West Side Story

Description

West Side Story
LEONARD BERNSTEIN
1961, COLUMBIA MASTERWORKS
Almost sixty years after its release, West Side Story remains the greatest musical in history. To highlight the timeless nature of this soundtrack, it is enough to recall its many "hits": "I Feel Pretty," "America," and of course "Maria." To set the rhythm for this modern Romeo & Juliet set in the New York fifties of street gangs and Puerto Rican immigration, Bernstein will heavily draw on jazz and pop influences. However, he does not abandon his operatic ambitions. "The main problem is the fine line between opera and Broadway, between realism and poetry, between ballet and 'simple dance,' between abstract and representational. One must avoid the 'thesis' spectacle," the composer would explain to clarify where the music that kept him at the top of the Billboard for fifty-four weeks came from.