Prelude, Fugue & Riffs: Spring/Summer 2009

Leonard Bernstein and Felix Mendelssohn

During a relaxed evening with Leonard Bernstein at his Dakota apartment in early November 1989, our conversation turned to an idea I had recently developed – an idea which would, many years later, turn into The Mendelssohn Project, dedicated to insuring the composer's rightful place in history.

Bernstein began forecasting what I would encounter in my research; there were, he thought, vast amounts of undiscovered music and letters, as well as a deeply troubling story of posthumous attacks on Mendelssohn's life. And, Bernstein said, "despite what the history books claimed, Felix Mendelssohn was a fascinating, tortured, and complicated man." He was correct on all counts.

As it turned out, Bernstein had recently began a fresh study of Mendelssohn's life in preparation for performances and a recording of Elijah, which was to have taken place in late 1990. This would have marked the first time he had ever conducted this Mendelssohn masterpiece. He further explained that he regretted not having spent more time delving into this "giant composer," and was correcting his omission.

I realized from the passionate way he was talking that he was admitting to feeling a particular kinship with Mendelssohn. At that point, I could not see the parallel because I still held the standard two-dimensional view of the 19th century composer.

I had long regarded Leonard Bernstein's recording with the Israel Philharmonic of Mendelssohn's "Scottish" Symphony as the seminal recording of this work. It would still be a few more years before I would encounter his recording of the "Italian," but that performance would also soon replace all others for me in terms of its direct yet deeply introspective passion. Bernstein had not, up until then, spent much time on this composer. The musical connection was intense and immediate – as with Mahler, Shostakovitch and Beethoven.

Based on my 1989 Mendelssohn discussion with Bernstein, I came to realize many years later that the connection between these two masters was profound, and I believe that he was beginning to recognize this fact near the end of his life. Over the course of my years spent with The Mendelssohn Project, I often drew a direct parallel between these two towering figures. In addition to being equally talented as teachers, conductors, and composers, they were the only two artists, from any generation, of whom one can say the following: in his respective century, 'he' was the most famous, sought-after, influential, multi-talented,  espected and beloved figure. In my opinion there is no one about whom one can say all of those things except Leonard Bernstein and Felix Mendelssohn.