My Twelve Tone Melody

My Twelve Tone Melody
by Leonard Bernstein
Irving Berlin in 1937
Composed1988
Performed11 May 1988 (1988-05-11): New York City

"My Twelve Tone Melody" is a 1988 composition by Leonard Bernstein written in tribute to Irving Berlin in celebration of Berlin's 100th birthday.[1] It was performed by Bernstein at the concert to celebrate Berlin's birthday at Carnegie Hall in May 1988.[1]

The piece was poorly received by Berlin's family at the concert, Bernstein's biographer, Joan Peyser, described it as a "dour, mean little piece" and that the piece could be interpreted as a "shot fired in a battle" between "late twentieth-century masters".[2] Bernstein was the only performer at the concert not to perform one of Berlin's compositions.[3]

The piece is written in the twelve-tone technique and adapts Berlin's songs "Always" and "Russian Lullaby". Bernstein remembered "Russian Lullaby" from his youth.[1]

The piece is two minutes in length.[1][4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Works: Vocal: My Twelve-Tone Melody (1988)". LeonardBernstein.com. Archived from the original on 2018-05-05. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  2. ^ Joan Peyser (1998). Bernstein: A Biography. Billboard Books. p. 490. ISBN 978-0-8230-8259-9.
  3. ^ Richard Harrington (12 May 1988). "Puttin' On the Ritz". Washington Post. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  4. ^ Paul R. Laird; Hsun Lin (31 July 2019). Historical Dictionary of Leonard Bernstein. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 186. ISBN 978-1-5381-1345-5.