Customer Reviews

Leonard Bernstein: West Side Story (The Original Score)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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, clean performance. Perhaps the sound and ensemble are a tad too clean - but it is nice hearing the score this way.

The over-all feel is that of a "real world" production - and the stage experience of this ensemble shows. The voices, for the most part, are well cast - and sound like those you could expect to hear at a regional theater. That is, these are not world class voices - and that's not necessarily a bad thing. (West Side Story is not meant for the opera house, keeping in mind the "out-of-context" feel one has listening to Bernstein's own recording featuring Carreras and Te Kanawa. As gorgeous as these voices are, the were all wrong for West Side Story. Perhaps the use of true operatic voices in the Bernstein recording isn't the issue. Had the producers used the leads found on Bernstein's Candide recording [Jerry Hadley and June Anderson], his West Side Story would have been much more effective.) The voices on this new Naxos release are pleasant enough, and sound young.

Mike Elred, as Tony, displays a fine, lyric tenor voice which is perhaps a shade to "clean" for Tony - but it works just fine.

Betsi Morrison sounds young, but tends to wobble a bit - as though the lines are a bit too much for her to handle. (My ideal Maria is the background provided by Marni Nixon in the 1961 classic movie - the purity of her sweet voice fit the role perfectly.)

Most of the score is included, but unfortunately the meeting scene, which includes the "Cha-cha" variation of "Maria", one of the most charming portions of the score, is missing. (This was included on Bernstein's own recording - but his decision to use his children for the spoken dialogue is an example of nepotism at it's worst!)

Is this an ideal "West Side Story?" Perhaps the Jay Recording release would fit the bill, but I haven't heard it. But, this release is a welcome one, displaying vitality, earnestness, and excitement, and Naxos is to be highly commended for their ongoing pursuit of providing first class releases at a budget price.

Earlier reviewers did their best to be friendly to this bargain West Side Story from Schermerhorn and his Nashvile orchestra, but the whole affair is trapped between two worlds. The conductor tries to make the score more important and symphonic, but what results are sagging rhythms that bear little resemblance to Broadway style, while the light-voiced singers (whose juvenile timbre is more suitable for "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown") convey off-Broadway spontaneity.

Their "Hey gang, e'ts put on a show" enthusiasm is too clean cut for West Side Story; these street gangs would walk your grandmother across the street. As one reviewer points out, the dialogue involving Riff and the Jets is painful to listen to. Only the Maria and Tony sound convincing as characters, and it's too bad they didn't wind up in a better production. So despite the pleasure of hearing the full dialogue in the balcony scene and some unusual scoring that didn't make it into the final Broadway version, this recording deivers little in the way of the true spirit of this great show.

This disc is far from perfect, as other reviewers have noted, but some portions of it are incredibly theatrical and powerful.

First of all, the title of this disc is incredibly confusing. "The original score"? The packaging goes on to say that this is the way Bernstein wanted WSS heard, before the stage and film incarnations. What does that even mean? Before the Broadway production, the music to "Oh Happy We" from Candide was in this show. Yet it's obviously not what Bernstein intended. I think he has made his intentions very clear with the published p/v score and the published orchestral score, both of which this recording deviates from. For instance, "America" on this recording is what we would call the film version of the song, with the males and the females battling, rather than the stage version, which is only the women. These lyrics were written much later than the premiere of the stage version; how could this be Bernstein's original intention? Also, on Bernstein's own recording, Carerras sings the high Bb in "Maria." However, even though Eldred certainly posesses the pipes to sing that (he sings the optional high C at the end of the Quintet), he (or more probably Schermerhorn) decided to sing the more familiar succession of Gs and then an A. Why?? This was most certainly not Bernstein's original intention.

