or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
14 used & new from $16.71

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

or

Get a $5.00 Amazon.com Gift Card
 
   
The Making of West Side Story - Leonard Bernstein
 
See larger image
 

The Making of West Side Story - Leonard Bernstein (1985)

Starring: Leonard Bernstein, Kiri Te Kanawa Director: Christopher Swann Rating: NR (Not Rated) Format: DVD
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)

List Price: $29.98
Price: $26.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
You Save: $2.99 (10%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Monday, November 16? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
12 new from $16.71 2 used from $42.37
Enchanted(Widescreen Edition)
Melody Time
Holidays are the time to bring the whole family together in harmony. What better way to do it than with classic musicals from Disney? Find song & dance classics for the whole family. Shop now.

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this DVD with West Side Story (Full Screen Edition) DVD ~ Natalie Wood

The Making of West Side Story - Leonard Bernstein + West Side Story (Full Screen Edition)
  • This item: The Making of West Side Story - Leonard Bernstein DVD ~ Leonard Bernstein

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details

  • West Side Story (Full Screen Edition) DVD ~ Natalie Wood

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Special Offers and Product Promotions


What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Making of West Side Story - Leonard Bernstein
81% buy the item featured on this page:
The Making of West Side Story - Leonard Bernstein 4.8 out of 5 stars (25)
$26.99
West Side Story (Full Screen Edition)
11% buy
West Side Story (Full Screen Edition) 4.5 out of 5 stars (293)
$8.49
Every Little Step
2% buy
Every Little Step 4.6 out of 5 stars (17)
$19.99

Product Details


Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Filmed in 1984, the feature-length documentary Leonard Bernstein Conducts "West Side Story" follows the composer as he records the first-ever complete recording of his musical-theater masterpiece. Virtually the entire documentary takes place in a New York recording studio with a pick-up orchestra, session singers, and headliners Kiri Te Kanawa (Maria), José Carreras (Tony), Tatiana Troyanos (Anita), and Kurt Ollmann (Riff). The 89-minute program alternates rehearsal footage with complete final takes of the main numbers--including "Tonight," "America," and "Maria"--with limited comments from the principal players. Te Kanawa explains how much the music means to her, Troyanos notes how she grew up in the very streets depicted on stage, and Carreras provides a rare moment of tension when a session ends unsatisfactorily. Bernstein himself is by turns commanding, charming, enthusiastic, and weary. This is a fascinating insight into what happens as a major album is recorded. --Gary S. Dalkin


Product Description

1. Arrival of the principal singers, blending off 2. I feel Pretty (Piano rehearsal) 3. First session: introduction of the principals 4. Tonight (ensemble) (rehearsal) 5. Jet Song (recording) 6. Cool (recording) 7. Tonight (Piano rehearsal) 8. Something's Coming (recording: take, playback, retakes) 9. Troyanos on working with Bernstein "Tonight (Ensemble)" (recording) 10. Tonight (Ensemble) (recording- contd.) 11. Bernstein talks about the orchestra, "I feel pretty" (recording) 12. Te Kanawa on working with Bernstein 13. Problem passages, "Dance at the Gym" (recording & playbacks) 14. Bernstein talks to the press "Dance at the Gym" (recording-contd.) 15. Recording Nina and Alexander Bernstein ("Meeting Scene" - "Dance at the Gym") (recording- contd.) 16. Te Kanawa on West Side Story, "Somewhere" (recording) 17. Troyanos on recording, "America" (rehearsal and recording) 18. One Hand, One Heart (recording) 19. Te Kanawa on singing Bernstein's music 20. Maria (piano rehearsal) 21. Maria (recording) 22. Carreras on the Interruption, "Maria" (recording- contd.) 23. Te Kanawa on working with Berstein 24. A Boy like that "I have love" (recording) 25. Gee, Officer Krupke (recording) 26. Balcony Scene (recording) 27. Berstein on recording West side Story, "Balcony Scene" (recording) 28. End titles

