Bradley Cooper Spent Six Years Learning to Conduct Six Minutes of Music For His Film MAESTRO and He "Was Terrified"
Much of the discussion surrounding Bradley Cooper's latest film project, Maestro, has revolved around his astonishing physical transformation into the iconic conductor Leonard Bernstein. However, what may astound audiences even more is the extraordinary dedication Cooper poured into mastering the art of conducting for a pivotal six-minute scene in the movie.
At a recent Los Angeles screening, moderated by Hamilton Tony-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, Cooper shared the incredible journey that led him to spend six years honing his conducting skills for this six minutes of music.
The focus point of Cooper's incredible preparation was for a scene that recreates Bernstein's legendary conducting of the London Symphony Orchestra at the Ely Cathedral in 1976. This sequence stands out as the film's most exhilarating, showcasing both Bernstein's musical brilliance and Cooper's remarkable performance.
While speaking about the film during an interview with IndieWire, Cooper shared:
“That scene I was so worried about because we did it live. That was the London Symphony Orchestra. I was recorded live. I had to conduct them. And I spent six years learning how to conduct six minutes and 21 seconds of music.”
The dedication and effort Cooper invested in this undertaking are evident in his attention to detail. He watched the raw footage of Leonard Bernstein conducting at Ely Cathedral in 1976 to study the nuances of the performance. He said:
“I was able to get the raw take where I just watched Leonard Bernstein [conduct] at Ely Cathedral with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1976. And so I had that to study.
“Nézet-Séguin made videos with all the tempo changes, so I had all of the materials to just work on. It was really about dialing exactly what I wanted cinematically and then inviting them into then inhabit that space and trusting that they have all done the work. Because I think that I knew I was terrified, absolutely terrified that if I hadn’t done the work then I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself in these scenes. And everybody did.”
Maestro is described as “a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between cultural icon Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. A love letter to life and art, Maestro, at its core, is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.”
The complex love story of Leonard and Felicia is a story that spans over 30 years–from the time they met in 1946 at a party and continuing through two engagements, a 25 year marriage, and three children: Jamie Bernstein, Alexander Bernstein and Nina Bernstein Simmons.
Cooper directed the film and also co-wrote the screenplay with Spotlight scribe Josh Singer, and he worked closely with the Bernstein family for three years developing the film. The producers on the project include Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Fred Berner and Amy Durning.
The movie also co-stars Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, and Sarah Silverman. Maestro will be released in theaters on November 22nd and on Netflix on December 20th.