Was Leonard Bernstein gay or bisexual? The true story as Bradley Cooper’s Maestro hits Netflix
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As Netflix’s highly-anticipated biopic Maestro arrives on the streaming platform, viewers are left questioning the true sexuality of famed composer Leonard Bernstein. Directed by and starring Bradley Cooper, Maestro tells the “fearless love story” between Bernstein and his wife, Felicia Montealegre. However, there is much more to Bernstein’s identity than meets the eye. So, what do we actually know about his sexuality?
Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1918 to Jewish parents. He showed an early talent for the piano and went on to study music at Harvard University. His music career took off when he stepped in as an understudy for Bruno Walter at Carnegie Hall in 1943. This last-minute performance received critical acclaim and propelled Bernstein into the international spotlight.
In 1951, Bernstein married Chilean actress and pianist Felicia Montealegre. He served as the Music Director at the New York Philharmonic from 1958 to 1969 and made significant contributions to the classical music industry. He also had a major influence on Broadway musicals, most notably Stephen Sondheim’s West Side Story.
While Bernstein was married to Montealegre for almost 27 years, it is well-documented that he had affairs with men throughout his lifetime. In a letter published in The Leonard Bernstein Letters, Montealegre acknowledged his homosexuality and expressed her willingness to accept him for who he was. In her 2018 memoir, Bernstein’s daughter Jamie also confirmed his same-sex relationships, stating that he slept with both men and women.
Bernstein had several notable male lovers, including an affair with Israeli soldier Azaria Rapoport in 1948. He also had a long-standing relationship with gay US composer Aaron Copland. In the last decade of his life, Bernstein entered into a romance with a Japanese man named Kunihiko Hashimoto. After separating from Montealegre in 1976, Bernstein lived with San Francisco classical radio music director Tom Cothran.
Despite these relationships, Bernstein’s exact sexual orientation remains a contentious issue. Many now believe that he was a gay man who married a woman at a time when homosexuality was not widely accepted in the US. Collaborator Arthur Laurents, who worked on West Side Story, stated that Bernstein was “a gay man who got married” and was not conflicted about his sexual orientation.
Bradley Cooper’s Maestro attempts to portray the complexities of Bernstein’s romantic life. Matt Bomer plays David Oppenheim, a well-known clarinetist and Bernstein’s lover in the film. Cooper and Bomer were photographed kissing on set, indicating that the film includes physical intimacy between the two characters. However, some viewers have criticized Maestro for not delving deeper into Bernstein’s identity as a gay man living in the mid-20th century.
Overall, while Maestro sheds light on Bernstein’s personal life and relationships, the question of his exact sexual orientation remains open to interpretation. What is clear is that Bernstein was a groundbreaking composer and musician whose influence continues to be felt in the world of music today.
Maestro is now available to stream on Netflix.
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“Leonard Bernstein sexual orientation”
