Barbican Centre, Nancy Gustafson, Dietrich Henschel, Jacqueline Miura, Thomas Young, London Voices, London SO, Kent Nagano (cond.)

  Wonderful Town (1952–3; book: Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov, lyrics: Betty Comden and Adolph Green) (i), (ii) n43, (iii) n60, (iv) n113, (v) n171, (vi) n58, (vii) n73, (viii), (ix), (x), (xi), (xii), (xiii) n60, (xiv) n128, (xv), (xvi) n53

  First performance: 19 January 1953, New Haven, CT, Shubert Theater, cast incl. Rosalind Russell (Ruth), Edith Adams (Eileen), George Gaynes (Robert Baker), Jordan Bentley (Wreck), Cris Alexander (Frank); Donald Saddler (choreo.), George Abbott (dir.), Lehman Engel (cond.)

  First New York performance: 26 February 1926, Winter Garden Theatre, cast as above

  Orchestrations by Don Walker assisted by Seymour Ginzler and Sid Ramin

  Arrangement:

  El Salón México (Aaron Copland), transcribed for solo piano (by 10 December 1940; see Letter 74) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v) n107, (vi), (vii) n160

  First known public performance: 18 November 1941, Boston, Copley Plaza Hotel, as part of recital for the Chromatic Club, Leonard Bernstein (pf). The program for this concert makes no mention of the Copland transcription being a first performance. Since it had been finished a year earlier, it is likely that Bernstein had played it before, possibly at private concerts

  General Index

  Abarbanell, Lina (i)

  Abbado, Claudio (i)

  Abbott, George (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v) n4, (vi), (vii) n6, (viii), (ix) n173, (x)

  Abell, David Charles (i), (ii)

  Abravanel, Maurice (i) n104, (ii)

  Action Committee to Free Spain Now (i)

  Adams, Franklin P. (i)

  Adams, John (i)

  Adams, Sherman (i)

  Adams, Stanley (i), (ii)

  Adler, Ellen (i), (ii), (iii) n146, (iv), (v)

  Adler, Larry (i)

  Albert, Eddie (i)

  Alexander, Holmes (i)

  Alger, Horatio (i)

  Allegro (musical) (i), (ii) n60

  Allen, Elizabeth (i), (ii)

  Alphand, Claude (i), (ii)

  Al Smith Memorial Hospital Fund (i)

  Alsop, Marin (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Alswang, Ralph (i)

  Amber, Lenny (pseudonym for Leonard Bernstein) (i)

  American Arts Committee for Palestine (i)

  American Christian Palestine Committee (i)

  American Civil Liberties Union (i), (ii), (iii)

  American Committee for Spanish Freedom (i)

  American Committee of Yugoslav Relief (i)

  American Council for a Democratic Greece (i)

  American Friends of Hebrew University (i)

  American Friends Services Committee (i)

  American Fund for Israel Institutions (i)

  American Fund for Palestinian Institutions (i)

  American Legion (i) n64

  American Red Cross (i)

  American Red Magen David for Palestine (i)

  American Youth for Democracy (i)

  Andrews, Dana (i) n62, (ii)

  Antheil, George (i), (ii), (iii)

  Arlen, Harold (i)

  Armstrong, Louis (i)

  Arrau, Claudio (i), (ii) n59, (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii)

  Askew, Constance (i), (ii)

  Atkinson, Brooks (i) n61, (ii), (iii) n77, (iv)

  Auber, Daniel François Esprit (i)

  Auden, Wystan Hugh (i), (ii) n163, (iii), (iv), (v) n116, (vi)

  Age of Anxiety, The (i), (ii) n110, (iii) n16, (iv) n90, (v) n116

  Augustine, Stephanie (i)

  Avedon, Richard (i), (ii)

  Avshalomoff, Jacob (Jack) (i) n49, (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Ax, Emanuel (i)

  Bacall, Lauren (Betty) (i), (ii), (iii) n56

  Bach, Johann Sebastian (i), (ii), (iii) n29, (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix)

  Barber, Samuel (i) n58, (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix) n94, (x) n133, (xi), (xii)

  Adagio for Strings (i) n10

  Second Essay (i) n10

  Violin Concerto (i) n10, (ii), (iii) n58

  Barrymore, Ethel (i)

