BERNSTEIN, Leonard
b Lawrence, Massachusetts, 25 August 1918
d 14 October 1990, New York USA aged seventy two

He studied music and piano privately before going to Harvard, where he studied under Piston and soon displayed extraordinary musical abilities. He graduated in 1939 and went on to the Curtis Institute, studying conducting, orchestration and piano. Scholarships then enabled him to attend the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood in 1940 and 1941, where he became Koussevitsky's special protege. He was made Koussevitsky's assistant at Tanglewood in 1942 and the following year was appointed assistant conductor to Rodzinski with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1943 he was a sensational success when he substituted for Bruno Walter at short notice. In 1945 he began a three-year directorship of the New York City Symphony Orchestra; from 1951 to 1955 he was head of orchestra and conducting departments at Tanglewood, and in 1958 he became musical director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, holding this post for eleven years, and being given the honour by that orchestra in 1969 of Laureate Conductor for life.
1937 (19)
Pianoforte Trio
Music for two pianos
1938 (20)
Piano Sonata
Music for the Dance, No 1
Music for the Dance, No 2
The Birds, incidental music
1939 (21)
Scenes from the City of Sin, for piano (four hands)
1940 (22)
The Peace, incidental music
Sonata for violin and piano
Four Studies for two clarinets, three bassoons and piano
1942 (24)
Sonata for clarinet and piano
Symphony No 1, Jeremiah
1943 (25)
Seven Anniversaries, for piano
'I Hate Music', a cycle of five kid songs for soprano and piano
1944 (26)
Fancy Free, ballet and suite
On the Town, musical comedy and three dance episodes
1945 (27)
Hashkivenu, for cantorial solo (tenor), SATB choir and organ
Afterthought, for voice and piano
1946 (28)
Facsimile, ballet and choreographic essay
1947 (29)
La Bonne Cuisine, four recipes for voice and piano
Simchu na, for chorus and orchestra/piano
Reena, for chorus and orchestra
1948 (30)
Brass Music
Four Anniversaries, for piano
1949 (31)
Two Love Songs (Rilke), for voice and piano
Symphony No 2, for piano and orchestra, The Age of Anxiety
Prelude, Fugue and Riffs, for solo clarinet and jazz ensemble
1950 (32)
Peter Pan, incidental music
Yigdal, for chorus and piano
Trouble in Tahiti, opera in one act
1951 (33)
Five Anniversaries, for piano
Silhouette (Galilee), for voice and piano 1
953 (35)
Wonderful Town, musical comedy
1954 (36)
Serenade (after Plato's 'Symposium'), for solo violin, string orchestra, harp and percussion
On the Waterfront, film score and suite
1955 (37)
The Lark, French and Latin choruses
'Get Help!', marching song
Salome, incidental music
1956 (38)
Candide, comic operetta and overture
1957 (39)
Harvard Choruses
West Side Story, musical and symphonic dances
1958 (40)
The Firstborn, incidental music
1961 (43)
Fanfares, for orchestral ensembles
1963 (45)
Symphony No 3, for orchestra, mixed chorus, boys' choir, speaker and soprano solo, Kaddish
1965 (47)
Chichester Psalms, for mixed choir, boy soloist and orchestra
1968 (50)
So Pretty, for voice and piano
1969 (51)
Shivaree, for double brass ensemble and percussion
1970 (52)
Warm-up, a round for mixed chorus
1971 (53)
Mass, a theatre piece for singers, players and dancers
Two Meditations from Mass, for violoncello and piano
1973 (55)
A Little Norton Lecture, for male chorus
1974 (56)
Dybbuk, ballet and suites
1975 (57)
By Bernstein, a revue
1976 (58)
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, a musical about the problems of housekeeping
1977 (59)
Three Meditations from Mass, for violoncello and orchestra
Songfest, a cycle of American poems for six singers and orchestra
Slava!, overture for orchestra band
CBS Music
1980 (62)
Divertimento for orchestra
A Musical Toast, for orchestra
Touches, for piano
1981 (63)
Halil, for flute and orchestra
1982 4 (64)
A Quiet Place and Trouble in Tahiti, opera