On this week’s classical series program we’re joined by one of the world’s preeminent violinists, the Canadian James Ehnes, who will be playing Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade after Plato’s “Symposium”. This is one of my all time favorite works of Lenny’s and I think it’s one of the purest examples of Leonard Bernstein the composer. Why? Well, Bernstein was a graduate of Boston Latin School, which meant that he was well versed in all of the great works of the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers. The education he received there (and subsequently at Harvard University) was intellectually rigorous. This was no lightweight conservatory education! So we get a work that is based upon an intellectual discourse between learned men of ancient Greece. But Lenny being Lenny, this is not a dry academic exercise, because the subject of this learned discussion is that most un-intellectual of topics, the nature of love. Bernstein basically takes the elocutions of the philosophers at this dream team dinner party and relates them to basic musical forms – but rest easy: you will not really need to know any of this to enjoy this sparkling, virtuosic, and quintessentially American work for violin, strings, and percussion.
- Phaedrus: Pausanius (lento, allegro) – Phaedrus (lento) places Eros as one of the most important and powerful gods, since he has no parentage by another god figure. Because of this, he inspires incredible feats of bravery on the battlefield, inspiring already great men to feats of unimaginable bravery and sacrifice. Pausanius (allegro) focuses on the love of a man for a nearly pubescent boy. He says that this is inspired by Aphrodite Urania (heavenly Aphrodite), who represents an intellectual and lasting love, rather than springing from Aphrodite pandemos), who represents the physical, lustful aspect of love. Being a lawyer, Pausanius makes distinctions as to when such a relationship is proper – that it must be sought out by the younger partner, and out of a desire “to become wise and virtuous”. Such unions sought of financial needs and coercion are “contemptible”.
- Aristophanes (allegretto) – Aristophanes’ tongue-in-cheek discussion is about how love is the process of looking for one’s lost connected self. He tells the story of how originally, all humans were two people sharing one body, attached at the back and rolling around like giant boulders. There were three types – man/man, woman/woman, and man/woman. They tried to rise up and challenge the gods, but were cut asunder from their other halves by Zeus in revenge for their impudence. Aristophanes then talks about the resulting ‘single’ humans that exist today, and decides that the homosexuals are the bravest and most honest of them all. The heteros, he says, are just adulterous men and unfaithful wives.
- Eryximachus (presto) – is a physician, who first posits that love is present in everything in the universe – plants, animals, rocks – everything. He suggests that love might be capable of curing disease. He says that “Love as a whole has … total … power … and is the source of all happiness. It enables us to associate, and be friends, with each other and with the gods, our superiors”.
- Agathon (adagio) talks about how love is the youngest of the gods, and the enemy of old age. In doing so, he seems to tell all the other participants in the symposium that they are too old to partake in the rich banquet of love. He goes on to say that love “creates justice, moderation, courage, and wisdom”, which are the chief aspirations of any ancient Greek thinking person.
- Socrates (molto tenuto) and Alcibiades (allegro molto vivace) – Socrates uses his famous ‘method’, and questions Agathon on his statement, who, through his responses, refutes most of what he’d just said. Socrates then relates the story of love’s genealogy, how love’s father is Resource, and love’s mother is Poverty. As such, love is composed of elements of each parent, being “beggarly, harsh and a master of artifice and deception” and also “delicately balanced and resourceful”. Alcibiades arrives late to the symposium, and wonders why everyone is sober, not knowing about their agreement to remain so while the discussion continues. He then proposes to give a speech of praise and admiration to (and about) Socrates. Alcibiades is clearly enthralled with Socrates, and describes his attempts to get the elder philosopher to enter into a sexual relationship with him. That he is rebuffed by Socrates only enflames his desire even more. It illustrates the power of love to make one powerless in the face of it, and its slave.
How much does Bernstein’s music correspond to these descriptions? Here’s a good description by annotator Paul Horsely for the National Symphony Orchestra.
“There is no literal program for the Serenade, despite the fact that it resulted from a re-reading of Plato’s charming dialogue, The Symposium. The music, like the dialogue, is a series of related statements in praise of love, and generally follows the Platonic form through the succession of speakers at the banquet. The ‘relatedness’ of the movements does not depend on common thematic material, but rather on a system whereby each movement evolves out of elements in the preceding one. For the benefit of those interested in literary allusion, I might suggest the following points as guideposts:
“I. Phaedrus – Pausanias (Lento – Allegro). Phaedrus opens the symposium with a lyrical oration in praise of Eros, the god of love. (Fugato, begun by the solo violin.) Pausanias continues by describing the duality of lover and beloved. This is expressed in a classical sonata-allegro, based on the material of the opening fugato.
“II. Aristophanes (Allegretto) Aristophanes does not play the role of the clown in this dialogue, but instead that of the bedtime story-teller, invoking the fairy-tale mythology of love.
“III. Eryximachus (Presto) The physician speaks of bodily harmony as a scientific model for the workings of love-patterns. This is an extremely short fugato scherzo, born of a blend of mystery and humor.
“IV. Agathon (Adagio) Perhaps the most moving speech of the dialogue, Agathon’s panegyric embraces all aspects of love’s powers, charms, and functions. This movement is a simple three-part song.
“V. Socrates – Alcibiades (Molto tenuto – Allegro molto vivace) Socrates describes his visit to the seer Diotima, quoting her speech on the demonology of love. This is a slow introduction of greater weight than any of the preceding movements; and serves as a highly developed reprise of the middle section of the Agathon movement, thus suggesting a hidden sonata-form. The famous interruption by Alcibiades and his band of drunken revellers ushers in the Allegro, which is an extended Rondo ranging in spirit from agitation through jig-like dance music to joyful celebration. If there is a hint of jazz in the celebration, I hope it will not be taken as anachronistic Greek party-music, but rather the natural expression of a contemporary American composer imbued with the spirit of that timeless dinner party.”
In the end, programmatic aspects are indeed evident in the Serenade as well – such as the use of fugue to represent “bodily harmony,” or the classical (bipartite) sonata form to reflect the “duality of lover and beloved.”
Here’s a complete performance of Bernstein’s Serenade by the violinist Vadim Gluzman, with the Spanish Radio and Television Orchestra, Carlos Kalmar, conducting.