On Leonard Bernstein

Sometimes when I'm listening to Leonard Bernstein I get confused. At first I think I'm listening to Copeland. Wide, rolling harmonies, and subtle folk influence. Then, a little while in, the piece will suddenly take on a jazzy swagger, and I'll think I'm listening to Gershwin. I mean, there are a bunch of reasons for that feeling - Gershwin and Copeland shared a teacher (Rubin Goldmark), and as a conductor, Bernstein loved to conduct both Gershwin and Copeland's works - but it makes the feeling no less remarkable to have explanation. This morning it was Bernstein's "On the Town," a piece written for ballet (I believe) that was evoking Copeland/Gershwin memories in me. I always thought that, in addition to being a Copeland fan, Bernstein's works had been slightly influenced by Copeland. But in doing a brief search and bit of reading on the net, I can't find the evidence to support my recollection. Perhaps in looking deeper or longer I'd find something, but I should be getting back to work. You know, as a point of interest related to this subject, when I was about 4 or 5 years old I had a list of favorite composers. Copeland was #2 (second only to Debussy). I'm sure on my modern day list he'd still be somewhere in the top 10. I should work on that list one of these days.

Also, as a random side note, I had a weird, scary dream last night where I killed a bunch of cows by cutting their Achilles tendons. And then a bunch of people that I work with got sad about the dead cows, and started jumping out the windows of my building. I decided to leave the building then, but it only made the people at work more antagonized, so then they started trying to jump on to me when they jumped out the windows. It was freaky. Aiiight, peace.