Canon
Where to start with Bernstein
Essential works to know this composer by — spread across their styles-
OrchestralSerenade, after Plato's "Symposium" — For violin and orchestra
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StageWest Side Story — Musical
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VocalChichester Psalms — For boy soloist, chorus, and orchestra
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Keyboard13 Anniversaries, for piano
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ChamberBrass Music, for trumpet, trombone, horn, tuba and piano
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VocalMass — For voices, players and dancers
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OrchestralMeditations from "Mass" — For cello and orchestra
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OrchestralPrelude, Fugue, and Riffs — For clarinet and jazz ensemble
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OrchestralSymphony no. 2, "The Age of Anxiety" — For piano and orchestra
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Stage1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
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Vocal2 Love Songs — Texts by R.M. Rilke
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Keyboard4 Anniversaries, for piano
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Keyboard4 Sabras
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Keyboard5 Anniversaries, for piano
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Keyboard7 Anniversaries
Listening guide
Hand-curated paths into Bernstein's catalogueMost Popular
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West Side Story
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Chichester Psalms
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Candide Overture
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Symphony No. 1 ”Jeremiah”
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Serenade after Plato\’s Symposium
Most Acclaimed
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Chichester Psalms
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Symphony No. 2 ”The Age of Anxiety”
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Serenade after Plato\’s Symposium
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Trouble in Tahitione-act opera about a failing marriage
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Songfest
Most Weird
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Symphony No. 3 ”Kaddish”the narrator argues with God directly — Bernstein wrote the text himself
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A Quiet Placeopera — deals with sexuality, family dysfunction, and mental illness in mid-century America
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Masstheater piece for voices, players, and dancers with rock band — premiered to open Kennedy Center
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Slava!political overture written for Rostropovich’s debut as conductor
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Dybbukballet — a soul possession; Bernstein’s most mystical work
Similar composers
Same era, overlapping styles — by genre & period affinityWorks 68
- Orchestral
- ● Serenade, after Plato's "Symposium" — For violin and orchestra
- Meditations from "Mass" — For cello and orchestra
- Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs — For clarinet and jazz ensemble
- Symphony no. 2, "The Age of Anxiety" — For piano and orchestra
- A Musical Toast
- America Medley
- Candide — Suite from the musical
- Concerto for Orchestra
- Divertimento
- Dybbuk, Suite no. 2 — Based on the ballet
- Facsimile — Choreographic essay from the ballet
- Halil — For Flute, Piccolo, Alto Flute, Harp, and Percussion
- On the Waterfront — Symphonic suite
- Peter Pan, incidental music
- Slava! A Political Overture
- Symphony no. 1, "Jeremiah" — For mezzo-soprano and orchestra
- Symphony no. 3, "Kaddish" — For soprano, speakers, choruses, and orchestra
- Stage
- ● West Side Story — Musical
- 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
- A Quiet Place — Opera
- Candide — Opera
- Dybbuk — Ballet
- Fancy Free — Ballet
- On the Town — Musical
- Trouble in Tahiti — Opera
- Wonderful Town — Musical
- Vocal
- Chichester Psalms — For boy soloist, chorus, and orchestra
- Mass — For voices, players and dancers
- 2 Love Songs — Texts by R.M. Rilke
- A White House Cantata
- Arias and Barcarolles — For mezzo, baritone, strings and percussion
- Dream With Me, for voice and piano, with obbligato cello — Song
- Dybbuk, Suite no. 1 — For tenor, bass, and orchestra
- Hashkiveinu — For tenor, chorus and organ
- I Hate Music
- In Our Time, song for voice and piano
- La Bonne cuisine: 4 recipes — Songs
- Maria; Tonight; O paese d'o sole; Cielito lindo
- Missa Brevis, for alto, chorus and percussion
- Olympic Hymn, for chorus and orchestra
- Piccola serenata
- Psalm 148 — Song
- Rinah, Hebrew folksong for chorus and orchestra
- Sean Song
- Silhouette
- Simchu Na, for chorus and piano
- So Pretty — Song
- Songfest, for 6 singers and orchestra — Song cycle
- Spring Will Come Again — Song
- The Firstborn — Incidental music for voice and chorus
- The Lark — Incidental music for countertenor, chorus, and percussion
- Vayomer Elohim
- Yigdal — Hebrew liturgical melody for chorus and piano
- Keyboard
- 13 Anniversaries, for piano
- 4 Anniversaries, for piano
- 4 Sabras
- 5 Anniversaries, for piano
- 7 Anniversaries
- Bridal Suite, for 2 pianos
- Touches
- Chamber
- Brass Music, for trumpet, trombone, horn, tuba and piano
- Clarinet Sonata
- Dance Suite, for brass quintet and optional percussion
- Elegy for Mippy I, for horn and piano
- Fanfare for the Inauguration of J. F. Kennedy, for brass ensemble
- Halil, nocturne for flute solo, piccolo, alto flute, percussion, and harp
- Piano Trio
- Violin Sonata