I’m listening again to Candide, and next will hear West Side again. This stuff really speaks to me. I’m struck by the unique success Bernstein has in expressing deep, complex emotion. Many writers have simply relied on using minor keys, for example, to portray sadness. Bernstein’s use of harmony is so different. It appears to work by virtue, in part anyway, of the way he breaks into our expectations, melodically as well as harmonically. And that’s to say nothing of the remarkable use of rhythm and his orchestrations. That is, of course, part of the explanation of the success of great artists - the way they set up, play on, and resolve expectations. The more I hear, the more I think he’s way underrated as a 20th century composer. Just sayin’ (and tryin’ to say - but it’s not easy to put into words what music does to us.) sigh
xo, C.
I agree with everything you’ve said here, but I don’t think I understand why you’d consider him “under-rated.” I’ve never heard anyone say a negative word about his work, or fail to mention him in a Top 5 of the 20th Century sort of list.
What do you think of his Mass? For a while it was the top-selling classical album, outdrawing that upstart Switched-on Bach.
Ooooooooooooohhh that’s tempting 
Overall, I’m afraid that it seems too episodic and disjointed, but there are parts of it that I think are wonderful. Again, for me, when someone can create a piece of music/art/dance/etc. that is moving, AND different from what’s come before, then the creative aspect of it alone is very powerful. Some of it is downright spooky. Of course, there’s the additional aspect that for a lot of people, a mass has extra-musical significance that is brought to bear. I don’t have those associations, so I just listen to the music. Pretty remarkable stuff in many spots, for me.
Seconded. If you gave 100 people lists of 20th Century composers and asked them to circle the ones whose music they enjoyed, I’m guessing you’d get back 90+ forms with circles around Lenny’s name. And 60-75 of those probably wouldn’t even have any other names circled on them.
Well, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs seem to like him. Leonid Brezhnev was cool towards him for a while. Said he was invading his personal space.
I very much doubt it.
We’re discounting the ones where they don’t know any name, are we? Because if you’re giving them to a crowd who know Bernstein’s name that well, then most will know Ravel, and Rachmaninov, and Gershwin and Copland. And Debussy. And Mahler. And so it goes on. And the two who are big crowd-pullers, Stravinsky and Shostakovich (I’m not kidding or exaggerating).
And Prokoviev
I once had the pleasure of being part of a performance of Kaddish, or Symphony #3. It wasn’t under Leonard’s baton, but his wife was one of the narrators and he was in the audience. It was quite enjoyable overall.
I especially like the solo round the boys’ choir sings. Not for its complexity, but its simpleness and purity. I have often used it as a training exercise for singing groups I have taught or directed.
Are we being asked to name candidates for inclusion on a list of 'greatest 20th century composers"? If so, despite the fact that some, perhaps many, people consider him a bore, and acknowledging that there’s some of his stuff that even I, a fan, would avoid, I’d still nominate Philip Glass.
He is unique. I don’t profess to know a lot about music or composers, but I don’t know anyone whose work sounds like Glass’s. Depending on the piece, or to which part of the piece we’re talking about, he can be exhilarating or sombre, reflective or festive, repetitive or complex . . . but always interesting, often beautiful, and sometimes even comic. Most importantly, at least to me, is that I did not need to be taught to enjoy his music - I just love his stuff (well, much of it).
Depends on the crowd. My father, who was alive for fully half the 20th century but is no fan of “classical” music, wouldn’t know half of the names on your list above, and wouldn’t be able to name a tune written by half of the ones he does know. But ask him the tune to “Tonight” or “Maria” or “America,” and that, he will know. The average person on the street will name Bernstein, and Gershwin, and might - might - know that Copland wrote that beef song.
Now serious enthusiasts might think differently, but that certainly doesn’t make Bernstein underrated.
Three songs from one show doesn’t really count as a comparison to knowing any more than one piece by another composer. How easy it is to sing a melody doesn’t measure the significance nor the popularity of a composer. I’m sure if he heard a chunk of Rhapsody in Blue, he’d recognise it, whether or not he can name it.
(For the record, I do think that West Side Story is an absolute masterpiece. But IMO the rest of his music is a bit, well, meh. I sincerely feel his longer-lasting legacy will be as the brilliant and inspirational conductor.)