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

West Side Story: Highlights (1985 Studio Recording)

West Side Story: Highlights (1985 Studio Recording)

~ Leonard Bernstein
3.7 out of 5 stars (11)  $16.98
Leonard Bernstein: The Gift of Music

Leonard Bernstein: The Gift of Music

DVD ~ Lauren Bacall
4.2 out of 5 stars (4)  $26.99
The Unanswered Question - Six Talks at Harvard by Leonard Bernstein

The Unanswered Question - Six Talks at Harvard by Leonard Bernstein

DVD ~ Leonard Bernstein
4.8 out of 5 stars (21)  $99.99
Leonard Bernstein - Reaching for the Note

Leonard Bernstein - Reaching for the Note

DVD ~ Alexander Bernstein
The Making of West Side Story (The Great Broadway Musicals)

The Making of West Side Story (The Great Broadway Musicals)

by Keith Garebian
3.8 out of 5 stars (4)  $11.01
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

25 Reviews
5 star:
 (21)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Bernstein and Carreras at their magnificent best, November 21, 2001
This 1984 behind the scenes look at Bernstein's first recording of his classic score, West Side Story, is a real treat. The singers he assembled were an eclectic mix: Kiri Te Kanawa, Tatiana Troyanos and Jose Carreras, among others. The latter may have seemed an odd choice for the role of Tony, but vocally this character has never been better interpreted. Less successful is Te Kanawa, who overdoes her Puerto Rican accent, ignoring Bernstein's plea for "the merest hint of Puerto Rican-ness".

The video takes the viewer through preliminary rehearsals in Bernstein's apartment, interviews with the singers and Bernstein, and finally the recording studio. More than anything else, it conveys the joys and frustrations of making a recording with the composer himself conducting, and the programme does not shrink from showing temper tantrums from both Bernstein and Carreras (who storms out of the studio at one point, cursing "Ma porco in Dio!")

Bernstein's energy, creativity, anguish and love of life are evident in every scene, and this is often a moving study of a towering musical figure.

Among the singers Jose Carreras steals the show, singing the demanding "Maria" in a performance that is both poetic and powerful. He sings a magnificent High B flat on the word "MAria!" and then ends the song on a melting falsetto. This is the Carreras of yore, and he is unforgettable.

Forget the off-key singing in the movie version of this classic - this is the real thing, with the maestro himself in charge.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Geniuses at work, October 13, 2005
Almost a year ago I was away on a one week photo workshop. After a few days our teacher treated us to this dvd while saying that "this is to show you that real artists also struggle to achieve what they want. They are not merely superstars that always can deliver at the tip of a hat".......... The film started and we watched the great ensemble of artists giving their all to get the best possible result out of the recording sessions. I have to say it was kind of encouraging for me to watch and to hearing a voice saying "take 132" while the great artists are getting ready to record. It shows that no man is infallible. We're getting a really interesting glimpse into how things are working when an artist is recording an album. I was sitting there watching and then came the clip where Carreras is singing Maria and my mouth just fell wide open. Something went "click" in my head and it's possible that my heart skipped a beat too and I was completely hooked on this absolutely beautiful voice. The first thing I did when returning back home was to order a copy of this dvd and then I started checking out José Carreras and at the moment I'm the proud and delighted owner of a substantial opera collection - all of them of course with Carreras singing the tenor role.

This dvd is showing us clips from rehearsals and recording sessions as well as some brief comments from the singers about how they feel about working with Bernstein; Troyanos and Te Kanawa are talking about their "connection" to the music of West Side Story and of course we have the more or less (in)famous episode where Carreras is cut of in the middle of "Maria" and someone is saying that this was the end of the session and they have to continue the next day. Carreras, who obviously had worked a lot to get into the right mood to sing this song, in addition to the tension because of a vital top G still not recorded, gets cut of and reacts in a very natural way, I think. He utters a few words in Spanish; (not saying anything nice, I guess) collects his notes and then storms out of the studio. However, the next day he returns in resplendent voice and delivers his top note without any seemingly problems.....

