- Composer: Bernstein
- Audio CD (Oct 22 2002)
- SPARS Code: DDD
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Nam
- ASIN: B00006LI1Z
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #172,516 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Details |
Track Listings
| 1. Prologue | |||
| 2. Jet Song | |||
| 3. Something's Coming | |||
| 4. Blues | |||
| 5. Promenade | |||
| 6. Mambo | |||
| 7. Maria | |||
| 8. Balcony Scene/ Tonight | |||
| 9. America | |||
| 10. Cool | |||
| 11. One Hand, One Heart | |||
| 12. Quintet/ Tonight | |||
| 13. The Rumble | |||
| 14. I Feel Pretty | |||
| 15. Ballet Sequence | |||
| 16. Transition To Scherzo | |||
| 17. Scherzo | |||
| 18. Somewhere | |||
| 19. Procession And Nightmare | |||
| 20. Gee Officer Krupke | |||
See all 23 tracks on this disc
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Perhaps the way it was first intended to be heard
Feb 15 2003
Format:Audio CD
There are no exceptional recordings of West Side Story, but each has its assets and liabilities. The assets the Nashville team bring to this recording are earnest (although not consistently effective) performances from most of its vocalists and an ambitious, though sometimes self-conscious, performance from the Nashville Symphony. In particular, you will never hear a "Tony" as beautifully phrased and imagined as this one, and the most intense orchestral passages are performed with great emotion --if not always correct syncopation. The recording quality is slightly bright (you'll need to ramp up your bass control to get the soundstage this work requires) but it is more than ample for the project. The only serious disappointment is the performance of "Somewhere," which is delivered with a level of vibrato which made me long for Reri Grist on the original recording. In addition, this Anita pales in comparison to her predecessors because she doesn't sound the least bit hispanic. What this recording achieves that the others don't is the sense of young people confronting a legendary score for perhaps the first time. There is a very poignant and earnest feeling one has listening to this performance which I find difficult to find elsewhere. Tony and Maria are a couple of lost kids who discover one another in the wrong place and the wrong time. The innocence these musicians bring to Bernstein's greatest score is deeply heartfelt and the recording is atmospheric enough to take you to the streets... Hands down, I'd purchase it in lieu of the Te Kanawa/Carerras recording, but it does not reach the peaks of the soundtrack or original broadway cast album. If you love Bernstein -- buy it anyway.
Welcome Back, Wonderful West Side
Nov 15 2002
Format:Audio CD
The glorious version of "Tonight" contained on this cd is ample reason to purchase Naxos' offering of _West Side Story_. The lyric voices of soprano Betsi Morrison and tenor Michael Eldred blend beautifully, convincing listeners that the piece is as compelling as ever. Eldred and Morrison savor the nuances of the other titles as well, bringing a youthful vitality and joy to the music. Those who love _West Side Story_ will appreciate hearing this outstanding performance featuring excellent vocalists with the exceptional Nashville Symphony.
Not good enough
Nov 4 2002
Format:Audio CD
I suppose I should bow to the obvious expertise of the previous reviewer (Kim Croft) who clearly knows the score backwards and forwards and also knows most of the recordings that have been available.
However, I felt quite a letdown with this recording. As much as I love this score, and as much as I agree with Croft that it works better with Broadway voices rather than operatic ones (the Bernstein recording was a travesty as far as the voices were concerned; imagine: the Tony, the Anglo lead of the show, was sung by José Carreras, who could not suppress his own Spanish accent), I have to say that this recording disappoints on two counts. First, there are the flaccid rhythms from Schermerhorn's conducting of the otherwise fine Nashville Symphony. The program book makes a point that Schermerhorn almost got the job of conducting the original Broadway production, and there is a picture of him studying a score with Bernstein at Tanglewood. But if you compare the rhythmic snap of the original cast, and even more so the recording made by Bernstein, you will see what I mean.
And the second disappointment comes from some of the voices. Maria (sung by Betsi Morrison) is downright embarrassing; her voice wobbles, as Croft reports, but it also is often out of tune; and her histrionics leave something to be desired. She sounds more like an Anglo sorority girl than a Puerto Rican spitfire. Aside from Tony, the other male leads are ho-hum. And the ensemble work lacks verve; 'Cool', 'Gee, Officer Krupke', and 'America' should leap out of your speakers--but these don't.
Still, this is an amazing score which has survived much worse over the years, and if cost is a factor, you certainly can't beat Naxos budget price.
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Most recent customer reviews
A worthy contender . . .
Over all, I rate this recording very highly. The recorded sound is excellent, and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Kenneth Schermerhorn provide a fine,... Read more
Published on Oct 30 2002 by D. Kim Croft
Wonderful performance and recording
This was recorded in a studio here last fall about 1 week after 9/11 at the conclusion of a local production by the TN Rep Theater. Read more
Published on Oct 30 2002 by Robert L. Estes
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