Dearest Lenny

Abstract Buried in the massive archives of Leonard Bernstein are many letters to the maestro from two unknown Japanese individuals: Kazuko Amano, who became a loyal fan of Bernstein in 1947, and Kunihiko Hashimoto, who fell deeply in love with Bernstein in 1979 and later came to be professionally involved in the maestro’s work. Using their passionate letters to trace their special relationship with Bernstein, Dearest Lenny explores how Bernstein, a quintessential American in so many ways, became the world maestro who reached and communicated so powerfully across borders. It follows Bernstein’s transformation from an American icon to the world maestro against the backdrop of the changing geopolitics and economy during the second half of the twentieth century. During this period, Japan’s place in the world and its relationship to the United States changed dramatically, which also shaped Bernstein’s relationship to the world and to the two individuals in important ways. In tracing Bernstein’s worldwide reach through the decades, Dearest Lenny looks at many forms of relationships—not only between Bernstein and the two individuals but also between art and life, the United States and the world, culture and commerce, artists and the state, the private and the public, conventions and transgressions, dreams and realities. Amano’s and Hashimoto’s stories provide a unique window into these relationships, as well as the deep, intimate bond each of them built with their beloved maestro.