LENNY LYING DOWN AND LAUGHING
December 14, 2010
Chapter 18 of My Autoblography
It seems like it was only yesterday.....
Can you believe? ....
Oh well, let me tell you two tiny private moments with Lenny –
August 19, 1990. Leonard Bernstein’s last concert he would ever conduct – at Tanglewood. After the concert Lenny, his sister Shirley and I are driven back to New York City in a Limo – Lenny coughing, Shirley coughing – oh by the way, they were both smoking as if they were in a nicotine marathon. I, a never smoker, was going mad. God he was so tired it was hard for him to talk. He put his head on my lap and his feet on Shirley’s. I stroked his head and told him I would make up a story to while away the time and hopefully put him to sleep. I remember very little of this opus – just that there once was a creature – half-animal half-man. Well that perked up our Lenny boy – he started asking questions, his voice came back, and I had to come up with answers – plots – point? point? – the three of us were laughing so hard – point? point? – Lenny’s zest and curiosity never waned. Don’t think for a second his illness or body defeated him. He wanted to be rid of the sick, humorless part of him. He told us many, many times – he never wanted to live so he could be “wheeled over to and around Central Park”.
October 13, 1990 – the night before he died. I sat on his bed and as the family and friends went into dinner, he said to me “I know, I know – you’ll give me a thousand dollars if you can just go home now” – an exchange we had many times, before receptions, parties and the like. I nodded yes and we laughed – we really laughed – I kissed his forehead and I went home. I owe him a thousand dollars. What the world owes him? You couldn’t afford.
Phyllis Newman and Leonard Bernstein
Click here to view this piece by Phyllis Newman on LeonardBernstein.com.
It seems like it was only yesterday.....
Can you believe? ....
Oh well, let me tell you two tiny private moments with Lenny –
August 19, 1990. Leonard Bernstein’s last concert he would ever conduct – at Tanglewood. After the concert Lenny, his sister Shirley and I are driven back to New York City in a Limo – Lenny coughing, Shirley coughing – oh by the way, they were both smoking as if they were in a nicotine marathon. I, a never smoker, was going mad. God he was so tired it was hard for him to talk. He put his head on my lap and his feet on Shirley’s. I stroked his head and told him I would make up a story to while away the time and hopefully put him to sleep. I remember very little of this opus – just that there once was a creature – half-animal half-man. Well that perked up our Lenny boy – he started asking questions, his voice came back, and I had to come up with answers – plots – point? point? – the three of us were laughing so hard – point? point? – Lenny’s zest and curiosity never waned. Don’t think for a second his illness or body defeated him. He wanted to be rid of the sick, humorless part of him. He told us many, many times – he never wanted to live so he could be “wheeled over to and around Central Park”.
October 13, 1990 – the night before he died. I sat on his bed and as the family and friends went into dinner, he said to me “I know, I know – you’ll give me a thousand dollars if you can just go home now” – an exchange we had many times, before receptions, parties and the like. I nodded yes and we laughed – we really laughed – I kissed his forehead and I went home. I owe him a thousand dollars. What the world owes him? You couldn’t afford.
Phyllis Newman and Leonard Bernstein
Click here to view this piece by Phyllis Newman on LeonardBernstein.com.
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Next year I will play "I hate music" What a joke.
Renate
Shame on Julliard for not admitting him and kudos to the Curtis Institute for doing so!
I'm glad his Connecticut composing studio was donated to my alma mater Indiana University, which treasures it, and to which I traveled this summer with my son who performs.
I never met Bernstein, although as a child I was rivited to his young people's concerts. However. we will end up close, as my Greenwood property in Brooklyn is near his Greenwood resting place. Sitting on the iron bench on his family plot in Greenwood was uplifting for me a couple years ago during a re-creation of The Battle of Brooklyn. From about 50 yards from Brooklyn's highest point I could survey the New York harbor.
I foolishly believed that new melodies would cascade through my brain while contemplating on his bench, but unfortunately they did not. I think God expended all his musical talent when he made Lenny!
I'm glad you made this page, Phyllis. Thanks!
Must have been '89 or so. He came in a few times and I would always have to be his waitor. I remember he took a real liking to me. He drank Fleischmans whiskey or rye. I remember exactly where he sat. I do think if I pursued it more aggressively and confidently, he would have gladly helped me in my career. I opted not to.
What a gift he was and is. Thank you for sharing Phyllis. I exuded good energy! I felt it then and feel it still.