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ariscormanoreilly's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Leonard Bernstein was a genius and this is a beautiful interview with him.
amchan's review against another edition
4.0
Beyond one music history course I took in college, of which I have retained very little, I feel ill-versed to converse about classical music or modern composers, so I have been seeking to bridge this void, however feeble. Appreciation for today's music can only be further enhanced by better understanding what came before it and what led to its evolution, so reading Bernstein's enthusiastic replies utterly encourages this endeavor. His words overflow with love for the genre, for he perceives each instrumental section more as a character within a narrative, transforming how any piece may be received by its listener. His firm stance in keeping an open mind, seeing himself as a beginner by ignoring his accolades, and belief children are born with an inherent love of learning (despite extenuating circumstances that may suggest otherwise) enabled him to remain actively conducting and sharp-witted to the very end.
As for name-dropping, he probably mentioned Brahms, Stravinsky, and Copeland the most besides the requisite Beethoven and Mozart.
As for name-dropping, he probably mentioned Brahms, Stravinsky, and Copeland the most besides the requisite Beethoven and Mozart.
mxethanollan's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
A lovely read. A must-read page turner for anyone interested in Bernstein's cult following and his art & life.
nferre's review against another edition
5.0
"Conductor, composer, pianist, writer, educator, lecturer, television host, human rights and peace activist, Leonard Bernstein was his own one-person Gesamtkunstwerk—"
Genius. Sheer genius. Over a 12 hour dinner at Bernstein's home in Connecticut, in 1989, the author speaks to the lively, passionate, chain-smoking man, in his late seventies revealing the inner workings of this remarkable man. Reading this book allowed me to "hear" Lenny's voice, to understand what made him tick. A complex, thoughtful, emotional, energetic man who talked about life, life after life, death, women, men, musicians, children and education and his wife, Felicia.
"Life without music is unthinkable. Music without life is academic. That is why my contact with music is a total embrace."
Lenny, as his friends called him, was a friend of the family. His wife, Felicia, went to school with my mother. His daughters and I shared the same piano teacher. In the 60s, when we lived in Manhattan, he showered us with free tickets to his concerts, rehearsals and my beloved Young People's Concerts.
When I was 10, I was invited to play the piano at his house. As I started playing Bernstein had not arrived. He walked into the room as I was in the middle of a Bartok piece; I got flustered, stumbled and missed a note - thankfully recovering and going on to play without another mistake. Lenny stood up, clapped and said bravo - even though I had made a mistake. He was the mentor that every student should have. A giver of every ounce of himself - to strangers, kids, fellow musicians and his lovers - of which apparently there were many.
Genius. Sheer genius. Over a 12 hour dinner at Bernstein's home in Connecticut, in 1989, the author speaks to the lively, passionate, chain-smoking man, in his late seventies revealing the inner workings of this remarkable man. Reading this book allowed me to "hear" Lenny's voice, to understand what made him tick. A complex, thoughtful, emotional, energetic man who talked about life, life after life, death, women, men, musicians, children and education and his wife, Felicia.
"Life without music is unthinkable. Music without life is academic. That is why my contact with music is a total embrace."
Lenny, as his friends called him, was a friend of the family. His wife, Felicia, went to school with my mother. His daughters and I shared the same piano teacher. In the 60s, when we lived in Manhattan, he showered us with free tickets to his concerts, rehearsals and my beloved Young People's Concerts.
When I was 10, I was invited to play the piano at his house. As I started playing Bernstein had not arrived. He walked into the room as I was in the middle of a Bartok piece; I got flustered, stumbled and missed a note - thankfully recovering and going on to play without another mistake. Lenny stood up, clapped and said bravo - even though I had made a mistake. He was the mentor that every student should have. A giver of every ounce of himself - to strangers, kids, fellow musicians and his lovers - of which apparently there were many.
nferre's review
5.0
"Conductor, composer, pianist, writer, educator, lecturer, television host, human rights and peace activist, Leonard Bernstein was his own one-person Gesamtkunstwerk—"
Genius. Sheer genius. Over a 12 hour dinner at Bernstein's home in Connecticut, in 1989, the author speaks to the lively, passionate, chain-smoking man, in his late seventies revealing the inner workings of this remarkable man. Reading this book allowed me to "hear" Lenny's voice, to understand what made him tick. A complex, thoughtful, emotional, energetic man who talked about life, life after life, death, women, men, musicians, children and education and his wife, Felicia.
"Life without music is unthinkable. Music without life is academic. That is why my contact with music is a total embrace."
Lenny, as his friends called him, was a friend of the family. His wife, Felicia, went to school with my mother. His daughters and I shared the same piano teacher. In the 60s, when we lived in Manhattan, he showered us with free tickets to his concerts, rehearsals and my beloved Young People's Concerts.
When I was 10, I was invited to play the piano at his house. As I started playing Bernstein had not arrived. He walked into the room as I was in the middle of a Bartok piece; I got flustered, stumbled and missed a note - thankfully recovering and going on to play without another mistake. Lenny stood up, clapped and said bravo - even though I had made a mistake. He was the mentor that every student should have. A giver of every ounce of himself - to strangers, kids, fellow musicians and his lovers - of which apparently there were many.
