Leonard Bernsteinwas one of the most celebrated composers and conductors in history.
But one major award eluded him: the Oscar.
Now a movie about his life,Maestro,has seven nominations.
Leonard Bernstein; Bradley Cooper in ‘Maestro’.TV Times via Getty Images; Everett Collection
(At that time, they had a separate category for Best Score of a Musical.)
(See alsoJudy GarlandandMarilyn Monroe.)
Why are we consumed with celebrating work that recreates something singular instead of celebrating the singular work itself?
But it is a reflection of what we, as a society, deem to be worthy.
Some of this is, of course, because most great artists are ahead of their time.
In Bernstein’s case, that is not really true.
He made his conducting debut at Carnegie Hall when he was only 25, which made him famous overnight.
He brought classical music to the masses via recordings and television programs.
He was troubled, yes, particularly by his sexuality and the challenges it brought to his marriage.
But he was not misunderstood as an artist.
Historically, the Academy has been more impressed by the approximation of a thing than the thing itself.
After all, the Oscar itself isn’t really gold, it’s a gold-plated bronze statuette.
Why mar things by digging deeper?
Just enjoy the way it glitters.