  Bartók, Béla (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x), (xi), (xii), (xiii) n133, (xiv), (xv), (xvi), (xvii), (xviii)

  Concerto for Orchestra (i) n71

  Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (i), (ii), (iii) n169

  Portrait Op. 5 No. 1 (i), (ii), (iii)
>
  Rhapsody No. 1 (i), (ii)

  Baudelaire, Charles (i)

  Bauer, Harold (i)

  Bauer, Marion (i), (ii)

  Baxter, Anne (i) n62

  Bearson, Lawrence (i)

  Beat Generation (i)

  Beckoning Fair One, The (unrealized film project) (i) n59, (ii) n74

  Beery, Wallace (i), (ii)

  Beethoven, Ludwig van (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x) n27, (xi), (xii) n151, (xiii)

  Fidelio (i), (ii)

  Leonore No. 3 Overture (i), (ii) n27, (iii)

  Missa solemnis (i), (ii), (iii)

  Piano Concerto No. 1 (i), (ii) n32, (iii), (iv) n70, (v)

  String Quartets (i), (ii)

  String Quartet Op. 131 arr. Mitropoulos (i) n40

  Symphony No. 1 (i) n27

  Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”) (i) n69, (ii) n69

  Symphony No. 4 (i), (ii)

  Symphony No. 5 (i), (ii) n99

  Symphony No. 7 (i), (ii), (iii)

  Symphony No. 9 (i), (ii), (iii)

  Triple Concerto (i), (ii) n63

  Beinum, Eduard van (i)

  Bellafonte, Harry (i)

  Bellini, Vincenzo (i) n149

  Sonnambula, La (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  Bells are Ringing (musical) (i) n21, (ii) n5, (iii) n2

  Ben-Gurion, David (i), (ii), (iii)

  Bennett, Richard Rodney (i), (ii), (iii) n25

  Nicholas and Alexandra (i)

  Symphony No. 2 (i)

  Bennett, Robert Russell (i)

  Berezowsky, Alice (i)

  Berezowsky, Nicolai (i), (ii) n86

  Berger, Arthur (i) n27, (ii) n28, (iii), (iv), (v) n101, (vi)

  Bergman, Ingmar (i)

  Berio, Luciano (i), (ii)

  Berkowitz, Ralph (i)

  Berlin, Irving (i), (ii), (iii) n42

  How Dry I Am (i)

  Bernstein, Alexander (son of LB, sometimes “Axel” or “Fink”) (i), (ii) n4, (iii) n79, (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x) n30, (xi), (xii), (xiii), (xiv), (xv), (xvi), (xvii), (xviii), (xix), (xx), (xxi), (xxii), (xxiii), (xxiv)

  Bernstein, Burton (brother of LB) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x), (xi), (xii), (xiii), (xiv), (xv), (xvi), (xvii), (xviii), (xix), (xx), (xxi), (xxii)

  Bernstein, Felicia (wife of LB) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x), (xi), (xii), (xiii), (xiv), (xv), (xvi), (xvii), (xviii), (xix), (xx), (xxi), (xxii), (xxiii), (xxiv), (xxv), (xxvi), (xxvii), (xxviii), (xxix), (xxx), (xxxi), (xxxii), (xxxiii), (xxxiv), (xxxv), (xxxvi), (xxxvii), (xxxviii), (xxxix), (xl), (xli), (xlii), (xliii), (xliv), (xlv), (xlvi), (xlvii), (xlviii), (xlix), (l), (li), (lii), (liii), (liv), (lv), (lvi), (lvii), (lviii), (lix), (lx), (lxi), (lxii), (lxiii), (lxiv), (lxv), (lxvi), (lxvii), (lxviii), (lxix), (lxx), (lxxi), (lxxii), (lxxiii), (lxxiv), (lxxv), (lxxvi), (lxxvii), (lxxviii), (lxxix), (lxxx), (lxxxi), (lxxxii), (lxxxiii), (lxxxiv), (lxxxv), (lxxxvi), (lxxxvii), (lxxxviii), (lxxxix), (xc), (xci), (xcii), (xciii) n44, (xciv), (xcv), (xcvi) n55, (xcvii) n57, (xcviii), (xcix), (c), (ci), (cii), (ciii). See also Montealegre Cohn, Felicia