It's also really fun watching the recording of "America" where the artists in addition to Bernstein himself are literally dancing around the studio. I just love watching this. I especially love the look on the face of one of the singers when the song ends; you can see the satisfaction just glowing, because she knows they have pulled it off perfectly.

There are lots of things I could say about this dvd, but I don't want to spoil all the fun for those who haven't watched it yet. What I can say is that this is a "spirited" injection for all those people out there struggling to achieve something, in addition to being a wonderful testament to Bernstein and his music as well as the musicianship of Carreras, Te Kanawa and the late Tatia Troyanos. Don't miss this opportunity to watch real geniuses at work......

PS. I just have to add that "my" workshop ended with almost all the participants going around singing "I feel pretty", becuase we felt that we had triumphed at last, and I can tell you that this song is really "contagious"....
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent but..., May 29, 2002
By Sean Lehman (Arroyo Grande, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This is an excellent DVD. I however was expecting what I had seen a few years back on PBS. In that version there was far more tension between Carreras and Bernstein. Carreras, whom I believe had just found out he had leukaemia, walked out in the middle of rehearsal after Bernstein picked him apart. Although there is not all that tension present in this DVD, it is still a good look inside the making of this recording. Watching the performance of the singers, musicians, and Bernstein is a far better treat then just listening to them on a CD. I do believe it has been whitewashed by removing a lot of the tense moments which is why I didn't give it 5 stars.
Comment Comments (2) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Musical Genius at Work
In this short video you are given all of the joy, passion, love, anger, petulance, and stubbornness that were just a few of the many ingredients that made Bernstein one of the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mark S. Snyder

5.0 out of 5 stars Just as great as I remember
I saw this when it first was on PBS. I grew up watching Leonard Bernstein on the Young People's Concert series when I was young. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Sue Acord

5.0 out of 5 stars The maestro conducts his own
Anyone who fell in love with the Movie Westside Story in the early sixties must view this fabulous dvd of Leonard Bernstein conducting his most popular composition. Read more
Published 11 months ago by G. V. Lane

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful and fun documentary
I just watched this on a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt and was mesmerized. Wonderful to see a wilder side to Lennie, to listen to the heart melting songs, to see Jose struggle... Read more
Published 11 months ago by C. van der Horst

5.0 out of 5 stars the maestro
Hello, Back in the 80's I saw the original showing on TV of this and tried to buy a video of it without success. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Ms. Marina Taylforth

4.0 out of 5 stars Big Voices for Lighter Music
Loved watching the rehearsal process in the video! The singers being opera stars have very different voices than are usual for this style of "Broadway show tunes". Read more
Published 17 months ago by Jeffrey D. Keith

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning with the Master
The absolute genious of L. Bernstein drives us constantly to tears of emotional joy. Paraphrasing Dame Kiri te Kanawa "...it's like having Mozart in front of you... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Joao Pedro Barreiros

5.0 out of 5 stars The Soul of Music-Making is Laid Bare
Well, not really. But this documentary comes as close to it as any documentary I've seen. You see and hear it all: preliminary rehearsals, takes and retakes, instructions to the... Read more
Published 22 months ago by William Benzon

5.0 out of 5 stars The Making of West Side Story . . the way it really is!
What a great DVD! As a professional musician myself, it's a wonderful experience to see one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century (Bernstein) conducting a talented group... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Will K

5.0 out of 5 stars The Making of West Side Story - Leonard Bernstein by Leonard Bernstein
The great documentary and a fantastic treat for not only opera fans but all kinds.It is also a very good study of the great artists, like Leonard Bernstein, Kari Te Kanawa, Jose... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Kip Jojo

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Movies & TV by subject:













i.e., each DVD must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.