Maestro: 1 Bradley Cooper Act Even Made Leonard Bernstein’s Daughter Take a Bow
In Bradley Cooper’s new film Maestro, the actor directs and stars as legendary composer Leonard Bernstein. Rather than commission an original score, Cooper made the bold choice to exclusively feature Bernstein’s own iconic works throughout the film. This decision impressed even Bernstein’s daughter Jamie, who calls the classical music “the co-star of the film.”
Cooper personally curated over an hour of Bernstein compositions as the emotional backbone of Maestro. From ballet and Broadway to opera and film scores, he dug deep into the maestro’s repertoire. Jamie Bernstein was awestruck by Cooper’s selections, saying he “didn’t pick the obvious things at all” and featured “really obscure” works she loved but didn’t expect to hear on screen.
Jamie Bernstein “Astonished” by Obscure Song Choices
According to Variety, The decision impressed even Bernstein’s daughter Jamie, who calls the classical music “the co-star of the film.” Bradley Cooper personally curated over an hour of her father’s compositions. Jamie was “astonished” by his obscure selections, saying he “didn’t pick the obvious things at all” and featured “really obscure” works she loved but didn’t expect to hear on screen. Jamie said,
“One of my hopes, and that of my brother and sister, is that viewers will be enchanted by the Bernstein music and want to discover, or re-discover, his compositions. There are so many of them and they’re so varied and fabulous. I am a shameless Bernstein booster. I hope the world discovers how wonderful it is.”
If Cooper’s passion project can bring new listeners to Bernstein’s concert halls, Broadway, and silver screen scores, then the maestro’s musical genius will continue enlightening generations to come. Jamie and her family surely would give a standing ovation to hear Bernstein’s life work showcased for modern audiences.
How Were the Classics Reimagined?
While Cooper edited his initial cut of Maestro using Bernstein’s original archival recordings, the audio quality was deemed lacking for modern theatrical sound systems. So the decision was made to re-record over an hour of classics with new life.
Enter Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the renowned conductor Cooper had already hired to be his personal mentor. Nézet-Séguin, himself a Bernstein devotee, worked closely with Cooper to choose instrumental passages and tweaks tailored to each scene. He then conducted the new recordings over three days with the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
The result, says executive music producer Jason Ruder, was a score that stayed “very authentic to Lenny” while benefiting from today’s superior recording technology. Now Bernstein’s music can impact new generations of moviegoers when Maestro releases next year. Jamie Bernstein already feels Cooper’s choices will make viewers “want to discover or re-discover” her father’s brilliant compositions.
Thanks to Bradley Cooper’s ambition and reverence for Leonard Bernstein’s legacy, the maestro’s music lives on once more as the heart and soul of an ambitious biopic. Bernstein surely would’ve taken a bow at hearing his life’s work so exquisitely showcased.
