An Intimate Look at Leonard Bernstein

To discover or re-discover the extraordinary gestures and expressions of Leonard Bernstein www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJT_ZRXQTyY

Many people said that Bernstein was a ham. Perhaps because he was so charismatic. I recall his television lectures on classical music: they introduced me to a life of listening to symphonic and operatic music. The first record of classical music I ever bought (1970) was his recording of Beethoven's Eroica Symphony (Columbia Records). When he died in 1990, I was crushed. I felt that I knew him. Is that what a genius can do?

Bernstein was a giant among men. I judge him as an artist, not as a man. What he did for music in America and in the world transcends whatever flaws he may have had as a man. He made the music world recognize Mahler. He wrote some of the most memorable compositions of any American composer.

As a youngster in Chicago in the 50s and 60s Leonard Bernstein was about as real as the Easter Bunny to me. I knew of him, saw him on tv occasionally, but otherwise he was someplace on Mars to me. Decades later I'm far more acquainted with him, or at least his legend and works. But my big point is this: This is what strong photography is supposed to do. Whether by Gene Smith, Gordon Parks, Bruce Davidson, or Joey the Schmoe. This amalgamation of strong LB images into a single momentary body of work is superb.

@ Richard M. Braun The megalomania, narcissism and stamping were indeed there, but one doesn't have to deal with any of that; just put on a CD or LP and listen to the music. The evidence remains as to why the music world put up with his persona.

Interesting photography; looks-wise, he seems to have gone from Danny Kay (first shot) to Leslie Moonves (last).

When I was a child in the 1960s, my grandmother took me to a Young Person's concert in which Bernstein conducted, and taught, Peter and the Wolf. We were seated in the front row, center. At the end, he walked to the edge of the stage, which was quite close to the row, knelt down, and reached his hand out for me to shake. It was electrifying for a six-year old. He could be everything a genius is: self-absorbed, difficult, dramatic. But he loved children and what music could mean for them.

Bernstein is everything great music is supposed to be - gorgeous, transcendent, difficult and emotive. The classical world hasn’t seen anyone like him since.

Moving. I became a musician not long after he passed and will forever regret not having seen him conduct. His passion lives on.

Extraordinary! Beautiful! Inspiring! I can hear the music! Thank you NY Times!

lenny was, as we all know, great, and more inspiring than that.

one of my memories of growing up friendly with a musical prodigy, John D'earth, is of one afternoon in the early sixties with West Side Story on the stereo and with regular table knives in our hands, we did a ballet/knife fight kind of dance. i can also remember my mother excitedly plunking us down for the Young People's concerts on tv. the maestro was an early presence in my life. I read jamie bernstein's book last week and didn't want it to end. i'm going to have to look into this one too.

This seems to be an interesting book; certainly the topic is interesting. I'm glad these photos were kept and are now available to us all. Those who missed seeing and hearing Maestro Bernstein conduct are the poorer for that. His performances have not been excelled by any other. Although his critics denigrated his conducting as 'dancing', he did get unparalleled results and often one walked out of the concert hall feeling as if they had truly been on a journey with him and whichever orchestra he had just conducted. He remains my favorite conductor and I know he inspired many a person, myself included, to view classical music as something for all to savor. It is an unfortunate there aren't more Leonard Bernsteins around nowadays. If there were, there would more young people in concert attendance and not the graying heads overwhelmingly populating the audience.

Lovely photos of a lovely man.

I wish I could admire him, but it's impossible. His megalomania and narcissism was suffocating. And then there was the stamping on the podium. Just insufferable.