Songs is Bernstein’s finest and more than lingering passions. But his like existence try an important part away from their build-up, along with his characters help us form a fuller image of a difficult lifetime which had been packed with twists and you will turns – neatly share: “Demonstrably, he had been comfortable with getting sexual in many different ways and but really the guy wished a timeless existence, with a spouse and you may people so you can which he was loyal. He was a complicated, cutting-edge man, and you may state-of-the-art individuals have advanced individual lifestyle.” 1 Fascinating once the letters come from men and women (always dudes) with exactly who Bernstein had relationships into the 1940s, We have chose rather to focus on Bernstein’s own ideas to his sexuality, and its own ramifications getting their career. In communication having Copland and you may David Oppenheim particularly, and also in specific emails in order to their cousin Shirley and also to Diamond, he examines their sexual term, tend to discussing a state of distress and you will internal disagreement. Towards the one-hand, his history inculcated traditional beliefs and you can dating – sooner matrimony; on the other, their needs about 1940s were constantly for males. Shortly after their university education had been more than, the guy began a process regarding worry about-mining for the psychoanalyst he called the “Frau” – Marketa Morris. While we can see off their emails, he common the same expert having Oppenheim (with which Bernstein got a close, surely close dating in early 1940s; the friendship are lifelong).
Once a shaky begin (due primarily to Bernstein’s initial habit of esteem relationship since the a great sorts of experiment), the relationship out-of Leonard and you can Felicia blossomed – for example once Jamie, the initial of their college students, was born in 1952
It’s no wonder one Bernstein remained quiet about his sexuality in emails to help you Koussevitzky – up until, that is, he with pride established his first wedding to Felicia in December 1946, indicating an image of his sexuality that has been at the best incomplete. Bernstein themselves try anxious you to definitely their sex lives might have a beneficial ruining effect on their a job applicants, dreading he might battle finding work given that good conductor in the event it turned into recognized that he are gay.
It’s value pausing for a moment to look at the latest social and you may personal context one to provided Bernstein instance anxiety about exactly how anybody else might check their sexuality. Of many American psychoanalysts on the 1930s and you may 1940s felt homosexuality to help you become a mental disease which will address “treatment”. The study because of the Alfred Kinsey and others wrote within the 1948 due to the fact Sexual Conclusion regarding Person Male (the first “Kinsey Declaration”) attempted to codify amounts of homosexual, heterosexual, and you can asexual conclusion within the men into “Kinsey Size”, aiming to demonstrate that guys didn’t fit into neat and exclusive kinds. dos
You will find a good predictably violent response to Kinsey’s conclusions: as well as others, J. Edgar Vacuum cleaner, movie director of FBI, try quick to help you denounce the new results regarding the pages off Reader’s Digest: “Mans feeling of decency announces what exactly is regular and what’s not. After Western someone, more youthful otherwise old, started to believe that there’s no such as for example thing while the correct otherwise incorrect, normal otherwise unpredictable, people who would destroy civilization often applaud a major victory more than our very own traditions.” step three This means that, homosexuality, such as communism, is “Un-American”. Couple of years after, within the ed Senate Committee towards the Costs about Manager Divisions approved a post on this new “A job off Homosexuals or other Sex Perverts when you look at the Government,” coming to your own hair-raising end you to definitely “homosexuals and other sex perverts aren’t right persons getting doing work in Regulators for 2 factors; basic, they usually are the incorrect, and you may 2nd, it compensate security dangers.” cuatro
Bernstein wasn’t, of course, trying to work regarding regulators, but he craved welcome. Discover nothing solid evidence to indicate you to definitely conductors weren’t designated to certain ranking for their homosexuality regarding the 1940s and you can 1950s, no matter if Dimitri Mitropoulos appear to noticed he had been victimized. But several of the most well liked rates regarding the arts had been homosexuals, maybe not minimum Aaron Copland, that has, by the middle-1940s, become the best and you may special voice in Western classical audio. Bernstein, not, aspired to-be the music manager out-of a major American orchestra and experienced– rightly otherwise improperly – which he must demonstrated he was a conventional, old-fashioned family guy. Despite Bernstein’s constant protestations that he craved the greater amount of individual lifestyle out-of an author (where his sexuality have no already been a problem), he might don’t allow wade off performing as a significant part from their occupation.
What the guy did not need to worry about as often was the new possible impression their sexuality might have into the his matrimony – about less much due to the fact their chose mate, Felicia Montealegre, try worried. She understood just what she are committing herself in order to: after it hitched, she authored: “you are an excellent homosexual and you can happy to undertake your since you was, without being a martyr or losing myself with the L.B. altar (Page 320).”
A particularly vibrant youngster, it’s obvious off Bernstein’s emails home simply how much the guy liked their. The same love shines courtesy into the Bernstein’s statements for the most of the their students (Jamie, Alexander, and Nina); and his pure devotion in order to Felicia try obvious in many letters throughout the early 1950s up until the mid-70s. It actually was a relationship which had their rugged minutes, but only with this new crisis of 1976 in addition to their “trial separation” made it happen threaten to-fall aside. At verkkosivuston linkki the conclusion of their lives, Bernstein joked so you can Jonathan Cott one to “you want like, and that’s why I’ve ten thousand personal nearest and dearest that’s unjust on them because I can’t promote any one of all of them everything”. 5 But also for a-quarter off a beneficial century, Felicia try the latest exclusion: she is certainly ideal love of his life.
step 1. Dougary, Ginny (2010): “Leonard Bernstein: Magnetic, Arrogant – and you can a beneficial Dad,” The changing times (London), thirteen March. On the internet version in the , utilized .
Martin (1948): Sexual Conclusion about Individual Male
4. Which declaration was reprinted within the Promote, Thomas An excellent., ed. (2013): Recording Personal Things: Prierica. Chicago: University regarding Chicago Press, pp. 144–eight. Centered on an article mention (p. 144): “A whole lot more homosexuals than communists was fired regarding government work within this several months [the fresh 1950s].”
On Leonard Bernstein Characters by the Leonard Bernstein, edited by Nigel Simeone. Compiled by Yale College Drive for the 2014. Reproduced that have permission.
Nigel Simeone known while the a writer and you will audio speaker into music which is the author of a lot guides plus Leonard Bernstein: West Top Story. The guy stays in Northamptonshire, United kingdom.