- Cooper, 48, returns to the director’s chair playing composer Leonard Bernstein in the upcoming biopic “Maestro.”
- During a New York Tastemaker screening, he revealed to host Lin-Manuel Miranda that he spent six years learning to conduct
- The whole time lasted only one six-minute scene, which shows Bernstein’s legendary performance under the direction of the London Symphony Orchestra at Ely Cathedral in 1976
Bradley Cooper isn’t afraid to immerse himself in his characters, revealing he spent six years composing music for Maestro.
Cooper, 48, returns to the director’s chair playing composer Leonard Bernstein in the upcoming biopic “Maestro,” which hits theaters Nov. 22.
He revealed to host Lin-Manuel Miranda during a New York Tastemaker screening that he spent six years learning how to compose… for a six-minute scene.
The scene in question was the recording of Bernstein’s iconic performance as conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra at Ely Cathedral in 1976, which “terrified” Cooper.
“That scene worried me a lot because we did it live.” That was the London Symphony Orchestra. “I was recorded live, I had to conduct them,” Cooper said.
Bradley learns: Bradley Cooper isn’t afraid to get completely involved with his characters and reveals that he spent six years composing music for Maestro
Director and Starring: Cooper, 48, returns to the director’s chair playing composer Leonard Bernstein in the upcoming biopic “Maestro,” which hits theaters November 22nd
Six Minutes: He revealed to host Lin-Manuel Miranda during a New York screening that he spent six years learning how to compose… for a six-minute scene
“And I spent six years learning how to conduct six minutes and 21 seconds of music,” he admitted, thanking his “wonderful teachers” for all their help along the way.
“I was able to get the rough version where I just saw Leonard Bernstein [conduct] at Ely Cathedral with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1976,” Cooper said.
“And so I had to study it. And Yannick Nézet-Séguin made videos with all the tempo changes, so I had all the materials that I could just work on,” he continued.
“It was really about choosing exactly what I wanted cinematically and then inviting them to inhabit that space and trusting that they all got the job done,” Cooper added.
“Because I think I knew it, I was terrified, absolutely afraid that if I hadn’t done the work I wouldn’t be able to enjoy those scenes. And that’s what everyone did,” he said.
Miranda praised Cooper’s “extraordinary directing style during the question-and-answer session,” adding, “The metaphor of a director as conductor is not lost on me while watching.”
“And obviously you love conducting in every way. “That sequence at the end is so crazy and that she’s standing and then pans to the left a little bit and she’s there. I mean, it’s all one continuous sequence, it’s really stunning and an incredible piece of work,” Miranda added.
Miranda also praised Cooper for using a dream ballet filming technique that he said “died with the MGM musicals,” joking that it was now “fair game for the next game, and that made me really happy.” “.
Six years for six minutes: “And I spent six years learning how to conduct six minutes and 21 seconds of music,” he admitted, thanking his “wonderful teachers” for all their help along the way
Real Leonard and Felicia: The real Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre, played by Carey Mulligan in Maestro
Maestro had its world premiere at the prestigious Venice Film Festival, where it received a seven-minute standing ovation.
The film and the great reception brought Bernstein’s three children – Jamie Bernstein, Alexander Bernstein and Nina Maria Felicia Bernstein – to tears.
The film will have a limited release in theaters on November 22nd, followed by a December 20th release on streaming service Netflix.
Cooper’s performance and direction have both been praised in early reviews, so it’s possible he’ll receive multiple Oscar nominations, as he did in his writing-directing debut, “A Star Is Born,” where he won credit for writing, acting and the production was nominated.