  Bernstein, Jamie (daugher of LB) (i), (ii) n4, (iii) n57, (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x), (xi), (xii), (xiii), (xiv), (xv), (xvi), (xvii), (xviii), (xix), (xx), (xxi), (xxii), (xxiii), (xxiv), (xxv), (xxvi), (xxvii), (xxviii), (xxix), (xxx), (xxxi), (xxxii), (xxxiii), (xxxiv), (xxxv)

  Bernstein, Jennie (mother of LB) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x), (xi), (xii), (xiii), (xiv), (xv), (xvi), (xvii), (xviii), (xix), (xx)

  Bernstein, Nina (daughter of LB) (i) n4, (ii) n30, (iii), (iv) n96, (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x), (xi)

  Bernstein, Samuel (father of LB) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix) n148, (x), (xi), (xii), (xiii), (xiv), (xv), (xvi), (xvii), (xviii), (xix) n47, (xx), (xxi), (xxii)

  Bernstein, Shirley (sister of LB) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x), (xi), (xii), (xiii), (xiv), (xv), (xvi), (xvii), (xviii), (xix), (xx), (xxi), (xxii), (xxiii), (xxiv) n130, (xxv), (xxvi), (xxvii), (xxviii), (xxix), (xxx), (xxxi), (xxxii), (xxxiii), (xxxiv), (xxxv), (xxxvi), (xxxvii), (xxxviii), (xxxix), (xl), (xli), (xlii), (xliii), (xliv), (xlv), (xlvi), (xlvii), (xlviii), (xlix) n149, (l), (li), (lii), (liii)

  Berrigan, Daniel (i)

  Berrigan, Philip (i)

  Bigelow, Otis (i), (ii)

  Billion Dollar Baby (musical) (i) n5, (ii) n31, (iii)

  Bing, Rudolf (i)

  Birch, John (i), (ii), (iii)

  Bizet, Georges (i) n53

  Carmen (i), (ii) n11, (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)

  Black Panthers (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  Blitzstein, Marc (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii) n66, (viii), (ix), (x) n104, (xi), (xii), (xiii), (xiv), (xv) n11, (xvi), (xvii), (xviii), (xix) n65, (xx), (xxi), (xxii), (xxiii) n29, (xxiv), (xxv), (xxvi), (xxvii), (xxviii), (xxix) n122, (xxx)

  Cradle Will Rock, The (i), (ii) n29, (iii), (iv) n56, (v) n4, (vi), (vii) n123

  Regina (i), (ii) n4, (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii) n104, (viii) n123, (ix) n41

  Reuben Reuben (i) n4, (ii), (iii), (iv), (v) n30

  Sacco and Vanzetti (i)

  Bloch, Ernest (i) n71, (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) n9

  Blue Angel, The (nightclub) (i)

  B'nai B'rith (i), (ii), (iii) n8

  Bohm, Jerome (i)

  Böhm, Karl (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v) n16

  Bok, Mary Louise Curtis (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  Bonanza Bound (musical) (i)

  Bonney, William H. (Billy the Kid) (i)

  Boston Symphony Orchestra (i), (ii) n26, (iii) nn72–3, (iv) n75, (v), (vi) n94, (vii) n107, (viii) n2, (ix), (x) n163, (xi), (xii), (xiii), (xiv), (xv), (xvi) n75, (xvii), (xviii), (xix) n82, (xx) n112, (xxi) n153, (xxii), (xxiii), (xxiv), (xxv), (xxvi), (xxvii) n73, (xxviii), (xxix), (xxx) n13, (xxxi) n14, (xxxii), (xxxiii)

  Boulanger, Nadia (i) n66, (ii), (iii) n88, (iv) n71, (v), (vi) n123, (vii), (viii), (ix), (x) n146, (xi), (xii), (xiii) n76, (xiv), (xv), (xvi) n101, (xvii) n150, (xviii) n176, (xix)

  Boulez, Pierre (i), (ii), (iii) n74, (iv), (v) n142, (vi) n42

  Polyphonie X (i)

  Boult, Adrian (i), (ii)

  Bourke-White, Margaret (i), (ii), (iii)

  Bowles, Paul (often “Pfb”) (i), (ii) n74, (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x), (xi), (xii) n85, (xiii), (xiv), (xv), (xvi), (xvii), (xviii), (xix), (xx), (xxi), (xxii), (xxiii), (xxiv), (xxv) n11, (xxvi) n33, (xxvii) n102, (xxviii) n36

