The one song Bradley Cooper would listen to for the rest of his life
It’s no surprise that the second directorial feature from actor, director and general heartthrob Bradley Cooper stays firmly in the realm of music. His debut was A Star Is Born, a contemporary twist on an almost fable-like story of fame and fortune that has had various iterations over the century since its first version was made in 1937. By tapping into this specific lineage and tradition of retelling a specific story, the closest thing Hollywood has to its own myths or folklore, Cooper was taking a gigantic risk.
The pay-off, however, was far more significant: a universally praised and critically acclaimed romantic musical drama which transported its core tale of rising talent to the 21st-century world of global pop and stadium rock-n-roll, as well as boasting Lady Gaga’s acting debut – which, in a strange form of life imitating art, heralded a genuinely incredible new actor who has since gone on to work with the likes of Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix.
That was in 2018. Now, five years later, Cooper has released his second feature, returning to Hollywood’s past again, but this time staying there – focusing on the life and times of Leonard Bernstein, one of the 20th century’s most revered and iconic conductors and composers. Maestro features Cooper again in the lead role, this time as Bernstein, equipped with an old-fashioned transatlantic accent and a prosthetic nose.
Despite stirring some controversy, it has reportedly cast the actor as an eerily precise reincarnation of the great musical talent. As you might imagine, to portray this heavyweight of the music world so exactly, Cooper has had to immerse himself in countless recordings of and interviews with the composer to replicate his essence and the actual music itself. As such, this exercise has yielded for Cooper a choice of a song which he would happily listen to for the rest of his life.
As part of the promotion for the upcoming Maestro, Cooper took to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he participated in the host’s classic ‘Questionert’. Among choices such as between cats and dogs (he picked dogs if you’re wondering), Cooper was asked by Colbert, “You get to listen to one song for the rest of your life: what is it?” Without hesitation, the actor firmly announced “Mahler’s ‘Resurrection.'”
Gustav Mahler’s ‘Ressurection’.” Formally known as Symphony No. 2, or ‘The Resurrection’ symphony, it was written by Bohemian composer Gustav Mahler sometime between 1888 and 1894 and is one of the composer’s most iconic and beloved works. Mahler’s music experienced something of a revival in the mid-century after a widespread ban on its performance during the Nazi occupation of Europe.
Bernstein would have been one of the prominent composers to embrace and champion his music again. Explaining his choice, after Colbert joked about it being “classy”, Cooper said, “I’m doing Bernstein, so it’s like I’m inundated with classical music.” Undeterred, he made sure his love for the piece was made absolutely clear, saying, “But it is amazing, you know? It’s insane.”