So the title is misleading. But still, this disc contains some very good material for a very low price. Eldred is one of the best singing Tonys on disc, having the perfect blend of youth and voice. Many reviewers have criticized Morrison, but she worked for me. (I never noticed her being out of tune.) She certainly has a much stronger soprano than the original Maria, Carol Lawrence, had. And the two have chemistry together as well. Another highlight of the disc is "Gee, Officer Krupke," as the young performers playing the Jets really bring out the underlying rage in that song. You can feel the fear and anger in their voices as they sing "Krupke, we've got troubles of our own!" And although Anita in "A Boy Like That" sounds like she's singing Tosca's death scene, she is adequate throughout the disc. The only really poor principal is Riff, who is painful to listen to in the dialogue, although he's a fine singer.

So you get most of Bernstein's score, some good performances, and some powerful moments for $6.99. To me, that's worth it.

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.

I purchased the motion picture and this version from Naxos and I listen to this one more often. I highly recommend it.

Another recording of Leonard Bernstein's classic would hardly seem necessary given the legendary status accorded the recordings of the Broadway and Hollywood versions, but this one, recorded days after 9/11, is well worth a listen if only to hear the original score even before it was adjusted for its Broadway debut. In fact, some of the changes in arrangement and lyrical content, for example, the extra verse on "Tonight", are startling to hear since they are so well etched in our respective memories. This bargain-priced Naxos disc is not the definitive version of the score, but I think it is a step up from the far more vaunted version Bernstein himself conducted in 1984 with full operatic voices. Serious miscasting hampers that recording, especially Jose Carreras unable to submerge his Iberian accent to be effective as Tony and an overripe Kiri Te Kanawa trying desperately to sound like a delicate Latina.

Here the voices sound appropriately younger with tenor Mike Eldred a particularly winning Tony. Soprano Betsi Morrison has a nice bell-like quality to her voice, which matches beautifully with Eldred's on the duets and on her haunting rendition of "I Have a Love", though sometimes her faux-Puerto Rican accent fails her. Tenor Robert Dean does an energetic turn as Riff, though I have to express my disappointment with mezzo-soprano Marianne Cooke's phrasing, which seems a tad too slow and sonorous for such a fiery role like Anita. Michelle Prentice does a fine version of "Somewhere", though her tremolo reminds me too much of Sarah Brightman's overly ornate style.

One-time Bernstein protege Kenneth Schermerhorn leads the Nashville Symphony Orchestra with appropriate fervor, and for the most part, the playing is superb. Where the musicians fail is in maintaining the rhythmic drive on the most famous non-ballads like "Jet Song", "Cool", and especially "Quintet Tonight" which sounds off-tempo due to a heavy emphasis on vocal articulation. This strange misstep, which happens a little too often throughout, makes the venture feel more like a recital than a dramatic musical. Even with these flaws, it's still an admirable recording for the purity of the effort. I suppose I just miss the finger-snapping braggadocio and ballet-like high kicks that make this musical truly transcendent.

The version here of "One Hand, One Heart" brings me to tears every time. If that does not deserve five stars, I don't know.

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. The performers created an inspiring reading of the original score, exhibiting the same energy and enthusiasm produced on stage. Betsi Morrison is a terrific Maria, and Mike Eldred is a more than adequate Tony. The supporting cast sings brilliantly, and the Nashville Symphony performs flawlessly throughout. Schermerhorn's tempos for "America" and "The Rumble" are a bit slower than I have been used to from other live productions; but he was at Bernstein's side as a conducting apprentice while the initial performances were being staged - so maybe the other conductors have been doing these numbers too briskly. Regardless, the overall energetic performance combined with crystal-clear digital sound processing and a ($$$)price tag make this a winning package.

I thought it was pretty good when I first heard this disc.
After having seen the film, however, it sounds decidedly tame
and lacks elan. That said, based on the "original score",
it is in no way a bad recording of this perennial masterpiece
and deserves a place in your shelf. For anyone who thinks
that Bernstein's operatic rendition is a bit overblown, this
may be the one to go for. The sonics are good without being
exceptional.

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.