Arnold Weinstein
| Arnold Weinstein | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | June 10, 1927 New York City |
| Died | September 4, 2005 (aged 78) Manhattan, New York City |
| Nationality | United States |
| Alma mater |
Hunter College Harvard University |
| Information | |
| Genre |
opera musical theatre |
| Debut works |
The Red Eye of Love Dynamite Tonite |
| Notable work(s) |
McTeague A View From the Bridge |
| Works with |
William Bolcom Robert Altman Tony Greco |
| Awards |
Rhodes Scholarship Fulbright Fellowship |
Arnold Weinstein (June 10, 1927–September 4, 2005) was an American poet, playwright and librettist, who referred to himself as a "theatre poet".
Weinstein is best known for his collaborations with composer William Bolcom, including the operas McTeague, based on the novel by Frank Norris, A View from the Bridge based on the play by Arthur Miller, and A Wedding, based on the film by Robert Altman. Bolcom described his work with Weinstein as a "true collaboration", and said about him that "He had such a gift for writing words that were singable, and that gave character. He was more influential on a lot of other people than people have taken into account."
With some frequency, Weinstein's work involved adapting the writing of others. He said in an interview in 1992 that "An adaptation gives you a funny kind of limitation that makes it easier to improvise." His early work with Paul Sills, founder of the Second City Theater in Chicago, helped hone those improvisational skills.
Weinstein was born on June 10, 1927 in New York City to parents born in England, and grew up in Harlem and the Bronx. In World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and saw service on a destroyer. Afterwards, he used the G.I. Bill to attend Hunter College, and later went to Harvard University for graduate studies. He eventually earned a Rhodes Scholarship.
Weinstein was associated with the '"New York School" of poets and painters in the 1950s and 1960s, during which time he developed close friendships with poet John Ashbery and painter Larry Rivers, among others. Weinstein would later collaborate with Rivers on What Did I Do? The Unauthorized Autobiography (1992).
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