To the Editors:
Though I liked Mr. Lipman’s essay on Leonard Bernstein (“Lenny on Our Minds,” June, 1985), I’m afraid I’m guilty of believing Bernstein wears too many caps. I too am disappointed by his achievements as a composer since he stepped down from the Philharmonic—oh what goods we expected from him!
Mr. Lipman’s observation of the harmful effects of the Sixties on serious culture rings true. Lukas Foss, while director of the Philharmonic in Buffalo in the late Sixties, brought in the Grateful Dead for a psychedelic light-show concert, an event that was not part of the regular subscription series. It was for the Philharmonic a nadir, and I doubt the Dead circulate a tape of the night.
Thomas Putnam
Amherst, NY
