Robert W. Shaw writes:

>Bernstein both didn't write all that much and, again, wrote music that
>just doesn't seem destined to pass eventually into the standard repertory
>(Mahler's and Beethoven's music were misunderstood in their time but
>eventually passed into the canon; I would not bet my money that Copland's
>and Bernstein's "serious" stuff will).

I don't care what people will be listening to 50 years from now.
Hopefully, I'll be dead by then.  Trying to anticipate posterity seems a
sucker's game anyway.  Besides, there's lots of wonderful music outside the
standard repertory, just as not all great pop music appears on Top 40
radio.

Bob K. replies to Craig T. Hancock:

>>And my last question maybe I am just to young to understand but what is the
>>big deal of Leonard Bernstien I don't really understand his as far as when
>>I listen to it.  thank you for reading my message

Nobody likes everything.  Every piece bores somebody.

>Bernsein the composer: I would put Bernstein's 'Mass' up there with
>my favorite American works [And I -hate- most modern sacred music].
>The sounds are unforgettable.  Check it out.

I love Bernstein's stuff, almost without exception.  However, there are
a lot of "problem" works.  Mass contains some of his best music, but also
blushingly bad sections - the "letters" section, for example - and most of
the lyrics of the piece well and truly bite.  Fortunately, CDs make it easy
to program out the embarrassments and very few people listen to lyrics
anyway.  The music, however, is too good to throw away.

Of his theater works, I like Candide the best (particularly the Sony
original cast recording as the best performed, although the final DGG
recording for a "complete" score) - fabulous music, incredibly witty lyrics
(by Richard Wilbur, John LaTouche, Dorothy Parker, Lillian Hellman, and
Bernstein himself).  Not far behind: On the Town, Wonderful Town, Trouble
in Tahiti, Choruses from The Lark, and (I admit) West Side Story.

>Bernstein the conductor: His "Young Peoples Concerts" (I think that's
>the name) from the early 60s are on video now and are truly enjoyable for
>CM lovers of all ages.  His sense of music IMHO was wonderfully modern but
>not elitist.

Face it.  Beethoven is elitist.

>Bernstein the pianist: Ask someone who knows.  (Not me.)

I don't know either.  I do like his piano performances of Rhapsody in Blue,
Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2, and the Ravel G-major.

Steve Schwartz