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65th Anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s Historic Debut Celebrated at Carnegie Hall, 11/14/08
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Carnegie Hall News
Back to Press Release List > 10/03/2008 - 65th Anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s Historic Debut Celebrated at Carnegie Hall, 11/14/08
Most current program information 
CARNEGIE HALL AND THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC PRESENT
BERNSTEIN: THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS
SEPTEMBER 24–DECEMBER 13, 2008
www.BernsteinFestival.org
65TH ANNIVERSARY OF LEONARD BERNSTEIN’S
HISTORIC DEBUT WITH THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
AT CARNEGIE HALL CELEBRATED WITH AN
ALL-BERNSTEIN PROGRAM BY THE PHILHARMONIC
CONDUCTED BY ALAN GILBERT
ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14 AT 8:00 PM
Bernstein’s Music for Stage, Screen, and Concert Hall Performed at Carnegie Hall by the New York Philharmonic and Music Director Designate Alan Gilbert
On Sunday, November 14, 1943, Leonard Bernstein stepped onto the stage of Carnegie Hall for the first time, substituting at the last minute for an ailing Bruno Walter and making his historic New York Philharmonic debut in a performance that grabbed national attention. On Friday, November 14, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, the 65th anniversary of that special occasion will be celebrated at Carnegie Hall with an all-Bernstein program by the New York Philharmonic and Music Director Designate Alan Gilbert, featuring Serenade (After Plato's Symposium) with Philharmonic Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow as soloist, On the Waterfront Symphonic Suite, and West Side Story Suites Nos. 1 and 2 with soprano Ana María Martinez, tenor Paul Groves, and New York Choral Artists. The concert is part of the citywide festival Bernstein: The Best of All Possible Worlds presented by Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic honoring the 90th anniversary of Bernstein’s birth and the 50th anniversary of his appointment as New York Philharmonic Music Director.
The following day, on November 15 from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Carnegie Hall presents Discovery Day: Leonard Bernstein in Weill Recital Hall. Through a series of panel discussions and multimedia presentations, the day will explore different aspects of Bernstein’s life and career, including his identity as media innovator, social activist, and New Yorker. Moderator Barbara Haws, New York Philharmonic Archivist/Historian and co-author of the book, Leonard Bernstein: American Original will be joined by a host of eminent figures including Ron Simon, Mary Ahern, Roger Englander, Janis Ian, Paul Boyter, Ira Glasser, as well as members of the Bernstein family including Burton, Jamie, Alex, and Nina Bernstein who will share their reminiscences and thoughts on this fascinating figure.
November 14, 1943
When previously scheduled guest conductor Bruno Walter took ill with flu the morning of November 14, 1943, and had to cancel that afternoon’s appearance at Carnegie Hall, the 25-year-old Leonard Bernstein had been in his position as Assistant Conductor of the New York Philharmonic for only two months. Asked to fill in for the legendary maestro at a concert that was to be broadcast nationally on the radio, Bernstein had no time for rehearsal on what was to be a challenging program of Schumann’s Manfred Overture, Strauss’ Don Quixote, Wagner’s Prelude to Die Meistersinger, and a new work by Miklós Rózsa. Bernstein, after going through the scores with Walter, took to the stage and by every account, made great advantage of his opportunity, leading an outstanding performance that earned a huge ovation. The success launched a legendary conducting career and led to his being named the first American Music Director of the New York Philharmonic in 1958, a post he held until 1969.
The front page of the following day’s New York Times—along with World War II stories about Nazis on the Russian front and Allies fighting in Italy and New Guinea—carried the news: “Young Aide Leads Philharmonic, Steps In When Bruno Walter Is Ill”. The inside review by Olin Downes began by noting that Bernstein “showed that he is one of the very few conductors of the rising generation who are indubitably to be reckoned with.”
Recalling the debut 24 years later in an interview, Bernstein said, “So out I strode, in my funny double breasted suit, and, polite pattering of applause, went wildly into the crazy three opening chords of Manfred, and it was like a great electric shock. From then on I was just sailing. I don’t know what happened, but those three chords I will never forget. Dum DUM DUM!—pause—and in that pause I knew that everything was going to be all right.”
