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The traveling exhibit makes its final stop at the Oregon Jewish Museum in Portland through Jan. 26., says Amy Wang, The Oregonian/OregonLive.
The man contained multitudes, says
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| The exhibit "Leonard Bernstein at 100" includes a video of the conductor at work alongside a display about his best-known work, "West Side Story." Photo: Amy Wang/Staff |
Leonard
Bernstein was a path-breaking composer who helped elevate American
classical music on the international stage. He was a rock star of a
conductor, a magnetic, ecstatic presence on the podium, with the looks
to match. He was a gifted concert pianist, trained at a top music
conservatory. He was a beloved teacher, sharing his passion for
classical music through his "Young People's Concerts" television series, which ran for 14 years.
And
he had a personal life straight out of a novel: pursuing a career in
music despite his father's disapproval; marrying a stage and screen
actress; embarking on affairs with men in an era when gay and bisexual
people were still mostly closeted. His far-left politics
– he and his wife made headlines after hosting a 1970 fundraiser for
the Black Panthers – made him a target of the FBI and Sen. Joseph
McCarthy.
No wonder Bob Santelli, curator of the exhibit "Leonard Bernstein at 100,"
said of his subject, "One of the things we were intrigued by, and I was
almost overwhelmed by, was the complexity of the man."...
Santelli
credited Judith Margles, executive director of the Oregon Jewish
Museum, with scoring the exhibit for Portland, saying she and her staff
impressed him with their professionalism, personalities and
perseverance.
Margles
said the exhibit was timely not only because of the centennial but also
because “it really is an immigrant’s story” – Bernstein was the son of
immigrants from Ukraine – and thus fits the current sociopolitical
discourse. It’s also an ideal fit for the Portland museum because
Bernstein grew up in a Jewish household and maintained his Jewish
identity his entire life.
Source: OregonLive
