"Gospel" from Bernstein's Mass, CONT'D
"Gospel" from Bernstein's Mass, 1971
Autograph score. Leonard Bernstein Collection,
Music Division, Library of Congress.
By permission of The Leonard Berstein Office, Inc.
Digital ID #mc0062
"Gospel" from Bernstein's Mass, 1971
Subtitled "A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers," Leonard Bernstein’ s Mass is a huge work that confounded critics with its conflicting styles. The "Gospel: God Said," shown here in manuscript, is clearly Broadway inspired, while other selections draw on the blues and rock and roll. Bernstein described the work as a "reaffirmation of faith." Although some critics considered the work too eclectic, Mass continues to receive attention as a religious work of unquestionable power.