Bridal Suite is a suite for two pianists (one piano, four hands) by American composer Leonard Bernstein. Composed in 1960, it was written as a wedding gift for lyricist-writer Adolph Green and actress Phyllis Newman.
Background
The piece was composed on the occasion of Adolph Green's marriage to Phyllis Newman in 1960. The title carries a double meaning, referring both to the musical meaning of suite and to the bridal suite in a hotel. It was initially intended to be performed by the couple themselves at their wedding, with Adolph playing the bottom part with both hands and Phyllis playing the top part with one hand. According to Bernstein, the couple, having never received sufficient formal piano training, were "never ... able to achieve that three-handed feat to our complete satisfaction—or anyone else's." The piece was dedicated "for Adolph and Phyllis Green." It was published in 1989 by Jalni Publications and Boosey & Hawkes, one year before Bernstein's death.
Structure
The piece is scored for two pianists on one piano, written for two, three, and four hands. It is divided into two parts and three obligatory encores, comprising eleven movements with an approximate duration of ten minutes.
Part I: Three Variations on Adolph F♯yllis Green
- Love Song – Very slowly, with warmth
- Chaplinesque – Andantino
- Chaplinade – Valse lente
Part II: Three Wedding Dances
- The First Waltz (Canon) – Moderato — Trio — Moderato
- Cha-cha-cha – Moderato, with elegance
- Hora – Fast and Jewish
Three Encores (Obligatory)
- Modern Music (Argument) – Scherzando — Furioso
- Old Music (Reconciliation) – Adagio
- Magyar Lullaby – With a gentle swing
A Prelude in C major precedes the suite and may also be performed at the end as a fourth encore if demanded by the audience, though it is not obligatory.
Musical Content
The Prelude is the longest movement. It features the second pianist playing Johann Sebastian Bach's Prelude in C major (BWV 846 from The Well-Tempered Clavier) unaltered with both hands, while the first pianist joins after two bars playing the main melody of "Just in Time" (from the Comden, Green, and Styne score for Bells Are Ringing). Near the end, the first player performs a short quotation from Richard Strauss's Don Juan.
The Three Variations are based on the three notes A, F♯, and G, derived from the names of the bride and groom (Adolph F♯yllis Green). The Three Wedding Dances include a two-part canon ("he leads" and "she follows"), a rhythmic cha-cha-cha in ternary form, and a fast Hora with frequent time and key signature changes. The Three Encores include a movement employing a 12-tone row presented in various transformations (retrograde, inversion, retrograde inversion), a slow canon in F♯ minor, and a lullaby in 6/8 time.
Recordings
As of 2022, the suite has been recorded primarily in collections of Bernstein's complete piano music:
- Andrew Cooperstock – World premiere recording, Bridge Records, recorded June 13, 2017, at the Grusin Recital Hall, University of Colorado Boulder.
- Leann Osterkamp – Recorded September 15, 2017, under Steinway & Sons, at Steinway Hall in New York City.
