Penguin Books Australia

A biography of one of the 20th-century's most famous musicians.

As conductor, pianist, composer, television personality and, above all, communicator, Leonard Bernstein (1918-90) was one of the most famous and documented musicians of the twentieth century.

The creator of the Broadway masterpiece, West Side Story, Bernstein was the first American conductor to conquer Europe on its own terms, and the first classical musician to harness the power of television. Critics rejected his flamboyant conducting style, his extravagant persona and many of his serious compositions, but to aspiring musicians he was of profound influence.

This new biography draws on the author's personal acquaintance with Bernstein over a period of 20 years, exploring in depth the contradictions that are revealed in the composer's public and private worlds.