1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Concert performances almost always present a single song from this score, most often 'Take Care of This House,' a warm, dignified aria in which a character connected to the early White House sings about the responsibility of caring for the building and what it represents. Listen for Bernstein's gift for a broad, singable vocal line paired with rich, carefully built orchestral support underneath, closer to art song or opera than a typical Broadway number, part of why the score was praised even as the show around it failed. The piece builds steadily rather than staying at one dynamic level, with the orchestra thickening under the voice as the melody reaches its most heartfelt phrases. This is a piece to enjoy for its melodic warmth and sincerity, independent of the elaborate historical pageant it was written for.

Leonard Bernstein wrote the score for 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with lyrics and book by Alan Jay Lerner, a musical tracing the history of the White House and its occupants from 1800 to 1900. It opened on Broadway on May 4, 1976, and closed after only seven performances, one of the most notorious flops in Broadway history, despite critics largely praising Bernstein's music even as they panned Lerner's book. It was Bernstein's final original score written for Broadway. He and Lerner were reportedly so discouraged by the show's failure that they withdrew it entirely, and no cast recording was made at the time. After Bernstein's death, a concert version of the score was assembled and recorded under the title A White House Cantata, which is how most of the music, including 'Take Care of This House,' has reached audiences since.