Aural History: “Maestro”’s Missed Opportunity

“Maestro” stuns with dazzling cinematography, but its rich, colorful shots may represent all the film has to offer. Bradley Cooper’s picture had the power to demystify classical music and introduce its deep history to a new generation, but instead it leaves viewers with a burning question: So what?

Written by Carly Williams

Image courtesy of Premiere

Leonard Bernstein’s name has undergone a bit of a resurgence in pop culture lately. In 2021, his most enduring work, “West Side Story,” returned to theaters as a Steven Spielberg readaptation. The subsequent year found Bernstein’s name in Oscar-nominated “Tár;” a film that chronicles a fictional conductor, Lydia Tár, at her prime and explores the phenomenon of cancel culture. In the film, Lydia attempts to follow in Bernstein’s footsteps by conducting Mahler’s 9 symphonies, or the “Mahler-cycle.” 

2023, however, saw the most overt mentions of Bernstein with Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro.” Before the production company could even release a trailer, critics blasted Cooper for his prosthetic nose as a dodgy attempt to represent Bernstein’s Jewish heritage, Bernstein’s children, however, did not seem to find the nose to be a reason for backlash.

Cooper claims his film does not fall under the guise of a biopic. He maintains a strict vision of depicting the complexities of the relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealagre. In a whirlwind of Bernstein’s bisexuality, his musical career, and the egos from both sides of the couple, their marriage endures various challenges that break open their family and careers. Unfortunately, Cooper's tendency to wander between the line of music and relationship puts “Maestro” in a liminal space where neither two aspects receive exploration. Cooper’s haphazard portrayals of Bernstein’s composing and conducting endeavors result in half-baked analysis of the artist’s sexuality and its interaction with his marriage — the exact story Cooper wanted to tell in the first place. In this failure to commit to a line of argument, viewers claim they finished the movie without learning about Bernstein. The American conductor’s accomplishments provide a point of serious education for current audiences, and “Maestro’s” transient impression on current audiences represents a missed opportunity. 

Bernstein maintained an educational attitude and lack of pretentiousness towards his work drew people into a new genre. This proximity to music provided him with the insight that music is inherently political, and therefore he contributed time and resources to different left wing social causes across the latter half of the 1900s.

The problem with “Maestro” does not lie in the exclusion of important events of Bernstein’s musical career. Defining moments of his career, like his rendition of Mahler’s 2nd Symphony, make appearances in the plot. There is no hint as to why these moments present enough importance to deserve a six minute scene. Cooper’s attitudes towards music directly oppose Bernstein’s. While Bernstein openly discussed the importance of different musical works for the public, Cooper conceals the meaning behind the music with gratuitous conducting and an overwrought transatlantic accent. The snippets played throughout “Maestro” hold great meaning, and glossing them over only withholds information. 

Towards the beginning of the film, Bernstein inserts a flippant mention of “West Side Story,” and the only other reference to its existence arrives as unrelated background music. Despite the lack of coverage in the film, “West Side Story” has a profound importance that spans from its relevance in pop culture references to its showcase of Latin music and culture in America. Musical numbers like “Dance at the Gym” incorporate elements that draw back to Latin roots. Cuban instruments like the bongos and timbales accompany the Mambo, a dance genre originating from Cuba. 

The original musical also addresses the social issues that Latin Americans endured in mid-century America. The plot revolves around the racism and double standards that come with living in a predominantly white space in the U.S. Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s collaboration allowed for an exploration of both overt and subtle manifestations of racism. In “Jet Song,” a haughty tune that exhibits the ease found in white privilege, includes antagonizing lyrics like “‘Cause ev’ry Puerto Rican / ‘S a lousy chicken.” A few songs later, members from The Sharks, the Puerto Rican group, list quippy depictions of the discrimination they encounter everyday in “America.” From “Buying on credit is so nice / One look at us and they charge twice” to “I’ll get a terrace apartment / Better get rid of your accent,” this track manages to focus on the more pervasive consequences of racism. While “Maestro” does not have to unpack every detail of Bernstein’s work, a glimpse into “West Side Story” and its relationship to the current moment had the potential to inspire questions about music’s place in reckoning with social injustice. 

Another body of Bernstein’s work falls victim to being an afterthought without even a second dedicated to mentioning its importance. Mass, one of Bernstein's numerous operas, plays in the background while Bernstein holds hands with another man in front of Montealgre. Jacqueline Kennedy requested for Bernstein to compose a piece in honor of the opening of the Kennedy Center in 1971, for which he created Mass. Bernstein held the Kennedy’s in high respect, and Mass documents this special connection as the piece follows the structure of Roman Catholic mass, an homage to John F. Kennedy’s religion. However, the traditional structure of this piece does not result in a traditional narrative. The plot of the opera chronicles a priest questioning God and authority amidst political strife and the Vietnam War in the 1960s. Perhaps most controversial is the music itself. Audiences criticized the sprawling body of work as it drifts across genre and medium. While the composition follows the general procession of mass, it shifts between jazz, pop, gospel, rock, kids choir, and dance numbers. In Bernstein’s time of composing Mass, he contended with a looming FBI file about himself — 800 pages detailing his leftist opinions and stark anti-war stance. A “Maestro” feature of Mass and the turmoil behind it had the power to spur questions about a musician’s accountability to acknowledge their political climate. Bernstein did not separate his music from the outside world, but the exact opposite. He utilized music as a medium to address and honor the events that the world lived through. 

Leonard Bernstein’s talent goes undisputed, but why did audiences care about him or classical music in the first place? Americans in the latter half of the 19th century did not magically grow into a fondness for classical music. Bernstein built a rapport with them. In his Young People’s Concerts at Carnegie Hall, he demystified classical music and argued that classical music is not an elite, mythical thing that only exists in certain spheres; its very benefit is its malleability to interpretation . He educated all ages about music in topics ranging from structure, composers, and genres. In his teaching, he dissolved borders between genres and never negated the validity of any certain artist. One particular concert revolved around analysis of The Beatles, a gesture that solidified his lack of pretentiousness and ability to connect across generations. A focus on these concerts in the film could have commented on this generation’s tendency to “gatekeep” music and possibly reintroduce them to a new genre. 

The initial goals of “Maestro” sought to dispel the unguarded praise that has surrounded Leonard Bernstein for decades. He betrays his wife and family, and has the proclivity to serve himself at the cost of others. However, no a-ha moment arises from this film, and it reads as Bradley Cooper’s inability to commit to a certain argument. If Cooper had fully committed to the music that it essentially uses as a prop, “Maestro” could have provided insight to understanding classical music as a point of education and cultural criticism rather than an exclusive, dull genre. “Maestro” missed this opportunity in favor of putting Cooper’s ego and yearning for an Oscar on full display.