Bernstein wrote Candide in the 1950s as a sharp protest against McCarthyism, political extremism, and the ever-increasing manipulation of the masses. Drawing on influences from Broadway musicals, Richard Strauss, jazz, tango, and the contemporary idioms of the 20th century, the composer delivers a delightful musical cocktail, from the famous overture to the heroine’s striking parody-aria “Glitter and Be Gay” and the final catharsis with the magnificent “Make Our Garden Grow.” Above all, though, the great “Lenny” uses his art to boldly address burning issues such as war, corruption, and the abuse of power. Who, indeed, could claim that the work does not remain comically-tragically relevant today?
Leonard Bernstein’s Candide (final 1989 version. Semi-staged concert performance, in Greek)
Operetta in two acts based on Voltaire’s eponymous novella (1759)
