Bernstein: Mass

Few musicians have proved as charismatic as Leonard Bernstein. He broke down the boundaries between 'serious' classical music and 'entertaining' popular music, and few others were able to connect with people of all generations in the way he did. His entire output promoted the philosophy of living together in love, rather than with antagonism and hatred. Many of these attributes are evident in his Mass, which was first performed in 1971. In order to understand this unusual work, it is crucial to view it not as a standard mass composition, but as "a theatrical piece with the title 'Mass'", as Bernstein described it. It is perhaps the most daring interpretation ever of the liturgical genre. Response to its premiere was ambivalent: there was enthusiasm on one hand, and negative reaction from conservative-minded groups on the other. And the work's unequivocal message of peace was rejected in part because it could be taken as a clear indictment of the Vietnam War, which was ongoing at the time.