Genius. Sheer genius. Over a 12 hour dinner at Bernstein's home in Connecticut, in 1989, the author speaks to the lively, passionate, chain-smoking man, in his late seventies revealing the inner workings of this remarkable man. Reading this book allowed me to "hear" Lenny's voice, to understand what made him tick. A complex, thoughtful, emotional, energetic man who talked about life, life after life, death, women, men, musicians, children and education and his wife, Felicia.
"Life without music is unthinkable. Music without life is academic. That is why my contact with music is a total embrace."
Lenny, as his friends called him, was a friend of the family. His wife, Felicia, went to school with my mother. His daughters and I shared the same piano teacher. In the 60s, when we lived in Manhattan, he showered us with free tickets to his concerts, rehearsals and my beloved Young People's Concerts.
When I was 10, I was invited to play the piano at his house. As I started playing Bernstein had not arrived. He walked into the room as I was in the middle of a Bartok piece; I got flustered, stumbled and missed a note - thankfully recovering and going on to play without another mistake. Lenny stood up, clapped and said bravo - even though I had made a mistake. He was the mentor that every student should have. A giver of every ounce of himself - to strangers, kids, fellow musicians and his lovers - of which apparently there were many.
wcs53's review
5.0
Dinner with Lenny is one of the best books I have read so far this year. I really had no idea what to expect, feeling that I would at least find it interesting, but it was more than that and I found it really hard to put down in the end.
The book is a complete account of Leonard Bernstein's last full interview, which he gave to Jonathan Cott just a year before his death. A short version appeared in Rolling Stone, but Cott had felt at the time that it didn't really do justice, so the result was to publish it in full in book form. I'm glad that he did, because this is a very engaging and informative read. I never read the original magazine article, but it must pale in comparison to the complete interview shared in this book.
I have to admit that prior to reading this book, my knowledge of Bernstein was limited to a love of West Side Story, which is my favourite musical, along with owning a few recordings conducted by Bernstein. Since reading this book, I have been searching around for some of the recordings mentioned in the book and, although I have found a few, my search continues.
As I read the book, the preparation, along with the passion, that Cott brought to the interview became more and more evident. In the interview, which took place over what must have been a very long meal at Bernstein's house, many different topics were covered - music (obviously), politics, family, religion, popular culture, and much more. Bernstein had much to offer in all the topics covered and it must have been great to sit and listen to him. There were many heavy serious moments, but there were many light and funny moments as well. Early on in the interview he shares the story of his conducting debut and from what he shares it was obvious that he was destined for greatness.
It is not a difficult book to read, because the conversation seems to flow so easily. Cott came up with many probing questions, but through it all Bernstein seemed at ease and his knowledge, as well as deep passion, of the variety of topics covered shone through immensely.
This book is due to be published at the end of this year, or early in the next. I was only able to read an e-book ARC, which I was grateful to receive from Oxford University Press via NetGalley, and missed out on the pictures that will be included in the final edition when it comes out. I may have to buy a copy of it because of this, although even without the pictures it is definitely worth having.
Most of us probably never had the chance to sit in Bernstein's presence and never will now, but this book is the next best thing. It is worth reading and you will not be disappointed after you pick it up, and probably won't set it down again until you have reached the end.
The book is a complete account of Leonard Bernstein's last full interview, which he gave to Jonathan Cott just a year before his death. A short version appeared in Rolling Stone, but Cott had felt at the time that it didn't really do justice, so the result was to publish it in full in book form. I'm glad that he did, because this is a very engaging and informative read. I never read the original magazine article, but it must pale in comparison to the complete interview shared in this book.
I have to admit that prior to reading this book, my knowledge of Bernstein was limited to a love of West Side Story, which is my favourite musical, along with owning a few recordings conducted by Bernstein. Since reading this book, I have been searching around for some of the recordings mentioned in the book and, although I have found a few, my search continues.
As I read the book, the preparation, along with the passion, that Cott brought to the interview became more and more evident. In the interview, which took place over what must have been a very long meal at Bernstein's house, many different topics were covered - music (obviously), politics, family, religion, popular culture, and much more. Bernstein had much to offer in all the topics covered and it must have been great to sit and listen to him. There were many heavy serious moments, but there were many light and funny moments as well. Early on in the interview he shares the story of his conducting debut and from what he shares it was obvious that he was destined for greatness.
It is not a difficult book to read, because the conversation seems to flow so easily. Cott came up with many probing questions, but through it all Bernstein seemed at ease and his knowledge, as well as deep passion, of the variety of topics covered shone through immensely.
This book is due to be published at the end of this year, or early in the next. I was only able to read an e-book ARC, which I was grateful to receive from Oxford University Press via NetGalley, and missed out on the pictures that will be included in the final edition when it comes out. I may have to buy a copy of it because of this, although even without the pictures it is definitely worth having.
Most of us probably never had the chance to sit in Bernstein's presence and never will now, but this book is the next best thing. It is worth reading and you will not be disappointed after you pick it up, and probably won't set it down again until you have reached the end.
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