  Wind Remains, The (i), (ii) n88, (iii) n101

  Boy Scouts of America (i)

  Braggiotti, Mario (i)

  Brahms, Johannes (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v) n28, (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix) n151, (x) n23, (xi)

  Double Concerto (i), (ii)

  Haydn Variations (i)

  Piano Concerto No. 1 (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) n59, (v)

  Piano Concerto No. 2 (i), (ii), (iii) n46

  Symphony No. 1 (i), (ii) n27, (iii) n69, (iv)

  Symphony No. 2 (i)

  Symphony No. 3 (i)

  Brain, Dennis (“Brahan”) (i)

  Braly, Kristin (i)

  Brandeis University (i) n83, (ii) n11, (iii), (iv), (v) n62, (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix)

  Brando, Marlon (i) n142, (ii) n80, (iii) n105, (iv), (v)

  Braslavsky, Solomon (i), (ii) n66, (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)

  Brennan, Charles D. (i)

  Brennan, Walter (i) n62, (ii)

  Britten, Benjamin (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii) n55, (viii) n68, (ix), (x) n133, (xi), (xii), (xiii), (xiv) n152, (xv), (xvi), (xvii), (xviii) n42

  Cantata misericordium (i)

  Paul Bunyan (i) n107, (ii) n108

  Peter Grimes (i) n107, (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  Rape of Lucretia, The (i), (ii) n55

  Rejoice in the Lamb (i) n116

  Sinfonia da Requiem (i)

  Violin Concerto (i) n53, (ii)

  Broder Jane (i)

  Broder, Na
than (i)

  Brooklyn Philanthropic League (i)

  Brooks, David (i)

  Brown, Earle (i) n109, (ii)

  Brown, Kay (i)

  Bruckner, Anton (i), (ii)

  Burgin, Richard (i)

  Burk, John N. (i)

  Burke, Johnny (i)

  Burns, John Horne (i) n109

  Gallery, The (i)

  Burr, Aaron (i)

  Burrell, John (i), (ii)

  Burrows, Abe (i) n43

  Burton, Humphrey (i), (ii) n130, (iii) n151, (iv), (v), (vi) n57, (vii)

  Busoni, Ferruccio (i) n10, (ii)

  Byrns, Harold (i), (ii)

  Cadman, Charles Wakefield (i)

  Caesar, Irving (i)

  Cage, John (i) n79, (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) n112, (vii)

  Cahn, Judah (i)

  Cain, James M. (i), (ii), (iii) n114, (iv), (v)

  Double Indemnity (i) n114

  Mildred Pierce (i) n114

  Postman Always Rings Twice, The (i) n114

  Serenade (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) n119, (v), (vi)

  Calder, Alexander (i), (ii)

  Calin, Mickey (i), (ii)

  Callas, Maria (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) n149

  Camp Onota (i), (ii), (iii) n43, (iv) n168, (v), (vi), (vii)

  Campbell-Watson, Frank (i), (ii) n8

  Can-Can (musical) (i), (ii) n54

  Carnival in Flanders (musical) (i)

  Carousel (musical) (i), (ii), (iii) n150

  Carreño, Teresa (i)

  Carter, Elliott (i) n79, (ii), (iii)

  Concerto for Orchestra (i)

  Carter, Jimmy (i)

  Carter, Rosalynn (i)

  Casafuerte, Marquise Yvonne de la (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Chadwick, George Whitfield (i)

  Chagall, Marc (i) n116

  Chapin, Schuyler (i)

  Chaplin, Charlie (i)

  Chaplin, Ethel (née Ethel Schwartz) (i)

  Chaplin, Saul (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) n82, (vii) n83

  Charnin, Martin (i)

  Chasins, Abram (i)

  Chausson, Ernest (i)

  Chavchavadze, Prince George (i)

  Chávez, Carlos (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)

  Sinfonia India (i), (ii)

  Chavez, Quita (i)

  Cherubini, Luigi (i) n149

  Medea (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v) n149

  Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Civil Rights Congress (i)

  Claman, Julian (i)

  Clark, Anne Gibson (i)

  Cliburn, Van (i)

  Clooney, Rosemary (i)