In 1943, at the age of 25, Leonard Bernstein made a spectacular debut with the New York Philharmonic, substituting at the last minute for ailing Conductor Bruno Walter. Bernstein found himself on the front pages the next day, and ever since he has been one of the most prominent figures on the American musical scene. Familiar to millions from his lectures and performances on television, renowned as the composer of West Side Story, hailed as a formidable interpreter of Beethoven and Mahler, Bernstein may be the most protean talent and the most celebrated conductor America has yet produced.
Now he may...