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Leonard Bernstein & New York Philharmonic Orchestra

Bach’s Vocal Works

General Discussions

Bernstein, and Kivy's authenticities

Bradley Lehman (February 4, 2005):
<snip> I regard Bernstein as one of the most exceptional all round > musicians of the last century. As composer, conductor and musicologist, > as a man of immense energy, wisdom and insight, he was a most extraordinary phenomenon.
On the other hand, there is another school of thought to the effect that Bernstein was an egregious self-publicist, a narcissistic egoist, a self-regarding twerp who never performed anybody else's music without messing it about. >
That's one of the philosophically viable types of "authenticity" to music, as discussed in Peter Kivy's book Authenticities: Philosophical Reflections on Musical Performance. There are also other philosophically viable types of "authenticity" discussed there.

It simply doesn't do to dismiss performers and their work outright, under the assumption that one's own personal view about "authenticity" is the only possibly valid one. The performer's convictions, sincerity, skills, and more come into this as well.

Some people hate Lenny's work as allegedly too disrespectful of the material? Yeah, so what? Some people adore Lenny's work as allegedly his riveting/engaging interpretations of the material, sometimes changing it to help put across its essence more clearly and intensely? Yeah, so what? These are just expectations coming from different notions of "authenticity" being put up as the yardstick of quality.

Likewise for the whole interminable debate of "more HIP than thou". If it can't be agreed by all parties what "authenticity" really is, or which form of it is unquestionably best, the debate is doomed never to end. (Nor should it. Why should we ever expect all parties to agree about anything?)

Whatever Lenny was, he certainly wasn't the deliberate "lukewarm water" of [the fictitious] Derek Smalls. http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0088258/quotes

Eric Bergerud (February 5, 2005):
[To Bradley Lehman] In my salad days when I began a classical music junkie (around 1970) Bernstein was by no means at the top of the heap according to critics for rags like Stereo Review and Gramophone. I think the association with West Side Story tainted Lenny in some eyes as being a pop culture icon with little real musical depth. Ironically this view changed dramatically later in his career. When he left the NYP and started freelancing in Europe Bernstein won a lot of hearts. I well remember a series of very enthusiastic reviews of his performances with the Vienna Phil - he was described as a reincarnation of Bruno Walter - accurately enough I think. He did not indulge in some of the extreme tempos often found in Furtwangler, but he also lacked the steely precision of Solti. Can't say that I care for Mass or Candide, but Bernstein was a splendid conductor and one of the great musical educators of our era. No one has taken his place in the US.

Mike Mannix (February 5, 2005):
Lenny was an 'event' e.g. his Brahms D min Conc with Gould and his mad Enigma Variations

Bob Henderson (February 6, 2005):
[To Eric Bergerud] Thanks Eric. Lets not forget that Bernstein was responsible for the Mahler revolution in the States and for championing Ives. He was a marvelous Shostakovich conductor (remember his trip to Moscow?) and his Stravinsky was without peer. And West Side Story will live.

Leonard Bernstein: Short Biography | New York Philharmonic Orchestra | Recordings | General Discussions | BWV 244 - Bernstein

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Last update: ýFebruary 7, 2005 ý21:30:47