Providing yet another aspect to his multifaceted persona, Bernstein was also involved with numerous civil liberties and humanitarian concerns throughout his life. Additionally, he delivered numerous lectures at universities and conservatories. He appeared in trailblazing television programs of his own writing, and was an inspiring teacher. He wore many hats: in addition to his work as a composer, conductor, pianist – and recording artist in all three of these roles – he was also the author of numerous books and essays. There have been very few figures in the arts who have been as well-rounded as Leonard Bernstein. He felt equally compelled to talk about music – to try and explain what made it tick, and how it made him tick what made it good, and what made it affect us in the many different ways that it does. Luckily for all of us, it wasn’t enough for Leonard Bernstein to compose music and conduct orchestras. To say he was a true Renaissance man is really an understatement. And what he loved most was to communicate his excitement to others. Or the day after the first presidential debates, you buy all the newspapers, nearly salivating with anticipation at reading all the spin.īernstein just could not absorb enough information on the things that interested him. Or maybe you just settled into your train seat with a big, juicy article in a magazine about your all-time favorite sports hero or movie star. Maybe you were researching a subject you were intensely interested in, and came across a document that went right to the heart of your thesis. There’s a Hebrew phrase that makes me think of my father: Torah Lishmah, he said, which means, loosely translated, “a raging thirst for knowledge.” I’m sure you’ve all had that feeling. Leonard Bernstein was a man of many accomplishments, but he was proudest of his own achievements as a teacher. Leonard Bernstein was born on August 25, 1918, to Jennie (née Charna Resnick) and Samuel Joseph (Shmuel Yosef) Bernstein, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Printed copies of The Clarinet are available for ICA members. Originally published in The Clarinet 46/1 (December 2018).
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