| | '''Leonard Bernstein''' (1918-1990) was an [[American]] conductor of the [[New York Philharmonic]] and composer of the musical scores for [[West Side Story]], On the Town, and Candide. | | '''Leonard Bernstein''' (1918-1990) was an [[American]] conductor of the [[New York Philharmonic]] and composer of the musical scores for [[West Side Story]], On the Town, and Candide. |
| − | He was politically [[liberal]] and filmed at least one commercial urging [[Americans]] to vote against the election of President [[Ronald Reagan]]. Perhaps because of his [[liberal]] political advocacy, the [[media]] popularized Bernstein and made him the best known conductor of his time among the [[American]] public. | + | He was politically [[liberal]] and filmed at least one commercial urging [[Americans]] to vote against the election of President [[Ronald Reagan]]. |
| | Bernstein helped Classical music reach millions of children through his "Young People's Concerts" and gained worldwide critical success as a pianist, composer, and conductor. His multiple talents led him to established reputations as a conductor of traditional literature (Mozart, Beethoven, etc.), the high Romantics (Mahler and Bruckner), and especially opera, for which he became highly admired in the leading opera houses of the world. Like George Gershwin, he was eager to straddle the classical and popular music worlds and did so in music halls, jazz clubs, opera halls, television, and the avante garde scene.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0825.html</ref> | | Bernstein helped Classical music reach millions of children through his "Young People's Concerts" and gained worldwide critical success as a pianist, composer, and conductor. His multiple talents led him to established reputations as a conductor of traditional literature (Mozart, Beethoven, etc.), the high Romantics (Mahler and Bruckner), and especially opera, for which he became highly admired in the leading opera houses of the world. Like George Gershwin, he was eager to straddle the classical and popular music worlds and did so in music halls, jazz clubs, opera halls, television, and the avante garde scene.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0825.html</ref> |