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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | J 921 BERNSTEIN | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stillwater Public Library | J 921 BERNSTEIN | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
"Life without music is unthinkable."--Leonard Bernstein, Findings
When Lenny was two years old, his mother found that the only way to soothe her crying son was to turn on the Victrola. When his aunt passed on her piano to Lenny's parents, the boy demanded lessons. When Lenny went to school, he had the most fun during "singing hours."
But Lenny's love of music was met with opposition from the start. Lenny's father, a successful businessman, wanted Lenny to follow in his footsteps. Additionally, the classical music world of the 1930s and 1940s was dominated by Europeans--no American Jewish kid had a serious chance to make a name for himself in this field.
Beginning with Lenny's childhood in Boston and ending with his triumphant conducting debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic when he was just twenty-five, MUSIC WAS IT draws readers into the energetic, passionate, challenging, music-filled life of young Leonard Bernstein.
Archival photographs, mostly from the Leonard Bernstein Collection at the Library of Congress, illustrate this fascinating biography, which also includes a foreword by Bernstein's daughter Jamie. Extensive back matter includes biographies of important people in Bernstein's life, as well as a discography of his music.
Author Notes
Susan Goldman Rubin grew up in the Bronx and dreamed of becoming an artist. She illustrated her first three picture books but then turned to writing nonfiction, mainly about art and history, and is the author of more than 55 books for young people. Her titles include Diego Rivera: An Artist For The People, They Call Me A Hero: A Memoir of My Youth, Music Was It! Young Leonard Bernstein, Everyone Paints! The Art and Lives of the Wyeth Family, and Freedom Summer: The 1964 Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi.
Most recently Susan has created board books based on fine art for very young children. Her titles include Counting with Wayne Thiebaud, Andy Warhol's Colors, and Matisse: Dance For Joy.
Susan has been an instructor in the UCLA Extension Writers' Program for 20 years.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
Horn Book Review
Classical music during the early twentieth century was dominated by Europeans, but at a young age the Jewish-American Leonard Bernstein discovered a talent for piano that would, with the encouragement of various mentors, lead to a brilliant career as a conductor and composer. He pursued this career against the wishes of his father, who thought his son would always struggle as a musician (klezmers in his native Russia were little more than beggars); he wanted Lenny to take up the family business. Most orchestras were conducted by men in their forties, at least, but through a lot of perseverance and a little bit of luck, Bernstein made his triumphant conducting debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic at the age of twenty-five -- with his father sitting proudly in the audience. A biography that focuses on the youth and early adulthood of its subject risks missing the point of a biography altogether (i.e., the fame and accomplishments are what drive our interest in the person), but Rubin, with her engaging style and infectious passion, succeeds here. A timeline, biographical sketches, biblio-graphy and discography, source notes, and index are appended; numerous black-and-white photographs appear throughout. jonathan hunt (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* What do you do when you have a dream and your father is firmly against it? That's the frame story for this highly readable and inspiring biography of Leonard Bernstein, whose father, Sam, was insistent that music should be a hobby and that Leonard should take over the family beauty-parlor-equipment business. But what Rubin's involving book makes so clear is that music was Leonard's life, and even a carping father couldn't change that. From the moment young Leonard started banging around on a relative's cast-off piano, the boy wanted more; as the years went on, that meant working to pay for his own lessons, worrying about what avenue his talents should take, and enduring prejudice for his American Jewish heritage, which made conducting seem an unlikely career. The book ends with Bernstein's unexpected conducting debut at Carnegie Hall, his father in the audience. The determination, charm, and talent of Bernstein overcome the fact that few readers will know him or his music (except perhaps West Side Story). The wonderfully chosen photographs sometimes suffer from muddy reproduction, but the cover showing a young Bernstein in a T-shirt conducting his heart out is a sure draw. More about Bernstein comes in an expanded discography that includes videos and a bibliography of adult and youth books. Quotations are sourced, and thumbnail sketches of friends and colleagues mentioned in the book add dimension.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-10-Rubin's sparkling biography looks at one of the most influential and acclaimed composers/conductors in recent history and brings his story to vibrant, colorful life. Starting at age two and ending with his exalted New York Philharmonic conducting debut at age 25, the fascinating events of Bernstein's life are neatly organized into well-paced chapters. Rubin provides an unbiased, thoughtful, and well-researched account of how the virtuoso grew to become a musical icon, discussing his family life, musical education, and the trials and triumphs he encountered along the way. Photographs and primary documents such as sheet music, concert programs, and telegrams punctuate the presentation and enhance the lively narrative. Rubin's writing is clear and accessible enough for readers unfamiliar with Bernstein, but has enough information and anecdotes to satisfy the curiosities of even his most dedicated fans. There are few comparable biographies currently available for children or young adults. Jim Whiting's The Life and Times of Leonard Bernstein (Mitchell Lane, 2005) offers concise content, while Rubin's depiction has more heart and scope. Music Was It is an engrossing, warm, and comprehensive read, and should be considered an essential purchase for most libraries. All readers will appreciate Bernstein's story of proficiency, perseverance, and passion.-Rita Meade, Brooklyn Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Excerpts
Excerpts
From the start Leonard loved music. When he was about two year old, his parents, Sam and Jennie, stayed with friends who had a summer house at Revere Beach near Boston. The friends had a piano in the living room, and whenever Leonard heard someone playing, he pressed his ear to the closed door. "Moynik!" he shouted, his own word for music. At home in Mattapan, a suburb of Boston, he would cry "Moynik!" with tears running down his face until his mother put a record on the windup Victrola. Then Lenny, as he was called, would stop crying and listen happily. The Victrola was Lenny's faithful companion and, often, his only playmate. Excerpted from Music Was IT: Young Leonard Bernstein by Susan Goldman Rubin All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
