Bernstein and Joel's beloved Madame Longy: in praise of brilliant Teachers

From the large steel desk in the Juilliard classroom would come the voice of command, in a deeply French accent. “Monsieur Revzen to zee blackboard…” When Joel recounted these classroom stories of the renowned teacher Madame Longy, he always finished by saying “and there I was, walking up to the blackboard, knees quaking, chalk trembling.” But he must have done something right, as when he finished his Juilliard degree Madame asked him to stay on as her Teaching Assistant. Joel’s heart however was already on the path to conducting, and with deep regret he declined. But he adored her, always keeping in touch, often visiting her at her Cape home, called the “Penguinage.” (Knowing her fascination with the creatures, Bernstein apparently organized a number of penguins from the Bronx Zoo to visit her on the Cape!)

Joel’s relationship with Madame was forged by his musical ability, but also apparently because he reminded her of a young version of Leonard Bernstein (one of many star pupils from her teaching years at Curtis Conservatory.)  She apparently would tell Joel “you hug me just like Bernstein.” Perhaps nothing could have pleased Joel more – the teacher he idolized, and a link to Bernstein.

As Joel always reflected, his job was to bring “the dots and dashes of the notes off of the page, to give the listener a visceral, emotional experience.” But how does that work???  Study, study, study, and the skills learned at the feet of masters like Rénee Longy. I’ve seen the notebooks of Joel’s classes with Madame… Pages and pages and pages of what look like hieroglyphics to me. But to him those were the building blocks of every piece by Mozart, Beethoven, Stravinsky, Mahler; any piece of music that could be seen from the “ground up.” And thanks to Madame, Joel was also able to see what Bernstein was thinking when he wrote his Symphony No.1, Jeremiah: Mme willed Bernstein’s manuscript to Joel. (He made photocopies and then sent the original score to the Library of Congress… Good boy.) Madame Longy’s influence created a “brotherhood” link between Maestro Bernstein and Joel, and it laid the pathway to a one-on-one meeting with Bernstein and successive letters and telegrams over the years.

Watching the video of Bernstein leading the London Symphony Orchestra, chorus, and soloists in the final moments of Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony (apparently featured in the “Maestro” film) you can feel the result of a musical and emotional convergence; a soul-stirring moment of transformative music. How did it happen?  Talent, yes. But also because of study. Because of the legacy of Mme Renee Longy and other brilliant teachers of music.  (For a glimpse the Bernstein-led version of the Mahler, click below.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8giUJbT9Yg

So dear friends and beautiful readers; hats off to Music and Study and Talent. To Mme Longy. To Bernstein. And to Joel. And to the bold, deeply moving, soul-stirring, illuminating and transformative power of music. Amen.

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PS: When Joel taught at the St. Louis Conservatory of Music and the Arts in the 1970s, Mme Longy’s work flowed through him to another generation of musicians. I know some of you are reading this right now; I can only imagine what a terror he was in that classroom (wink)… and so many of you have gone on to performing and teaching careers of note. Thank you for keeping Mme’s torch burning brightly.

Wishing all a happy Solstice! The light will soon be growing…

Cindy