Why Bradley Cooper is obsessed with Leonard Bernstein, who flaunted lovers to wife and seduced daughter’s boyfriend
IF the world of classical music seems buttoned-up and boring, the racy life of composer Leonard Bernstein should make you change your tune.
Known for writing West Side Story and conducting the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the bisexual maestro’s open marriage, a fling with his daughter’s boyfriend and run-ins with royals made him a worthy candidate for a Hollywood biopic.
And now his unconventional life and marriage to Chilean actress Felicia Montealegre are the subject of Oscar-tipped movie Maestro, starring Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan.
Bradley, who also directed the film, said: “The reason why I wanted to make the movie was I believe that they found each other’s soulmates.”
Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts to Jewish Ukrainian immigrants, music-mad young Leonard taught himself to play the piano entirely by ear.
His talents eventually took him to world-class Harvard University, and then to New York, where he earned a living by teaching piano.
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At 25 he was appointed assistant conductor at the New York Philharmonic and became an overnight sensation when, without any rehearsal, he filled in for the orchestra’s regular conductor Bruno Walter, who had come down with flu.
The next day the New York Times ran a gushing front-page review of the Carnegie Hall concert.
Professionally he went from strength to strength, writing the score for 1944 Broadway musical On The Town.
But amid his success, Leonard lived a double life as a closeted bisexual at a time when homosexuality was still illegal.
Conversion therapy
At Harvard he had had an affair with much older Greek-American conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos, who became his professional mentor.
He first met Felicia the day before her 24th birthday in 1946.
They immediately hit it off and made plans to marry the following year.
While friends were calling it love at first sight, Leonard was taking a boyfriend named only as Seymour to concerts in San Francisco and Vancouver.
In December 1947 Felicia wrote to Leonard calling off the engagement, telling him: “You’re still not sure I’m the one for you.
“It’s not so much you’re afraid to hurt me as that you may be ‘stuck with the salad’.
“So here’s one less decision for you to make — let’s call it off. If some miracle happens and some day you want me very much, ask me again.”
Soon after, in 1948, Leonard took up a role in Tel Aviv with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra — then known as the Palestine Symphony Orchestra — and fell in love with young Israeli soldier Azariah Rapoport.
But on return to New York, he tried conversion therapy with Hungarian-born Dr Sandor Rado to try to “cure” his homosexuality and safeguard his career from deeply homophobic orchestra bigwigs.
He soon decided a marriage would “save” him, though he did hold real feelings for his choice of bride — Felicia.
Writing to a friend, he called her “an angel and a wonderful companion”.
And it appeared Felicia gave Leonard her blessing to have affairs with men — as long as he did not publicly embarrass her.
She wrote to him: “You are a homosexual and may never change.
“You don’t admit to the possibility of a double life, but if your peace of mind, your health, your whole nervous system depends on a certain sexual pattern, what can you do?
“I am willing to accept you as you are, without being a martyr.” And the unconventional arrangement appeared to work for the couple for a while.
They married in 1951 and quickly had children Jamie, Alexander and Nina.
But soon Leonard’s affairs became incompatible with family life.
A friend visiting the Bernsteins recalled finding Leonard in the hallway kissing a beautiful 20-year-old boy while Felicia was sitting alone in the living room.
She also suffered the humiliation of receiving phone calls and discovering love letters from her husband’s many boyfriends.
Eldest daughter Jamie wrote in her autobiography, Famous Father Daughter, that she learned of her parents’ open marriage aged 18.
In 1972 Leonard introduced her to composer Justus Franz, who later became her boyfriend.
But Jamie long suspected that her father had been romantically involved with him too.
She said: “My father fell in love with . . . Justus. ‘Jamie, you would love him, he’s so cute, he’s so beautiful, he’s so funny, he’s so smart and you must meet him’.
“I met Justus Franz again and we fell madly in love and had this big affair. In the course Justus denied up and down that he had ever had an affair with my father.”
A year later, Leonard fell for radio director Tom Cothran, and appeared unbothered by Felicia knowing about the affair — even letting her catch them in bed together.
In 1976 Leonard finally decided to come out, and left Felicia for Tom.
That year at a New York Philharmonic concert he declared: “I decided that I had to do this for myself, to live the rest of my life as I want.”
But Felicia was less philosophical, raging to a friend: “The son of a bitch, he beat me to it.”
And she told Leonard: “You’re going to die a bitter and lonely old man.”
Indeed, Leonard’s new relationship ended the following February.
Bizarrely he persuaded Felicia to take him back, but soon after, she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
Leonard told her doctor: “I want her, I love her. I don’t care if she’s half paralysed, she’s my Felicia.”
He was haunted by the belief that his affairs caused her early death in 1978.
He became addicted to amphetamines and alcohol and had an entourage of attractive young men who followed him to nightclubs.
His daughter Nina said: “I’d say, ‘Now don’t stay out too late, and don’t misbehave, whatever you do’. And sure enough, the next day in the New York Post there would be a picture of him dancing on the tables at Studio 54.”
In his later years, Leonard became known for causing awkwardly hilarious moments among the upper echelons of society.
At a 1986 London Symphony Orchestra concert at the Barbican attended by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip he began to play the national anthem before the Queen had reached her seat.
She then stopped rather awkwardly halfway down a theatre staircase while the audience sang God Save The Queen.
In the same year Leonard demanded that Michael Jackson attend one of his concerts as a birthday present after becoming intrigued by the Thriller singer.
When producer and composer Quincy Jones told him Jackson couldn’t make it, Leonard said: “You tell Michael Jackson I command him to come to Royce Hall tomorrow.”
His threat seemed to work and Jackson duly attended.
Leonard was so excited he grabbed Jackson and kissed him on the lips.
In 1989 Leonard was diagnosed with lung cancer, but carried on touring, conducting and chain-smoking until he collapsed on stage.
He spent his 72nd birthday in 1990 in hospital, where he learned he also had emphysema and fibrosis.
In October that year he died of a heart attack and was buried next to Felicia in Green-Wood Cemetery in New York — together for ever at last.
