Local, National Tributes Planned for Bernstein

The American musical community moved quickly to honor Leonard Bernstein, who died Sunday at age 72. Concerts and other events in memory of the nation’s pre-eminent composer-conductor are planned locally as well as across the country.

Bernstein was long identified with the New York Philharmonic, with which he first came to national attention in 1943 and which he served as music director from 1958 to 1969. That orchestra paid tribute to its conductor laureate Monday by adding to the program the Adagietto from the Symphony No. 5 by Mahler, a composer whom Bernstein did much to popularize.

The New York Philharmonic will also give four performances of a special Bernstein program, beginning Thursday. Leonard Slatkin will conduct the Overture to “Candide,” the Serenade-- with violinist Glenn Dicterow--and the “Jeremiah” Symphony No. 1 and the Chichester Psalms, with the New York Choral Artists.

The “Music for Life” AIDS benefit, Oct. 28 at Carnegie Hall, will feature a musical tribute to Bernstein, conducted by James Levine. Bernstein was originally scheduled to share the podium with Levine, and had planned to attend the event even after he announced his retirement last week.

In Chicago, Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony will also play the Mahler Adagietto tonight, and Solti will address the audience. The Chicago Symphony and the American Symphony Orchestra League gave a gala 70th birthday celebration for Bernstein two years ago.

In Los Angeles, radio station KCRW-FM (89.9) will offer a three-hour Bernstein tribute on Wednesday, beginning at 9 a.m. Expected to participate in the program, hosted by Brent Wilcox, are Gail Eichenthal and Ernest Fleischmann, Los Angeles Philharmonic executive vice president.

The L.A. Philharmonic is also planning its own tribute this week, its details not finalized yet. But Fleischmann said he was trying to obtain the music to enable the Philharmonic to perform the Simple Song from Bernstein’s Mass.

Next summer will be the 10th anniversary of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute, the acclaimed training program of which Bernstein was a co-founder. Fleischmann said that season will be dedicated to Bernstein, with one of his orchestral pieces on each concert.

Several shows involving Bernstein’s music are currently running locally. Director Bill Shaw held curtain a few minutes at Sunday night’s San Gabriel Civic Light Opera production of “West Side Story” to inform the audience of Bernstein’s death and to dedicate the performance to him, “to give thanks for his genius.”

That dedication may be repeated each night until the show ends Oct. 28, Shaw said. “I wasn’t aware of his death until KABC called and said they would like to send someone out.”

The marquee outside the San Gabriel Civic Auditorium reads “in memory of Leonard Bernstein.”

Bernstein’s passing was also announced to the Schubert Theatre audience for “Jerome Robbins’ Broadway,” prior to the performance Sunday, and that night’s performance was dedicated to Bernstein after a moment of silence was observed.

Albert Dominguez will open the Southwest Chamber Music Society concerts this week--Thursday at Chapman College, Friday at the Pasadena Library--with Bernstein’s “Five Anniversaries.”

Lalo Schifrin, music director of the Glendale Symphony, says he will ask his audience to stand for a minute of silence in Bernstein’s memory next Sunday at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Staff writer Lynne Heffley contributed to this story.