Leonard Bernstein - An American Life Jan. 1st on KCRW and KCRW.com

Leonard Bernstein - An American Life Jan. 1st on KCRW and KCRW.com

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Dec. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, January 1, 2009, from 9 am to 5 pm and 7 pm to 10 pm, public radio station 89.9 FM KCRW-Santa Monica and www.KCRW.com presents a marathon broadcast and live webstream simulcast of the groundbreaking 11-hour documentary series, Leonard Bernstein: An American Life. Produced by Steve Rowland and winner of the prestigious Peabody Award, the series illuminates the life and work of musical titan Leonard Bernstein, narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon.

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was a conductor and composer who became a household name and an American icon because of the power of his personality and his passion to communicate, through music, about life, love and the human condition. Youngsters (and adults) in the 1960s and beyond were the beneficiaries of Bernstein's intense music making and insightful commentary on his Young People's Concerts.

Bernstein's career and life are explored through his correspondence and interviews with more than 100 people who knew and worked with him including John Adams, Marin Alsop, Betty Comden, John Corigliano, Adolph Green, Bobby McFerrin, Hal Prince, Mary Rodgers, Mstislav Rostropovich, Stephen Sondheim, and more. Bernstein's brother Burton, son Alexander, and daughters Nina and Jamie appear in thought-provoking interviews and readings.

The series was distributed by the WFMT Network in Chicago.

HOUR ONE

Leonard Bernstein -- The Early Years (1917-1939) Bernstein's early years, through Harvard years and his meeting with Aaron Copland, a key influence on Bernstein's development.

HOUR TWO

12 Gates to the City -- Meeting the Mentors (1939--1943) Filling in for Bruno Walter, Bernstein becomes the first American-born conductor to lead a New York Philharmonic subscription concert. 25-year-old Bernstein is suddenly a star.

HOUR THREE

New York, New York (1944-1951) Bernstein establishes himself as the wunderkind of American culture. From the creation of the groundbreaking musical comedy On The Town with Jerome Robbins, Adolph Green and Betty Comden, to his emergence as a force in the world of "serious music."

HOUR FOUR

Tonight (1951-1958) Bernstein is at the height of his public reputation. We look at his TV music specials for Robert Saudek and the CBS series Omnibus, and his landmark musical theatre works, Candide and West Side Story.

HOUR FIVE

A New Frontier - The Philharmonic Years (1959-68) Bernstein is enthroned as "star conductor" and the living embodiment of the Television Age in serious music.

HOURS SIX AND SEVEN

Bernstein: The Conductor Bernstein's evolution as a conductor and his role as a teacher.

HOUR EIGHT

Crossroads (1968-1978) Bernstein leaves the Philharmonic and ends his 25-year relationship with Columbia Records. He leaves his wife for his lover Tommy Cochran then returns following her diagnosis of lung cancer.

HOURS NINE AND TEN

Bernstein: The Composer Bernstein's role as composer is overshadowed by his roles as conductor and teacher. We examine his body of composed music.

HOUR ELEVEN

A Candle Burned At Both Ends (1979-1990) Bernstein races to finish major compositional works he hopes will help gain him the reputation as a major composer that he feels has eluded him. Only after his passing does the immensity of Bernstein's place in the music of the 20th century become clear.

KCRW-FM, licensed to Santa Monica College, is National Public Radio's flagship station for Southern California. The station serves Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura Counties, as well as parts of San Diego, San Bernardino, Kern, and Santa Barbara Counties and the greater Palm Springs area. KCRW.com streams more than 1.5 million hours online every month, and listeners download about 1 million audio and video podcasts per month.

Source: KCRW.com

CONTACT: Sarah Spitz of KCRW.com, +1-310-314-4627, sarah.spitz@kcrw.org

Web Site: http://www.kcrw.com/

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