On January 28, 1944, Leonard Bernstein conducted the premiere of his Symphony No. 1, “Jeremiah,” with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and mezzo-soprano Jennie Tourel as soloist—a performance met with immediate acclaim. The success continued swiftly: within weeks Bernstein led Jeremiah with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, followed by four performances with the New York Philharmonic in March and April. In May, the New York Music Critics Circle named it the outstanding new classical work of the se