The Leonard Bernstein Letters (78 page)

Dear Lenny, Dearest Friend,

I really ask you to forgive me for my silence, especially after your so generous and wonderful visit to me at the hospital, followed by your nice thoughtful gift of Gauloises cigarettes, which, it goes without saying, I enjoyed to the utmost!

What made me especially happy was to think and see that I mean something to you. Besides that, I want to assure you that your wonderful and justified development in the artistic musical world is the best gratification for me since the time I first met you in Boston. I remember in one certain instance when I told you, just like a prophet, that you are the
élu
, and certainly at that time I could not even foresee what happened, today.

So God bless you, dear friend, and keep on progressing, without paying any attention to criticism – and certainly you know as well as I that the higher you go, the more you will be criticized.

With many affectionate regards,

Dimitri
⁶⁴

Dear Solly,

The three scores I've received look lovely (though I'm in no shape this summer to look at them microscopically). I wait in dread for the new version of the Prologue!
⁶⁶

I hear it's all getting VERY expensive. That's life in Hollyburg. If it's not expensive, how can it be good? […]

Much love,

Lenny

Dearest A,

A greatly belated welcome home! And the fact that I think of you every day, and often twice a day, does not compensate for not having written you. But then, you haven't written me either (except: loved your cable about the
Hurricane
).

But today I must write, because last night I heard the test-pressing of the
2nd Hurricane
recording which will be out in time for your birthday. It's badly engineered in places, especially when there is choral complexity (the voices are too distant and unclear, the orch. is too present) – but in general I think you'll be delighted. Of course, it's similar to the TV version, with me narrating, preserving a line or two of dialogue here & there, & cutting Fat's Song plus 2 other small cuts. But mainly I'm writing because I'm so impressed all over again with the music. It is lovely & endlessly fresh: neither the simplicity nor the grandeur stales. Felicia loves it; Jamie & Alexander sing it marvelously by the yard. I hope you like it; it will be our November release on Columbia, along with
Billy
&
Rodeo
, making a delightful, gay (though costly) birthday package!

And à propos birthday. The Pension Fund concert I had planned for your birthday in Carnegie Hall is off, alas; too complicated to get all the participants I wanted (Ormandy, etc.), & perhaps not the right note for Pension Fund events.
But
, I have a better idea, which is something nobody else can do for your
60th, and that is to make a whole TV show for the kids (the Shell series, originating in Carnegie) on the subject of the Venerable Giggling Dean.

Imagine, Judge-Nose for one hour, coast-to-coast! This will happen on the 12th November (Sat.) at noon in Carnegie Hall, & probably be telecast the following day, Sunday afternoon. I want you to participate, do you hear?! Either to conduct a piece, or play the piano, or maybe narrate the Lincoln piece, or maybe conduct same with me narrating. In any case it should be fun. Please say you'll do it, & that there aren't sixty other conflicting homages on the same day.

A couple of weeks ago I watched & heard you conduct the BSO for 90 minutes on WGBH-TV, and it was a joy. Man, you've improved incredibly! Clarity, meaningfulness of beat, ass not extruding. Only problem: die head too much in die score. You must to know die Musik better (or at least trust yourself more). But the big thrill was hearing the Symph #1 again – what a scherzo! And I had real pleasure out of your colloquy with Walter P[iston]. Even the Diamond
Rounds
sounded good! Want to succeed me at the Philh.?

I long to see you, & hear about your phenomenal travels. Any significant liaisons? When will we ever meet again?

I sorely miss T'wood also. My love to it, & its inmates. Me, I haven't written a note.

Much love,

L

Dear Lensk,

A big pleasure to get your letter. On my one day in N.Y. before coming here I had Roger Englander show me the
2nd H
[
urricane
]. That was a big pleasure too – a revival only you could have made so moving. I hope the recording is as good. (Only one reproach: you didn't mention Edwin [Denby]'s name as collaborator.) Goddard had written me about the birthday package and I'm pleased as punch about that
too
. (He's also bringing out [William] Masselos' performance of the
Piano Fantasy
which I want you to hear – performance is
superb
, I think.)

