Dinner with Lenny: The Last Long Interview with Leonard Bernstein

If you're looking for an intimate one on one conversation with a great man, this is definitely the book for you. It is a stream of consciousness that touches on almost every aspect of life with the passion and intensity that only comes from a genius. Jonathan Cott guides the conversation expertly. He has obviously done his homework and it stimulates Bernstein to go into areas he would have never gone with a lesser interviewer.

Dinner with Lenny is a perfect tribute to an authentic genius and an essential American. To my generation, Leonard Bernstein was our portal to “serious” music. He was a marvelous teacher: charming, eloquent, erudite, inventive, self-deprecating, but never, ever boring. The interview captures all of these qualities. And though the maestro had only a short time left, this piece presents a man full of life and still seeking to learn and teach. Lenny’s was a life for the ages.

I found this an excellent introduction to Leonard Bernstein. The author is the perfect foil for Lenny, being a very erudite musical person. As a musical ignoramous, it also helped me gain a better understanding of the world of music. It also steered me to recorded material - not music - which Bernstein had recorded years ago. That alone was worth more than the price of the book.

Bernstein emerges from these pages as we've always imagined him -- a lover of music and musicians. I'm a little envious of the author's access!

Magnificent

I've long admired and appreciated Leonard Bernstein for his intelligence, creativity, humor, liberal views, and his seemingly unending energy and passion for life. This book is a window into his creative and psychological being that probably cannot be found anywhere else in one place and in such a concise form. The interview felt "alive" and I felt that I was present with Mr. Bernstein and the interviewer. A quick read, it was captivating from beginning to end. Highly recommended to any Lenny admirer.

It's a terrific book for Bernstein fans. What a revelation!

Absolutely wonderful. There were numerous times I found myself laughing out loud at the humor, as well as enjoying the perspectives and ways this book further fleshed out things I'd previously read. It drew me right in and made me feel like I was right there at the table, hearing Bernstein's voice as I read his words. Great read for both those who are familiar with his work, and filled with plenty of great references for newcomers looking to explore some Bernstein highlights. I found it highly entertaining, insightful, and energizing to read.