Leonard Bernstein Audiobook By Allen Shawn cover art

Leonard Bernstein

An American Musician (Jewish Lives)

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Leonard Bernstein

By: Allen Shawn
Narrated by: Peter Lerman
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Leonard Bernstein stood at the epicenter of 20th-century American musical life. His creative gifts knew no boundaries, as he moved easily from the podium, to the piano, to television with his nationally celebrated Young People’s Concerts, which introduced an entire generation to the joy of classical music.

In this fascinating new biography, the breadth of Bernstein’s musical composition is explored, through the spectacular range of music he composed—from West Side Story to Kaddish to A Quiet Place and beyond—and through his intensely public role as an internationally celebrated conductor. For the first time, the composer’s life and work receive a fully integrated analysis, offering a comprehensive appreciation of a multi-faceted musician, who continued to grow as an artist well into his final days.

The book is published by Yale University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

©2014 Allen Shawn (P)2023 Redwood Audiobooks Entertainment & Celebrities Music Religious Celebrity Musician Piano Opera

Critic reviews

"Excellent." (David Denby, New Yorker)

"An engrossing portrait of a gifted—and conflicted—man." (Jerusalem Post)

"Well-paced and highly readable, Leonard Bernstein brings alive both the man and his music." (Maron L. Waxman, Jewish Book Council)
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A wonderful and detailed account of this most important American musician. Every work of significance is given detailed analysis, the conducting career is described accurately, and the important individuals in his life are also drawn with sensitivity.


The only part that slightly bothered me was the author’s sermonizing about politics in the latter portion of Bernstein‘s life.

A thorough and detailed biography

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Listener received this title free

A musician, a composer, and a conductor - who shone brightly in all endeavors. A complicated and fascinating story. I enjoyed it very much.

What an amazing story!

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If there is such a thing as a book genre "pro-semitic" this book would set the standard. For folks that loved the Brad Cooper movie "Maestro," this work gives the foreground, epilogue and many additional stories. The musical and historic details were flawless. An excellent audiobook experience.



A Must for Musicians or Lovers of the Movie "Maestro"

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