No sooner has the classical music world stopped arguing about Cate Blanchett's savage portrayal of a fictional conductor in the movie Tár than along comes another Hollywood epic about a conductor - this time a real one. As someone who interviewed Leonard Bernstein a few times, I was astonished by how accurately Bradley Cooper portrays his mannerisms, voice, conducting gestures, crazy and fickle private life and, most of all, his charisma in this new film Maestro (to be profiled in the Jan 2024 issue). And there are some brilliant music scenes. The 1973 performance of Mahler's Second Symphony in Ely Cathedral is so perfectly evoked that you feel as if you have been whisked backwards in a time-machine.
In one respect, though, the film doesn't do justice to Bernstein's multifaceted life and protean energy. Away from music, it's nearly all about his marriage and its disintegration. Fair enough that's what interests the director. But the millions of people learning about Bernstein for the first time through this film will glean nothing about one crucial facet of his life. He was not just a prominent cultural icon of post-war America; he was also a tremendously political figure. In word and deed, he was forever championing causes boldly and bravely.
This story is from the Christmas 2023 edition of BBC Music Magazine.
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This story is from the Christmas 2023 edition of BBC Music Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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