Bernstein: The Best of All Possible Worlds
Presented by Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic—Bernstein: The Best of All Possible Worlds, September 24–December 13, 2008—celebrates a quintessential New Yorker and one of the most important musicians of the 20th century. Renowned nationally and internationally as a leading musical figure in his own lifetime, most notably as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic from 1958 to 1969 and Laureate Conductor from 1969 to 1990, Leonard Bernstein brought his own particular New World sensibility to classical music. Equally at home in a Broadway theater (in such legendary musicals as West Side Story) or the concert hall, Bernstein—who performed at Carnegie Hall over 400 times and with the New York Philharmonic more than 1,200 times during his career—had an enthusiasm for and understanding of music far beyond the classical realm, extending into jazz, world music, American song, and 1960s pop and rock. His charismatic personality and remarkable communication skills through both words and music made him a natural ambassador for music as well as an international celebrity. Through television, Bernstein influenced millions of viewers, sparking excitement and love for classical music that remains with them to this day. With this festival, Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic honor an extraordinary artist, revered as conductor, composer, educator, advocate, and media pioneer.
A number of New York cultural partners will broaden the reach of the festival, presenting Bernstein-themed performances, film screenings, and panel discussions. Joining Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic in these special festivities are Church of St. Ignatius Loyola; The Jewish Museum; Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; New York City Center; The Paley Center for Media; Thirteen/WNET, which will nationally broadcast Carnegie Hall’s all-Bernstein Opening Night Gala concert on Great Performances on PBS October 29; and WNYC, which presents “Our Lenny,” an 13-day multiplatform festival from September 24 to October 6 that celebrates the radio station’s unique and long-standing relationship with the maestro.
For complete festival program information, please visit www.bernsteinfestival.org. This online companion to Bernstein: The Best of All Possible Worlds features up-to-date information on the citywide events, press releases, and a multimedia survey of Leonard Bernstein’s musical life, including interactive timelines, slide shows, audio clips, and video featuring Bernstein, his family, colleagues, and friends.
Artist Information
Alan Gilbert is the Music Director Designate of the New York Philharmonic, and will begin his tenure as the orchestra’s 25th Music Director with the start of the 2009–10 season. The Manhattan-born conductor, one of the youngest music directors in the history of the Philharmonic and the only native New Yorker to hold the post, was Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra from January 2000 through June 2008, after which he was named Conductor Laureate of the orchestra. He has been principal guest conductor of Hamburg’s NDR Symphony Orchestra since 2004, and regularly guest conducts leading orchestras and opera companies in America, Europe, and Japan. Mr. Gilbert made his debut with the New York Philharmonic in 2001 as the Diamond American Conductor, and has returned to conduct the orchestra numerous times, including during the acclaimed 2004 festival, Charles Ives–An American Original in Context. In addition to the November 14 concert he will conduct a Bernstein festival concert by the Juilliard Orchestra, presented by the New York Philharmonic, at Avery Fisher Hall on November 24, featuring Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3, “Kaddish.” In May 2009, he will return to the Philharmonic to conduct the world premiere of Peter Lieberson’s The World in Flower, a Philharmonic commission. Mr. Gilbert opens his season on October 13 across the Lincoln Center plaza, making his Metropolitan Opera debut by leading a new production of John Adams’ Doctor Atomic.
Violinist Glenn Dicterow made his solo debut at age 11 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and has won honors including the Young Musicians Foundation Award, the Coleman Award, and the Bronze Medal in the International Tchaikovsky Competition. In 1967 he made his New York Philharmonic solo debut, and in 1980 he joined the orchestra as Concertmaster (The Charles E. Culpeper Chair). He also appears with the orchestra as a soloist every year. Other solo engagements have taken Mr. Dicterow from Los Angeles to Montreal, as well as to the Leipzig Gewandhaus and Hong Kong Philharmonic. His discography includes solo performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic; recital and chamber music; and violin solos on the sound tracks for films including The Turning Point, The Untouchables, Altered States, Beauty and the Beast, and Interview with the Vampire. He is on the faculty of The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music, and is a founding member of The Lyric Piano Quartet, which is in residence at Queens College.
Grammy Award-winner Ana María Martinez' dramatic range distinguishes her as one of today's most sophisticated lyric sopranos. Released to great critical acclaim is her solo record, Ana María Martínez–Soprano Songs and Arias, on Naxos. She stars on the Decca DVD Cosi Fan Tutte filmed at the Salzburg Festival and performs the role of Nedda opposite Andrea Bocelli in the Universal recording of I Pagliacci. She can also be seen on the EuroArts DVD Spanish Night recorded with the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Placido Domingo. The 2008–09 season finds Ms. Martinez singing the title role of Luisa Miller and the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro with the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich; as Amelia in Simon Boccanegra with the San Francisco Opera; as Nedda in I Pagliacci with both the Houston Grand Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago; and in concerts with Placido Domingo in Nevada, Hungary, and Mexico. She also makes her Dallas Opera debut, singing the role of Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus.
