Leonard Bernstein
25. 08. 2015 г. On this day Leonard Bernstein was born. He was a superb conductor, pianist, composer and populariser of music who defended in his articles and books the idea of the equality of classical and “light” music, as well as a simply special and bright creative personality. I am interested primarily by Bernstein the composer, the author of several musicals (one of which, it seems, gave the composer a ticket to immortality), other compositions for musical theatre and several large symphonic works. He even tried his hand at opera; this effort, however, was not very successful....
Should public opinion worry a composer?
It seemed to me from childhood that the answer to this question was obvious. Listeners are strangers, each with his or her own inner world; the composer talks to them through his or her music, and if he or she finds the right “words”, between him or her and these people, these worlds, a little bridge of trust and mutual understanding appears. They become closer to the composer, and the composer to them, even if that only is as long as the music plays. And how can a person not be worried by the opinion of close people about what he or she does? But, surprisingly enough, the answer to this...
