Lecture series on Jewish composers looks first at Leonard Bernstein

Ken Korn, local music teacher, will present a lecture series, beginning July 24, on how being Jewish in America shaped musicians and their work. Leonard Bernstein will be the first lecture subject.

Later in his life Bernstein feared he would be remembered for “West Side Story” and little else. Unfortunately, he may have been right. While the Sharks and the Jets are an indelible part of our culture, many of Bernstein’s other accomplishments are being lost to history. This lecture covers some of his other contributions to the American musical landscape; His work as the conductor and music director of the NY Philharmonic, his innovative Young People’s Concerts, and some of his lesser known compositions.

The same way artists of previous generations, such as Michelangelo, or DaVinci, would routinely create art of religious subjects, composers such as Beethoven or Mozart often wrote highly religious music. Few contemporary composers are interested in legitimate, or large scale religious works.

Bernstein was somewhat unique among 20th century composers for embracing his Jewishness and composing religious music. We will spend much of this lecture studying his Jeremiah Symphony, Chichester Psalms, Kaddish Symphony and his Mass.