Leonard Bernstein

Sound

Leonard Bernstein

Born August 25, 1918 · Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA

Died October 14, 1990 · aged 72

Leonard Bernstein was an American composer, conductor, pianist, music educator, author, and lifelong humanitarian. He was one of the most significant American cultural personalities of the 20th century. According to music critic Donal Henahan, he was "one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history".

Known For

West Side StoryWest Side Story · 2021
West Side Story
6.92021
MovieDramaRomance
Two youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy.
On the WaterfrontOn the Waterfront · 1954
On the Waterfront
7.91954
MovieCrimeDrama
A prizefighter-turned-longshoreman with a conscience goes up against labor leaders to expose corruption, extortion, and murder among the union ranks.
West Side StoryWest Side Story · 1961
West Side Story
7.21961
MovieCrimeDrama
In Manhattan’s Upper West Side, rival gangs of Polish-Americans and newly arrived Puerto Ricans clash for control of the neighborhood, even as two young members from opposite sides fall dangerously in love.
MaestroMaestro · 2023
Maestro
6.22023
MovieDramaRomance
A towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. A love letter to life and art, Maestro at its core is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.
On the TownOn the Town · 1949
On the Town
7.01949
MovieComedyRomance
Three sailors wreak havoc as they search for love during a whirlwind 24-hour leave in New York City.
Copland, BernsteinCopland, Bernstein · 2014
Copland, Bernstein
2014
MovieMusic
From the Giovanni Agnelli Auditorium in Turin: Aaron Copland, Danzon Cubano; Heitor Villa-Lobos, Bachianas brasileiras No. 2; Leonard Bernstein, West Side Story symphonic dances. Conductor John Neschling. RAI National Symphony Orchestra.
The Three Tenors - Birth of a LegendThe Three Tenors - Birth of a Legend · 2024
The Three Tenors - Birth of a Legend
8.02024
MovieDocumentaryMusic
On the eve of the 1990 World Cup final, Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, and Luciano Pavarotti sang together for the first time. A look behind the scenes at a musical event whose phenomenal success lasted for more than a decade.
CandideCandide · 2023
Candide
2023
MovieDramaMusic
The innocent Candide discovers that human beings aren't all they are cracked up to be and ultimately focuses on building his own life on his own terms.

Filmography

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Haydn: The Creation (Bernstein)Haydn: The Creation (Bernstein) · 2009
Haydn: The Creation (Bernstein)
7.02009
Movie
Haydn’s Creation, the culmination of his life’s work, in a legendary 1986 performance conducted by Leonard Bernstein in the exquisite Baroque splendor of the Benedictine Abbey of Ottobeuren, Bavaria, now available on DVD for the first time. This spectacular performance also includes Bernstein’s spoken introduction to the performance —always an invaluable addition to any concert. This work, considered by many to be Haydn’s masterpiece, depicts the creation of the world as inspired by the texts of Genesis, the Book of Psalms and Milton’s Paradise Lost. Though deeply religious in conception, the oratorio gives a physical sense of the immensity of nature and the world’s creation. “The Creation gives us time to remember—and rejoice in— the purity and grace and fortitude of Nature, to restore our souls, to recover our moral strength, and to rediscover our power to praise”—Leonard Bernstein

Conductor

Leonard Bernstein: The Gift of MusicLeonard Bernstein: The Gift of Music · 1993
Leonard Bernstein: The Gift of Music
1993
MovieDocumentaryMusic
Leonard Bernstein narrated by legendary screen star Lauren Bacall. The movie also relies extensively on Bernstein's own words to provide the counterpoint to the abundant visual material. Highlights include excerpts of Bernstein conducting masterworks by Beethoven and Mahler, as well as of the maestro with the New York Philharmonic in Moscow in 1959 before an audience which included composer Dmitri Shostakovich and the dissident poet Boris Pasternak. It also contains never-before-seen footage, such as outtakes from televised concerts and interviews. Among these special treats: the dashing 28-year-old maestro representing the U.S. at the 1947 Prague Spring Festival – possibly the earliest extant film of Leonard Bernstein.