For New York For New York For New York (Variations on Themes of Leonard Bernstein) (originally titled To Lenny! To Lenny!) is a one-movement orchestral composition by the American composer John Williams. Written as a tribute to fellow composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, the piece premiered on the last day of Bernstein's 70th birthday gala at Tanglewood on August 28, 1988. The premiere was performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Williams, who was then conductor of its sister orchestra, the Boston Pops. Music critic John Rockwell of "The New York Times" described the work as "feathery and flashy." "For New York" utilizes
Boston Symphony Orchestra newly created BSO Choral Director, both with immediate effect. The Boston Symphony made its first acoustical recordings in 1917 in Camden, New Jersey for the Victor Talking Machine Company conducted by Karl Muck. Among the first discs recorded was the finale to Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony. Under Serge Koussevitzky, the orchestra made its first electrical recordings, also for Victor, in the late 1920s. These electrical recordings included Ravel's "Boléro". Recording sessions took place in Symphony Hall. Koussevitszy's final recording with the Boston Symphony was a high fidelity version of Sibelius' Symphony No. 2, recorded in 1950 and released on LP. In