IF the world of classical music seems buttoned-up and boring, the racy life of US 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.
Now his unconventional life and marriage to Chilean actress Felicia Montealegre are the subject of Oscar-tipped film 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 Leonard taught himself to play the piano entirely by ear as a child.
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His talents eventually took him to Harvard University, and then to New York, where he earned a living by teaching piano.
At 25 he was appointed assistant conductor at the New York Phil- harmonic and became an overnight sensation when, without 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, Leonard went from strength to strength, writing the score for 1944 Broadway musical On The Town.
But amid his success, he lived a double life as a closeted bisexual at a time when homosexual encounters were still illegal.
Conversion therapy
While at Harvard he 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 and telling him: “You’re still not sure I’m the one for you.
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“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 returning 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 genuine feelings for his chosen bride — Felicia.
Writing to a friend, he called her “an angel and a wonderful companion”.
And it seemed that 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 do not 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 Girl, that she learned of her parents’ open marriage at the age of 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 in love with 24-year-old radio director Tom Cothran and quite seemed happy for Felicia to know about it — 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.”
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 later 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 many awkwardly hilarious moments among the upper echelons of society.
During a 1986 London Symphony Orchestra concert at London's Barbican, attended by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, he began to play the National anthem before the Queen had reached her seat.
Her Majesty then stopped rather awkwardly, halfway down a theatre staircase, while the audience sang God Save The Queen.
In the same year Leonard demanded that pop king Michael Jackson attend his 68th birthday celebrations, after he had become intrigued by the Thriller singer.
When producer and composer Quincy Jones told him Jackson could not 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 he 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
