Awards season has officially arrived (though it's felt like a never-ending cycle for quite some time now), and one of the most closely watched thoroughbreds is Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein drama, "Maestro."

A major motion picture recounting the life and times of Bernstein has been in the works for years. Martin Scorsese was attached to direct the project for Paramount, but dropped out when the financing came together for his long-in-gestation gangland epic "The Irishman." The film eventually found its way to Cooper, who skillfully maneuvered his way into the director's chair before his directorial debut, "A Star Is Born," became a 2018 awards season sensation.

Why all the fuss about a Bernstein-centric movie? The man was a powerhouse American composer and conductor who openly embraced his Jewish identity, while privately struggling with his sexual orientation. He was a cultural giant, one whose stature has faded along with the declining interest in classical music.