Post by erik on Aug 8, 2020 17:44:39 GMT -5
Leonard Bernstein's only actual stand-alone contribution to the realm of film scoring became a hugely popular symphonic suite; and it is that suite which is in this week's Classical Works Spotlight.
Leonard Bernstein: ON THE WATERFRONT (SYMPHONIC SUITE)
While Leonard Bernstein had always wanted to be known as much as a composer as he was a conductor, he became a superstar because of an extremely fortunate (for him) accident. In the fall of 1943, at the mere age of 25, he was deputized by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra’s music director of the time, Artur Rodzinski, to fill in for an ailing Bruno Walter in a program featuring Robert Schumann’s Manfred Overture and Richard Strauss’ “Don Quixote”. Pretty soon, he was asked to conduct Leopold Stokowski’s New York City Symphony, and then in 1947, “Lenny” began a long-term association with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (then known as the Palestine Symphony Orchestra). His reputation grew exponentially in the 1950s, to the point where he was even pulled into Hollywood. In 1954, he was commissioned by the legendary director Elia Kazan to do the score for the taut crime film On The Waterfront. With a screenplay by Budd Schulberg, the movie starred Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, and Rod Steiger in a story of crime infiltrating the union that operates the waterfront in New York Harbor. Kazan is said to have made the film as a response to those friends of his who raked him over the coals for naming names before the House Un-American Activities Committee; and because of this, On The Waterfront remains a somewhat contentious film, though much of that contention wore off by the late 1960s. Bernstein, however, wasn’t exactly thrilled with the way Kazan utilized the score that he wrote; and in part because of this, On The Waterfront remains his only motion picture score (though he got an Oscar nomination for this). However, Bernstein did fashion a symphonic suite from the score that he premiered in 1962 with the New York Philharmonic, where he had been music director for five years, and would remain there until 1971 (though he remained Conductor Emeritus until his death in October 1990). That score, undoubtedly due in part to the popularity of the suite Bernstein fashioned from it, was listed by the American Film Institute as #22 on its list of the 100 Best Motion Picture Scores of All Time.
New York Philharmonic Orchestra/LEONARD BERNSTEIN (CBS)
Included:
OVERTURE TO “CANDIDE”
SYMPHONIC DANCES FROM “WEST SIDE STORY”
FANCY FREE
Leonard Bernstein: ON THE WATERFRONT (SYMPHONIC SUITE)
While Leonard Bernstein had always wanted to be known as much as a composer as he was a conductor, he became a superstar because of an extremely fortunate (for him) accident. In the fall of 1943, at the mere age of 25, he was deputized by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra’s music director of the time, Artur Rodzinski, to fill in for an ailing Bruno Walter in a program featuring Robert Schumann’s Manfred Overture and Richard Strauss’ “Don Quixote”. Pretty soon, he was asked to conduct Leopold Stokowski’s New York City Symphony, and then in 1947, “Lenny” began a long-term association with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (then known as the Palestine Symphony Orchestra). His reputation grew exponentially in the 1950s, to the point where he was even pulled into Hollywood. In 1954, he was commissioned by the legendary director Elia Kazan to do the score for the taut crime film On The Waterfront. With a screenplay by Budd Schulberg, the movie starred Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, and Rod Steiger in a story of crime infiltrating the union that operates the waterfront in New York Harbor. Kazan is said to have made the film as a response to those friends of his who raked him over the coals for naming names before the House Un-American Activities Committee; and because of this, On The Waterfront remains a somewhat contentious film, though much of that contention wore off by the late 1960s. Bernstein, however, wasn’t exactly thrilled with the way Kazan utilized the score that he wrote; and in part because of this, On The Waterfront remains his only motion picture score (though he got an Oscar nomination for this). However, Bernstein did fashion a symphonic suite from the score that he premiered in 1962 with the New York Philharmonic, where he had been music director for five years, and would remain there until 1971 (though he remained Conductor Emeritus until his death in October 1990). That score, undoubtedly due in part to the popularity of the suite Bernstein fashioned from it, was listed by the American Film Institute as #22 on its list of the 100 Best Motion Picture Scores of All Time.
New York Philharmonic Orchestra/LEONARD BERNSTEIN (CBS)
Included:
OVERTURE TO “CANDIDE”
SYMPHONIC DANCES FROM “WEST SIDE STORY”
FANCY FREE
