Top orchestral and opera conductor at New York's Metropolitan Opera, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, spoke on Bradley Cooper's portrayal as Leonard Bernstein in the new Netflix biopic "Maestro," as reported by Classic FM, and it's all "high praise."
Nézet-Séguin is the film's resident consultant when it comes to the technicalities of orchestral conducting on the film and guiding the actor with his portrayal. With his impressive credentials including leading roles in the Philadelphia Orchestra and Montreal's Orchestre Métropolitain, it's safe to say that this guy holds most of the answers surrounding conducting, which makes his praise of Cooper's ability all the more impressive.
Maestro follows a compartmentalized retelling of the lives of Bernstein and his wife, Felicia Montealegre, looking at their relationship and the roles that celebrities, sexuality, and music have served them.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 18: (L-R) Jennifer Garner, Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Sarah Silverman, and Matt Bomer speak onstage during Netflix's MAESTRO, SAG Screening & Q&A at David Geffen Theater, The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 18, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Bradley Cooper's Role as Legendary Composer Leonard Bernstein
Cooper took on the challenge of performing not as a "believable" conductor but as a "convincing master conductor" worthy of Bernstein's namesake.
Cooper found himself standing on stage behind live ensembles and conducting a daunting gauntlet of pieces that included the composer's own works, Schumann's, and Mahler's epic Symphony No.2, completely recreating the famous 1974 performance that happened in Ely Cathedral.
American composer, conductor and pianist Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990) conducting, circa 1975.
For Nézet-Séguin, Cooper did terribly well, saying, "He is just so convincing." The consultant continued by giving props specific to Cooper's bravery in tackling "some of the most difficult music for any professional conductor." This is a description that definitely fits Mahler's second symphony, as it expects the conductor to keep track of a 100-piece chorus, a 100-piece orchestra, an organ, and a couple of soloists all in a grueling high-octane 5-minute performance.
"We can see on the members of the London Symphony Orchestra, on their faces, that they were watching him thinking Lenny is back... It's not Bradley Cooper anymore," Nézet-Séguin added.
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How Yannick Nézet-Séguin Helped Cooper for the Role
The Canadian maestro shared that he first met Cooper at the Metropolitan Opera, after having caught wind of the biopic's production and personally hearing Cooper's endeavor to embody one of history's most charismatic maestros.
After their initial meeting, the actor proceeded to attend both New York and Philadelphia rehearsals as a "sit-in," noting down the gestures, style, and powerful poise typical of a conductor leading a gigantic ensemble of instrumentalists. Nézet-Séguin also pointed out how Cooper would typically sit in the center to record moments on his phone, which he then used as references for the biopic.
According to the consultant, he didn't intend nor did he need to teach Cooper a whole crash course on conducting starting from scratch, as the actor had already come in equipped with the proper "facial expressions" and "shoulder work."
American composer Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990), writer of symphonic music as well as Broadway shows.
"It was Lenny, he got it," Nézet-Séguin said.
Instead, Nézet-Séguin focused on the more technical side of things, because "every conductor has their own vocabulary." The Canadian maestro said he wanted to avoid making Cooper look like a novice and worked with him in regards to executing the right movements, especially with "the baton" or "the right hand," whilst encouraging the actor's focus in the acting elements.
The end product is a performance that, in Nézet-Séguin's own words, often makes him think whether or not Cooper should pursue conducting, to which he also answered, "I think he should because I think he would be a great conductor."
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