Stephen Sondheim’s Birthday Prayer for Leonard Bernstein’s 44th birthday
If you are ready to see the solution, you can download it from here: Birthday Prayer with Answer
The Birthday Prayer, from Sondheim to Bernstein, was as follows (the row numbers my own):
1. KADDISCH BE FINISHED
2. CRITICS CONTENTED
3. NOSE BE DIMINISHED
4. HEIGHT BE AUGMENTED
5. THRIVE PHILHARMONIC
6. RECORDS BE PROMINENT
7. REDDING MORE TONIC
8. HELEN LESS DOMINANT
9. KEEP ALL YOUR CHEERY AD-
10. DICTIVE IDENTITIES
11. BIRTHDAYS BE MYRIAD
12. FRUITFUL AND SPENDATEASE
After Andrew complete his transcription, he turned this into a teaching moment with his senior music class (which I participated in via Facetime). He gave the students some background on the significance of this composition. Since he had already transcribed the piece into MuseScore, he was able to play the composition. He told me after: “My students were excited to be the first people to hear this song in over 60 years! Although they were disappointed that the music was so atonal, a few of them (Finn, Bennett, Sam and Chloe) spent some time analyzing the solution and found some easter eggs that Steve hid in the music: While the piece doesn’t have a tonal centre, they noticed it was notated in C major. In the solution, the word TONIC starts on a C – the tonic note of the scale, and DOMINANT starts on G – the dominant note of the scale. They wondered if the words DIMINISHED and AUGMENTED were made up of appropriately-harmonized pitches, but we didn’t take the time to analyze those sections. Given all the expressive markings, the piece certainly seems like it was intended to be performed. They compared this misdirection to the surface meaning of a cryptic crossword clue – only those in the know will discover the true intention of the artist.”
As I learn more about the context required to interpret each line, I will revise the following:
1 & 2: Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3, “Kaddish,”, was a large-scale choral symphony completed in 1963. It is a dramatic work written for a large orchestra, a full choir, a boys’ choir, a soprano soloist and a narrator. “Kaddish” refers to the Jewish prayer that is chanted at every synagogue service for the dead. As is is a Hebrew word, Sondheim was likely just translating it as spelled “Kaddisch”. So the first couplet is wishing his friend success in his latest composition, finishing it and finding success with the critics. And this puzzle being a prayer, rather than birthday wishes, is likely inspired by the liturgical inspiration for his friend’s symphony (as in: Did you think you were the only one who could do that, well watch me!)
3 & 4: After wishing his friend creative success, Sondheim then takes a few playful jabs at this friend’s appearance, referring to his prominent Ashkenazi nose (that it shrink) and to his height (that it increase). Sondheim was one inch taller than his friend.
5 & 6: Bernstein was music director of the New York Philharmonic (Sondheim praying for it to survive), with whom he made many records (which Sondheim prays will be prominent).
7 & 8: Sondheim now turns to prayers for his friends home, one of which was in Redding, Connecticut. First he prays for more vigor (more tonic) in his home and then turns to Helen, who is undoubtedly Helen Coates. Coates was Bernstein’s piano teacher and then, for 46 years, his personal secretary. She was known to be quite stern, so Sondheim is praying she become “less dominant.”
9 & 10: Identities, plural? Addictive, such as his preferred drugs? I’m not sure what this means.
11 & 12: Sondheim concludes by wishing his friend many more and productive years ahead, and, perhaps, that he can “spend at ease” (“spendatease”?? “spend-at-ease”, to rhyme with “identities”).
If someone wants to take a stab at singing this, please do share with me!