Bernstein: West Side Story (Arr. H. Huizinga for Violin & Saxophone Quartet) [Live]
11/6/2020, 19 Tracks, 42:02
Featuring
Gwendolyn Masin
David Cristóbal Litago
Marijke Schröer
Henriette Jensen
Jonas Tschanz
Melisma Saxophone Quartet
Leonard Bernstein
Did you know?
1/7
Cultural Impact
West Side Story, a retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet set in 1950s New York, brought edginess to musical theatre with its frank references to sex, violence, and racial tensions.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Stephen Sondheim, making his Broadway debut as a writer with West Side Story, contributed pithy lyrics peppered with suggestive slang.
Composition History
The idea for West Side Story originated in 1947 when Jerome Robbins suggested an updated version of Romeo and Juliet involving rival Roman Catholic and Jewish families.
Historical Context
What began as East Side Story evolved to reflect turf wars between teen gangs and conflicts between Americans and Puerto Rican immigrants in New York's West Side.
Compositional Technique
Leonard Bernstein's music for West Side Story stretches tonality and incorporates jazz and Latin dance influences, often in a brassy, brash, visceral style.
Interpretation
The chamber arrangement by Henk Huizinga represents the musical's main characters with instruments, creating an intimate dialogue.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded live at the GAIA Music Festival, Switzerland, on July 1, 2019, at the Yehudi Menuhin Forum in Bern.
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