Leonard Bernstein is an important musicians of 20𝑡 ℎ century music history who played an active role in developing the art of music in the United States. His interest in music started at the age of ten thanks to an old and worn upright piano given to him by his aunt Clara. After his primary and secondary education, he studied piano and composition at Harvard University. He became interested in composing due to the American composer Aaron Copland, with whom he’d met during his university education. Throughout his life, Bernstein composed works in many musical genres such as symphony, opera, ballet, and chamber music, as well as film scores and musicals in particular. During his tenure as music director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra between 1958-1969, he conducted the world’s leading symphony orchestras and became an important conductor recognized worldwide. Bernstein won many music and television awards for the soundtracks and musicals he composed, and he also produced various television programs in order to pioneer the development of classical music in the USA.

Since his youth, Bernstein had been interested in popular music genres such as jazz and Latin American music, and his compositions were greatly influenced by his interest in these music genres. Alsop (2013) stated that Bernstein had admired books and words and had devoted his life to connecting the dots between words and sounds. In this respect, Alsop described Bernstein’s compositions as a mixture of poetry and piano concerto with a dramatic and interesting expression. However, Bernstein, who had a special interest in dogs, tried to explain his love and interest toward them in some of his works. In this context, he dedicated some of his works for solo instruments, especially for brass instruments such as the horn, trumpet, trombone, and tuba, to dogs. Bernstein’s solo trombone piece Elegy for Mippy II is one of the most important solo works in the trombone repertoire. Playing the piece on stage without accompaniment and by tapping one foot on the ground can make the performance memorable for the audience. In addition, Senff (1976) stated that the piece can be performed as an encore after a recital, in a solo performance, or with an orchestra, thus revealing the importance the piece has for trombone players. This piece lasts about two minutes and presents some technical and musical challenges to the performers. 

Solo works are very important in terms of embodying the characteristic structure of the instrument for which they are written. In addition, solo works can help performers recognize the characteristic structure of their instrument and increase their interest in it. Leonard Bernstein’s Elegy for Mippy II is one of the most important solo works for the trombone repertoire that trombone players can perform without accompaniment.

Solo works are very important in terms of embodying the characteristic structure of the instrument for which they are written. In addition, solo works can help performers recognize the characteristic structure of their instrument and increase their interest in it. Leonard Bernstein’s Elegy for Mippy II is one of the most important solo works for the trombone repertoire that trombone players can perform without accompaniment.

In this respect, some study suggestions have been made to performers in order to resolve the technical and musical challenges in the work. In addition, knowing the sociocultural characteristics of the period in which the work was composed and the life of the composer are very effective for developing the perception of how musical expression is created in a musical work, as these affect musical style (Özkeleş, 2019). In this respect, this study provides information about Leonard Bernstein’s life and musical life with the aims of combining the spiritual integrity of the work with the musical expression of the performer and of correctly and effectively interpreting the work. However, the academic studies on Leonard Bernstein’s musical life in Türkiye are seen to be insufficient, with no Turkish or foreign sources found for resolving the technical and musical difficulties that ocur in his solo trombone piece Elegy for Mippy II. When considering this situation, this study is believed to have great importance for trombone players. The study aims to contribute to the Turkish literature on resolving the technical and musical difficulties in Leonard Bernstein’s solo trombone work Elegy for Mippy II and to give performers a different perspective on the performance of the piece by sharing general information about Bernstein’s musical life.