Winner of the 1995 Richard Tucker Foundation Award, American tenor Paul Groves has a major international career with engagements at the world's leading opera houses and concert halls. Last season, he appeared at Royal Opera, Covent Garden, for appearances as Pylade in Iphigénie en Tauride. He then returned to his home in New Orleans for performances of the title role in Gounod's Faust before reprising the role of Pylade with the Metropolitan Opera. Met Opera audiences also saw Mr. Groves reprise the role of Jianli in Tan Dun's The First Emperor, which he created at the Met in 2006. He also recently returned to Houston Grand Opera for the role of Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail before traveling to Paris for performances of Julian in Charpentier's Louise with Opéra National de Paris.
Founded in 1842, the New York Philharmonic is the oldest symphony orchestra in the United States and one of the oldest in the world. Since its inception, the Philharmonic has played a leading role in American musical life, championing the new music of its time and commissioning or premiering many important works, from Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, From the New World (1893) and Gershwin’s An American in Paris (1928) to John Adams’s Pulitzer Prize-winning On the Transmigration of Souls (2002) and Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Piano Concerto (2007). Lorin Maazel became Music Director in 2002, succeeding Kurt Masur in a distinguished line of 20th-century musical giants that has included Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, and Pierre Boulez; Gustav Mahler, Bruno Walter, and Arturo Toscanini. Over the last century the Philharmonic has become renowned around the globe, having appeared in 422 cities in 59 countries on five continents, including, most recently, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing on Asia 2008; and in Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as the first American orchestra to perform there and an event watched around the world.
Program Information
Friday, November 14 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
Alan Gilbert, Conductor
Glenn Dicterow, Violin
Ana María Martínez, Soprano
Paul Groves, Tenor
New York Choral Artists
Joseph Flummerfelt, Chorus Director
ALL-LEONARD BERNSTEIN PROGRAM
On the Waterfront Symphonic Suite
Serenade (After Plato's Symposium)
West Side Story Suites Nos. 1 and 2
Presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with the New York Philharmonic.
Pre-concert talk starts at 7:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage with Thomas Cabaniss, Composer and Faculty, The Juilliard School.
This concert is made possible by a generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. A. Alfred Taubman.
Sponsored by Continental Airlines, the Official Airline of Carnegie Hall
Tickets: $40, $48, $63, $87, $113, $125
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Saturday, November 15 from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Weill Recital Hall
DISCOVERY DAY: LEONARD BERNSTEIN
Bernstein as media innovator. Bernstein as social activist. Bernstein as New Yorker. In this Discovery Day, all these subjects and more will be explored through a series of panel discussions and multimedia presentations. Joining moderator Barbara Haws, Archivist and Historian of the New York Philharmonic, will be a host of eminent figures including Ron Simon, Mary Ahern, Roger Englander, Janis Ian, Paul Boyter, Ira Glasser, as well as members of the Bernstein family including Burton, Jamie, Alex, and Nina Bernstein who will share their reminiscences and thoughts on this fascinating figure.
Sound Insights is sponsored by Ernst & Young LLP
Tickets: $20
Major funding for Bernstein: The Best of All Possible Worlds has been provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Alice Tully Foundation, American Express, Bob and Martha Lipp, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Nash Family Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. A. Alfred Taubman.
Additional funding provided by GWFF USA Inc., and Linda and Stuart Nelson.
Generous support has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.
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Carnegie Hall Ticket Information
Tickets are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, www.carnegiehall.org.
In addition, for all Carnegie Hall Corporation presentations taking place in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, a limited number of partial-view seats, priced at $10, will be available day-of-concert beginning at 11:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:00 noon on Sunday until one hour before the performance. The exceptions are Carnegie Hall Family Concerts and gala events. These $10 tickets are available to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis at the Carnegie Hall Box Office only. There is a two-ticket limit per customer.
A limited number of student/senior citizen discount tickets, priced at $10, may also be available for some Carnegie Hall events. They are on sale at the Box Office day-of-concert beginning at 11:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:00 noon on Sunday until one hour before the performance. Student/senior discount tickets for some Weill Recital Hall events are available at the Box Office one hour before the performance. Please call CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 for ticket availability.
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