Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
June 18, 2011
Introduction to art, music and literature
Professor Terry Hammons
Final Exam
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein was born as Louis Bernstein in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He was the son of Ukrainian Jewish parents who were Jennie and Samuel Joseph Bernstein; His father was a supplies wholesaler from Rovno, which is now Ukraine. Despite of his family name, he was not related to film composer Elmer Bernstein. His family spent summers on vacation at their home in Sharon, Massachusetts. His grandmother insisted that his first name be Louis, but his parents always like Leonard, so that’s what they called him. He officially changed his name to Leonard when he was fifteen, shortly after his grandmother’s death.
His father was a businessman and owner of a bookstore in downtown Lawrence; it is standing today on the corners of Amesbury and Essex streets. His father initially opposed Leonard’s interest in music when his was young, but in spite of this, when Leonard was a teenager, his father took him to orchestra concerts and eventually began to support his music education. Bernstein was very young we he started listening to piano performances; he was immediately captivated; he subsequently began learning piano seriously when the family acquired his cousin’s piano. When he was a child, he attended the Garrison Grammar School and Boston Latin School. He was very close to his sister when he was a child, and would often play entire operas or Beethoven symphonies with her at the piano. He had a variety of piano teachers when his was young including Helen Coates, who would later become his secretary.
He graduated in 1935 from Boston Latin School, and attended Harvard University, where he studied music. One of his friends at Harvard was philosopher Donald Davidson, with whom he played piano four hands. Bernstein wrote ad conducted the musical score for the production Davidson mounted of Aristophanes’
June 18, 2011
Introduction to art, music and literature
Professor Terry Hammons
Final Exam
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein was born as Louis Bernstein in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He was the son of Ukrainian Jewish parents who were Jennie and Samuel Joseph Bernstein; His father was a supplies wholesaler from Rovno, which is now Ukraine. Despite of his family name, he was not related to film composer Elmer Bernstein. His family spent summers on vacation at their home in Sharon, Massachusetts. His grandmother insisted that his first name be Louis, but his parents always like Leonard, so that’s what they called him. He officially changed his name to Leonard when he was fifteen, shortly after his grandmother’s death.
His father was a businessman and owner of a bookstore in downtown Lawrence; it is standing today on the corners of Amesbury and Essex streets. His father initially opposed Leonard’s interest in music when his was young, but in spite of this, when Leonard was a teenager, his father took him to orchestra concerts and eventually began to support his music education. Bernstein was very young we he started listening to piano performances; he was immediately captivated; he subsequently began learning piano seriously when the family acquired his cousin’s piano. When he was a child, he attended the Garrison Grammar School and Boston Latin School. He was very close to his sister when he was a child, and would often play entire operas or Beethoven symphonies with her at the piano. He had a variety of piano teachers when his was young including Helen Coates, who would later become his secretary.
He graduated in 1935 from Boston Latin School, and attended Harvard University, where he studied music. One of his friends at Harvard was philosopher Donald Davidson, with whom he played piano four hands. Bernstein wrote ad conducted the musical score for the production Davidson mounted of Aristophanes’
References: Bernstein, Leonard (1993-reprinting) [1982]. Findings. New York: Anchor Books. ISBN 03854247X. Bernstein, Leonard. [1976] The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard (http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/BERUNX.html) , Harvard University Press