West Side Story

by Leonard Bernstein (Composer)

Other authorsArt Smith (Performer), Carol Lawrence (Performer), Chita Rivera (Performer), David Winters (Performer), Larry Kert (Performer), Mickey Calin (Performer), Ken Le Roy (Performer), Lee Becker (Performer), Eddie Roll (Performer)

Phono record sound recording, ?

Status

Available

Call number

782.1

DDC/MDS

782.1

782.1

Genres

Music

Collection

Recordings

Publication

Columbia Masterworks

Description

(Instrumental). These solo instrumental arrangements are faithful to Bernstein's score, and have been idiomatically adapted to the instruments for these editions. Intermediate to Advanced Level. CONTENTS: Jet Song * Something's Coming * Mambo * Maria * Tonight (Balcony Scene) * America * Cool * One Hand, One Heart * I Feel Pretty * Somewhere. The enhanced CD includes recordings of piano accompaniments for each piece along with tempo adjustment software for CD-ROM computer use.

Media reviews

AllMusic

The soundtrack of the West Side Story film is deservedly one of the most popular soundtrack recordings of all time, and one of the relatively few to have attained long-term popularity beyond a specialized soundtrack/theatrical musical audience. (It is an entirely different recording, it should be

emphasized, from the original Broadway cast recording, which was also a massive-selling album.) Its widespread impact could be attributed to a few factors: the wide range of compositional and orchestral styles, from cool swing jazz and shades of Latin pop to classical; the universality of the storyline, pitting underdog lovers against the world; and an assortment of songs that goes well beyond the sentimental love odes that are the staples of musicals (though it has some of those, too), including some downright tough posturing and sardonic social commentary. "Jet Song," "America," "Gee, Officer Krupke," "Tonight," "Cool," "Maria," "I Feel Pretty," and "Something's Coming" are all among the most famous and oft-sung soundtrack numbers ever. Why might you want to upgrade if your familiar old album has been moldering in the collection for decades, or if you got it passed down for free from older relatives? Well, aside from the excellent remastered sound and historical liner notes about the film and soundtrack production, it has four tracks designated as previously unreleased. One of those, "Intermission Music," is pretty dispensable, as it's simply a 90-second instrumental version of "I Feel Pretty." But "Overture" is a worthy instrumental fanfare, and the "Finale" and "End Credits" that close the release have some supremely booming funereal tones, in keeping with the downbeat end of the film.

Show Less

Awards

Grammy Award (Winner — 1962)

Physical description

14.8 inches

Local notes

Act 1
Prologue
Jet Song
Something's Coming
The Dance at the Gym
Maria
Tonight
America
Cool
One Hand, One Heart
Tonight (Quintet and Chorus)
The Rumble

Act 2
I Fell Pretty
Somewhere (Ballet)
Gee, Officer Krupke
A Boy Like That/I Have A Love
Finale

Bonus Tracks: Symphonic Dances
Prologue (Allegro moderato)
Somewhere (Adagio)
Scherzo (Vivace e leggiero)
Mambo (Meno Presto)
Cha-Cha (Andantino con grazia)
Meeting Scene (Meno mosso)
Cool Fugue (Allegretto)
Rumble (Molto allegro)
Finale (Adagio)