Leonard Bernstein's Legacy

Leonard Bernstein

Born one hundred years ago, August 25, 1918, Leonard Bernstein died in 1990, leaving an estate estimated at $5 million and a 20-page will that placed his estate in trust for his three children.

Considering the royalties that West Side Story alone must produce, $5 million was a dubious estimate of his estate's value. For the benefit of those not aged enough to remember Lenny, the Library of Congress provides this description:

Bernstein, arguably the most prominent figure in American classical music of the second half of the twentieth century, made his impact as a conductor, as a composer of classical and theater music, and as an educator through books, conducting students at Tanglewood, and especially through various televised lecture series that helped define the potentials of that medium.

The centennial of his birth is being widely celebrated, especially at Tanglewood, the music center in the Berkshires where Lenny got his start and where he returned to teach and conduct throughout his lifetime. The close bond between Bernstein and Tanglewood can be sensed in John Rockwell's account of his last summer there.

Bradley Cooper

Readers seeking to know more about America's remarkable 20th-century prodigy should consult the Library of Congress collection linked above. In addition to holding materials from Bernstein's estate, the collection, nicely organized for digital viewing, has been enriched by contributions from others.

Or they can wait for the movie – a biopic in which Lenny is to be portrayed by Bradley Cooper.