Around the time Bernstein turned 71 years old, he began to cancel concerts and scrap his travel plans. Just five days after he announced he would retire due to health problems, Leonard Bernstein died in on October 14, 1990. The 72-year-old had been a heavy smoker throughout his life, and his death was caused by progressive lung failure that triggered a heart attack (via The New York Times).
Leonard Bernstein brought the score of Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony to the grave with him. He had previously picked the music for Robert Kennedy’s funeral, which made it even more special to the conductor (via Your Classical). In his coffin, Bernstein had a pocket-sized version of the score resting on his chest, reports Smithsonian. Along with the sheet music, it was only fitting that the famous conductor would be buried with his baton.
Bernstein was also buried with a copy of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” As Mental Floss reports, this Lewis Carroll classic was one of Bernstein’s favorite books. He read it frequently, and brought it with him wherever his travels took him around the globe.
