Brief Comparison Of Louis Bernstein's Life And Work

Louis Bernstein was born on August 25, 1918 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He was known to family members as Leonard or Lenny. He officially changed his first name to Leonard at the age of sixteen. At the age of 10, Leonard played his first piano. Leonard became interested in taking lessons however, his father refused to pay for lessons. His determination motivated him to raise a small pot of money for his lessons. He did not need much practice and his father became impressed. For his bar mitzvah, his father bought him a baby grand piano. He attended Boston Latin School and met his mentor, Helen Coates. After graduation, he entered Harvard University where he studied music theory with Arthur Tillman and counterpoint with Walter Piston. While attending
His career soon blossomed when he was asked to substitute for the conductor Bruno Walter during his illness. This performance led to a front page article in The New York Times. He led the Philharmonic eleven times by the end of the season. From 1945 to 1947, Bernstein conducted the New York City Center orchestra and appeared as a guest conductor in the United States, Europe, and Israel. Rumors about his sexuality began to become a major issue. His lifelong mentor Mitropoulos advised him to find a partner and get married to stop these speculations. He married the Chilean actress and pianist Felicia Cohn Montealgre. Trouble in Tahiti was written in 1951 and its sequel, A Quiet Place. Trouble in Tahiti was a “forty-five minute two-character chamber piece about a bored, upper-middle-class couple.” (Biography Editors). The sequel was collaborated with choreographer Jerome Robbins. Leonard was the first American-born citizen to hold the position of conductor and musical director for the New York Philharmonic. His reputation held many titles such as a commentator, conductor, pianist, and entertainer. He founded the Creative Arts Festival at Brandeis University in 1952. He was