French President Honors Baldwin and Bernstein
President Francois Mitterrand saluted American composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein and American novelist James Baldwin, naming them commanders of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest award.
The joint ceremony, held Thursday at the presidential palace, brought Bernstein and Baldwin together for the first time in many years. Neither knew the other was to receive an award.
Mitterrand referred to Bernstein compositions, including “West Side Story” and “Mass,” and praised the 67-year-old maestro for a “rich and varied career that began more than 40 years ago.”
Baldwin, 61, the author of “The Fire Next Time” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” has lived in France for nearly 40 years.
Baldwin and Bernstein were flanked by family friends and celebrities, including Lauren Bacall and Broadway veterans Betty Comden and Adolph Green, who earlier participated in a gala tribute to Bernstein.
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