London (Reuters) – It may be among saddest but the majority enjoying emails written by a lady to help you a guy – Chilean actress Felicia Montealegre telling the woman future husband, conductor and you can author Leonard Bernstein, she knows he is homosexual but wants to marry your in any event.
This new page, where Montealegre says “you’re a gay and you also ong hundreds during the a recently available volume “The brand new Letters from Leonard Bernstein” modified by the English songs scholar Nigel Simeone, whom previously authored a book on Bernstein’s famous Broadway tunes “West Side Tale”.
Bernstein inside the characters – gifted, gay and you can liked by his spouse
With the number of characters, 650 of them into the a text off almost that numerous pages, Simeone told you he had sifted owing to particular 10,000 about U.S. Collection out-of Congress written by this new respected Bernstein, that have missives matchmaking off their teens up until their death inside the Oct 1990, and you can of his correspondents.
“We made three hemorrhoids right after which experienced the heap regarding ‘need to haves’ and you will make the grade of the about half,” Simeone informed Reuters. “I were left with what i believe got something to say regarding the him, on their musical otherwise their community or his family members which were interesting.”
The resulting volume includes characters back and forth a few of the large brands inside musical of history century, like the author Aaron Copland, who was simply a young influence, conductor Serge Koussevitsky, just who aided provide your a-start because the a great conductor, additionally the composer David Diamond, who had been a friend.
Most other musical labels include soprano Maria Callas, whom noticed Bernstein in early stages due to the fact a large ability and you can got your so you’re able to run on her behalf within Los angeles Scala opera home when you look at the Milan, to help you Pierre Boulez, Nadia Boulanger, Charles Chewing and you may Dmitri Mitropolous.
These types of was mainly of interest with the sounds business, however are pressing, for instance the of these of Montealegre, or shed a separate light on the historical situations.
Among the latter is one regarding You.S. President John F. Kennedy’s widow Jacqueline, composing during the 1968 immediately following Bernstein got developed a monument show to possess JFK’s assassinated sister Robert. It starts out: “It’s cuatro:00 in the morning – following this much time, long day”.
It goes to give thanks to him to own cutting through the brand new church bureaucracy to prepare for Mahler and Verdi played in the Robert Kennedy’s art gallery Mass.
“I was thinking they the most beautiful tunes I got have you ever heard,” Jacqueline Kennedy writes. “I am very glad I did not know it – it absolutely was which unusual songs of all the gods who were whining.”
Simeone said he had been happy whenever Caroline Kennedy, the daughter regarding JFK and you can Jackie, approved let your use it.
“Some body thought to myself it’s great but there’s absolutely no way when you look at the heck you’ll receive for action. I need to provides stuck the girl towards the good time due to the fact I would not have experienced a nicer answer of Caroline claiming, ‘Exactly what an attractive letter, of course you need it’.”
Sharing Communication
Among Bernstein’s most sharing items of interaction is with Copland, the latest creator of one’s sound of the Western western inside the ballets “Rodeo” and “Billy the little one”, so you can who young son into the 1940 broadcast their frustrations, asking: “As to the reasons practice Chopin mazurkas? Why practice possibly the Copland variations?”
That Copland sagely replied: “Just what scary emails you make: fit for the brand new fire is exactly what they are. Consider simply how much you would have to shell out so you can access eg a page forty years from today when you’re conductor of your own (New york) Philharmonic” – and therefore Bernstein was to end up being 18 ages later.
The fresh new page out of Montealegre, composed, the publication claims, either in later 1951 or very early 1952, have to rank even if as among the really thoughtful and you may pressing “prenuptial agreements” toward checklist:
“First: We are really not invested in a lifestyle sentence – there is nothing really irrevocable, not really relationship (in the event I regularly think so),” Montealegre typed.
“Second: you’re a gay and will never ever alter – you don’t know towards the odds of a double lifestyle, but if your assurance, health, the entire nervous system count on a certain sexual development, so what can you are doing?
“Third: I am ready to take on your when you are, without getting a good martyr otherwise losing me with the L.B. altar. (I accidentally love your a whole lot – it a condition while it is exactly what most useful clean out?)”
Even after the girl that have went with sight spacious into the a married relationship one to produced one or two students and you may and therefore afterwards letters show was greatly satisfying and you may fascinating, Montealegre you can expect to have not forecast the brand new dreadful comeuppance she got when she developed cancer and Bernstein quit the lady to have a masculine companion.
Whilst couples was in fact reconciled soon just before Felicia’s death during the 1978, Simeone sees it as a decreased point in Bernstein’s if you don’t prominent career and you can encouraging lifestyle.
“At the very least he’d feel when individuals said, ‘Getting Christ’s benefit, kinds they out’, he’d the feeling going moving returning to Felicia.