About the TV – Nov. 12; of course I'll do anything you like. Whatever else happens it will give us a reason to “confer”, i.e., see each other for a change! The only thing I don't want is to be presented as “grandpa for the kiddies.” One item you might consider is a selection of songs from the
Old American Songs
. I did them with The Little Orchestra and W[illia]m Warfield 2 years ago. Warfield does them wonderfully and the orchestral versions are fun-things. (You might show the kids the original versions of the songs I worked with.) If you have a quintet of singers the “Promise of Living” from
The Tender Land
works fine. (Or
that and the Square Dance can be performed in the choral version with orch.) Etc. Etc … The hard thing will be to illustrate my “tougher” side, no?

The idea of
you
watching me conduct for 90 min. struck terror … After 8 performances of the Symph #1 on tour I think I can trust myself to peek outside “die score”! Anyway I've been getting lots of conducting practice: in 3 months I've had concerts with 7 different orchestras.

We need you in Tanglewood – but badly. That's a whole chapter by itself. Our summer is enlivened by Luciano Berio who is guest composer and has stirred things up considerably. But otherwise, routine reigns. Too bad …

Aside from music, I had a lovely time in London and in Tokio. The only thing I didn't do was write music, hélas!

Love to you always,

Aaron

Darling,

Just a quickie:

We've arrived
⁶⁷
into a glorious kind of Pacific autumn here, with marvelous light over the sound, snow-capped peaks all around, and really
cool
air. I'm ensconced in this palatial suite at the University, where it is said Queen Eliz. was impregnated. Probably a canard.
⁶⁸
Anyway I'm sleeping in her bed.

Denver was marvelous.
⁶⁹
Now begins the piano nightmare. (You told me so, I know.)
⁷⁰
And I still can't memorize the Bartók or
Daphnis
.
⁷¹
Paresis.

All is well, the back is great so far, and the press conferences are enormous & ghastly. I've just written David K[eiser]
⁷²
at length, offering myself for a long period on the opening–closing basis of the coming season. OK? Call you from Seattle.

All my love, my darling,

L

Dear Aa,

Loved your letter. First instant to catch up: two weeks gone out of seven, seems like two years – much work, but also glorious fun. All record-breaking crowds, and screaming ones at that. Like Russia. And Hawaii – now there's a chapter. Just arrived from there last night, utterly spent. Mon dieu, quelle beauté!

San Fran is all gold and blue, & teeming.

I think your idea of the
American Songs
is great. But we must be careful not to do too much stuff out of repertoire: there's so little rehearsal time, and you know how it's jammed into the busy week. But I'm sure we can swing some of the songs (& maybe an Emily [Dickinson] one too – hein?) and mebbe your tougher side through the Variations, which I could show at the piano first. Then perhaps the scherzo of the 3rd Symph, and finally a pop thing like
Rodeo
or
Lincoln
. How would you like to participate – that is, in what capacity? Conductor or speaker in
Lincoln
or pianist or speechifier? Don't bother answering; just mull, & we'll confer when I get home. There's time.

Much love, I miss you.

Lenny

26 Aug 60 (I'm 42!!!)

PS. About Edwin:
⁷³
There were supposed to be big credits on the screen about his authorship, which were cut for time reasons. I couldn't really mention him, since we didn't do the play. But I had him invited to the event, in the hopes that I could have him stand up for a bow, but he didn't show. In any case, I had a sweet & very thankful telegram from him after the show. (The recording is poorly engineered – diction, etc. obscure. Alas.)

Dear Mr. Bernstein,

Just saw
West Side Story
for the first time – here in London – and it's a tremendous show! I am “up” for the voice dubbing for the picture they
are making at Goldwyn – for Maria's singing voice. Can you help me in any way there? Would certainly appreciate anything you think you can do to help.
⁷⁵

Hoping you are well, and I understand we might get together for another fling at Pierre Boulez next March. Hope so!

