Synopses & Reviews
Leonard Bernstein stood at the very center of twentieth-century American musical life. His creative gifts knew no boundaries as he moved easily from classical orchestral works to Broadway music to film scores. In this new biography by Allen Shawn, himself a highly respected composer and author, Bernstein emerges as an irrepressible iconoclast exploring every corner of the contemporary musical landscape, from symphonies to pop.To the public he seemed brash, dynamic, charming, and at times, more than a bit eccentric. He was a celebrity who enjoyed the spotlight while struggling privately with insecurities and an insatiable inner need to continually explore and evolve.
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Unlike previous biographies dealing with the man and his music, Allenand#8217;s book accords equal weight and importance to all of Bernsteinand#8217;s musical creations, whether he was composing for the concert hall or the Broadway stage. For the first time, the composerand#8217;s life and work receive a fully integrated analysis, offering a comprehensive appreciation of a multi-faceted musical genius who continued to grow as an artist well into his final days.
Review
andquot;I canand#39;t imagine a better biography of Leonard Bernstein. His intensity, complexity, and personal charm come across fully; so do his manifest importance to twentieth-century American culture and his intimate relation to the music he produced. Bravo!andquot;andmdash;Wendy Lesser
Review
andquot;A few luscious slices from the massive cake that was the life of the great pianist, composer, conductor and public personality. . . . A nearly impossible task, recording this lush life, but Shawn helps us comprehend the magic.andquot;andmdash;Kirkus Reviews
Review
andquot;An engrossing portrait of a giftedandmdash;and conflictedandmdash;man.andquot;andmdash;Jerusalem Post
Review
and#39;There were, and are, critics who believe that Bernsteinandrsquo;s facility and fecundity was merely dilettantism. Allen Shawnandrsquo;s suave new biography hopes to give them pause.and#39;andmdash;Christopher Bray,
The SpectatorReview
andquot;Allen Shawnandrsquo;s moving, discerning book examines what made and#39;Lennyand#39; the envy of both classical and Broadway composers. Craving attention both on the podium and off, and#39;he may have been an inveterate show-off at a party, but on paper he was precise and serious.and#39; Shawnandrsquo;s musical analyses vie with his chronicling of Bernsteinandrsquo;s eclecticism: his progressive politics, teaching ability, sexual conflicts, insecurities and remarkable circle of friends.andquot;andmdash;Norwalk Hour
Review
andldquo;A composer and pianist himself, [Shawn] shares Bernsteinandrsquo;s contempt for the high-/low-culture debate. Admire Bernsteinandrsquo;s symphonies and choral works though he does, he knows that most of Bernsteinandrsquo;s best work was written for Broadway andmdash; and that the best of Broadway is up there with Britten and Brahms . . . Shawnandrsquo;s analysis should convince even the stuffiest aesthete that [West Side Storyandrsquo;s] mash-up of classical melodies with jazz rhythms and Schoenbergian dissonance wasnandrsquo;t just new andmdash; it will be new forever.andrdquo;andmdash;Spectator
Review
andquot;Shawn draws all these aspects of Bernstein into a full-scale and attractive human portrait, and an equally full-scale portrait of Bernsteinandrsquo;s music. With his knowledgeable analysis of Bernsteinandrsquo;s vast output, Shawn sends readers rushing back to listen, whether to West Side Story, Kaddish, Candide, or any number of other works. Well-paced and highly readable, Leonard Bernstein brings alive both the man and his music.andquot;andmdash;Maron L. Waxman, Jewish Book Council
Synopsis
A fresh appreciation of Americaand#8217;s most famous composer, his complete works, and his public and private personas
Synopsis
A fresh appreciation of the great musical figure that gives him his due as composer as well as conductor
Leonard Bernstein stood at the epicenter of twentieth-century American musical life. His creative gifts knew no boundaries as he moved easily from the podium, to the piano, to television with his nationally celebrated Young People s Concerts, which introduced an entire generation to the joy of classical music. In this fascinating new biography, the breadth of Bernstein s musical composition is explored, through the spectacular range of music he composed from West Side Story to Kaddishto A Quiet Placeand beyond and through his intensely public role as an internationally celebrated conductor.For the first time, the composer s life and work receive a fully integrated analysis, offering a comprehensive appreciation of a multi-faceted musician who continued to grow as an artist well into his final days.
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Synopsis
From the prizewinning Jewish Lives series, a fresh appreciation of the great musical figure that gives him his due as composer as well as conductor "Luscious slices from the massive cake that was the life of the great pianist, composer, conductor and public personality."--Kirkus Reviews
"Excellent."--David Denby, New Yorker
Leonard Bernstein stood at the epicenter of twentieth-century American musical life. His creative gifts knew no boundaries as he moved easily from the podium, to the piano, to television with his nationally celebrated Young People's Concerts, which introduced an entire generation to the joy of classical music. In this fascinating new biography, the breadth of Bernstein's musical composition is explored, through the spectacular range of music he composed--from West Side Story to Kaddish to A Quiet Place and beyond--and through his intensely public role as an internationally celebrated conductor. For the first time, the composer's life and work receive a fully integrated analysis, offering a comprehensive appreciation of a multi-faceted musician who continued to grow as an artist well into his final days.
About Jewish Lives:
Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present.
In 2014, the Jewish Book Council named Jewish Lives the winner of its Jewish Book of the Year Award, the first series ever to receive this award.
More praise for Jewish Lives:
"Excellent" -New York Times
"Exemplary" -Wall Street Journal
"Distinguished" -New Yorker
"Superb" -The Guardian
Synopsis
A fresh appreciation of the great musical figure that gives him his due as composer as well as conductor
Synopsis
Leonard Bernstein stood at the epicenter of twentieth-century American musical life. His creative gifts knew no boundaries as he moved easily from the podium, to the piano, to television with his nationally celebrated Young Peopleandrsquo;s Concerts, which introduced an entire generation to the joy of classical music. In this fascinating new biography, the breadth of Bernsteinandrsquo;s musical composition is explored, through the spectacular range of music he composedandmdash;from
West Side Story to
Kaddishand#160;to
A Quiet Placeand#160;and beyondandmdash;and through his intensely public role as an internationally celebrated conductor.and#160;For the first time, the composerandrsquo;s life and work receive a fully integrated analysis, offering a comprehensive appreciation of a multi-faceted musician who continued to grow as an artist well into his final days.
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About the Author
Allen Shawn is a composer, pianist, educator, and author who lives in Vermont and teaches composition and music history at Bennington College. His previous books include
Arnold Schoenberg's Journey and
Twin: A Memoir.
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