I'm at present vacationing with my husband [Ernest Gold] – who just completed the score for
Exodus
and we've been in London for a while & now we will travel on the continent for a while before going back to Hollywood.

Ah – have you ever been on vacation? I suspect you haven't found the time for years now. It's wonderful!

Sincerely,

Marni Nixon

Dear Solly,

Between Dixie and Berlin I send urgent pleas to consider rerecording some of the tracks I heard in Hollywood. Cool, Mambo and Jet Song are OK although slowish but America is much too slow and Rumble dies of Adagio. Also rhythms wrong at end of Something's Coming. Prologue of course is impossible and embarrassing. Johnny [Green] know[s] of feelings. Please try to redo and correct as much as possible.

Love,

Lenny

My dearly beloved Nadia,

I am so happy that you have accepted our invitation!
⁷⁶
Not only will your visit give great musical joy to a large public, but enormous personal joy to all of us who for so long have regarded you as the unique and adorable person you are.

Don't you think it would be marvelous to play something of one or two of your former pupils?

I look forward to seeing you with keen anticipation; and I was deeply moved by your beautiful letter.

Always,

Lenny (Bernstein)

Joyeux Noël!

Carissimo,

West Side Story
score arrived and I am having a great time with it. Love it more and more. I am
proud
to do it!! But
when
can I get the definitive (final) version? And when is that one and only rehearsal?
⁷⁷

I am anticipating yet another Bernstein feast – on Saturday eve. May 20th. Ojai Festival.
⁷⁸
Don't know if you know about the Festival. It's famous around here. Stravinsky did
Les Noces
and other works one spring, Copland conducted it another. This year it's mine. I am doing away with the large orchestra which makes for too skimpy rehearsal time, on the meager budget. I am using never more than 30 players, but the best in Los Angeles. Anyway, on that Saturday, the program – my pride and joy – will be:

I think that's a gem of a program. The shift from non-jazz to jazz back to non-jazz is subtle and meaningful thanks to your music and its enormous jazz–non-jazz range. Incidentally André and Shelly offered to donate their services and seem as pleased with the whole thing as I am.

Love to Felicia.
Did
you get the record, notes, charts – that messy little package? Until February, cher ami

Luke McLuke

Sid,

Make it for tpts and tbns (4 each available) and percussion, but if you have time, add optional parts for horns and winds.
⁷⁹

Blessings and luck!

Lenny

If you're rushed, first make it for
brass
.

Greetings,

I thought I'd better send you a rundown of activities along the Potomac. First of all, the workaday side of it, I must ask you not to make any outside
appointments for the entire day of the eighteenth which is Wednesday if you remember. This will be a tough day of rehearsal and as it behooves us all to put on a really slick show the next night
⁸¹
I think we should devote this entire day and night to rehearsals. And you know how much I like rehearsals. The morning of the nineteenth will be final orchestra rehearsals and we will start the dress rehearsal at noon.

Now for the social side of this hoedown. Exhibit A will be a supper party that Ambassador Kennedy is giving in honor of the entire cast immediately after our gala performance. This will be black tie for the fellows and something dazzling for the girls. Exhibit B is the inaugural ceremony itself at noon of the twentieth and the parade which follows. Sections of seats have been allotted for us for both events, for those who want to attend. I must ask you to please tell Miss Lovell in my office at the Statler Hilton Hotel whether or not you want to attend these two functions. Exhibit C is the little wing-ding dinner which I am tossing for all of us at seven thirty on the evening of the twentieth. We will also go
en masse
from this dinner to the Inaugural Ball at the Mayflower, which is pretty dressy for boys and girls. Black tie or white tie diamond and emeralds and all that jazz. Everything is shaping up for something that we all will be remembering for a long time and believe you me I don't think I have ever been so excited.

Love and kisses and I'll be waiting for you.

Frank Sinatra