West Side Story
Derek McGovern
and I've been pleasantly surprised by how enthusiastically my students
have reacted to this musical play. These are are all non-native
English speakers from countries as diverse as Japan and Tahiti, and
the eldest student is only 22. There's definitely hope for this world
yet when a group of young people fed on a daily diet of rap and
hip-hop can appreciate a musical that's more than 50 years old.
And what a great musical it is! Leonard Bernstein's magnificent
melodies coupled with Stephen Sondheim's lyrics (Maria, Tonight,
Somewhere, I Have a Love, etc) are irresistible, and it's amazing how
fresh and vital the 1957 score remains. Needless to say, I'm having a
ball teaching this class -- even if I come home exhausted at the end
of each day!
Teaching this subject has prompted me to dig out Bernstein's 1984
complete recording with Carreras, Te Kanawa and Troyanos. Goodness,
what magnificent singing this features from Carreras! Putting aside
the issue of his Spanish accent (which is neither here nor there with
me in any case), his rendition of Maria is one of his most rapturous
pieces of singing -- complete with a thrilling B-flat ("MAAAria!") and
a perfect mezza voce ending. He's also very touching on the lyrical
One Hand, One Heart and alternately exciting and sweet on Tonight. The
only song on which he struggles is Something's Coming, where he's
never quite on the beat. But even then, his singing is quite enjoyable
(especially on "Around the corner/Or whistlin' down the river/Come on
deliver/To me...").
Here's a youtube link to the celebrated documentary of the making of
this recording. Unfortunately, it doesn't include Carreras' final
released take of Maria, but it should give anyone who hasn't heard
that version some idea of his approach to the song in the two outtakes
shown here. (I should add that he stops just before the climactic
B-flat, as he senses that he's running out of vocal "juice" -- and
then, denied the opportunity to pick up from where he left off, he
storms out of the studio :-)):
Joe Fagan
sung by our Hero.....its on the top of my lists of songs that " I wish
Mario had recorded"... along with" Climb every Mountain". One can only dream
and rejoice in what we *DO* have. Thanks again...(.I would have loved to
have taken a course under you, BTW!).
Sam
Carreras version conducted by composer Leonard Bernstein. I also adore
the 1962 (?) movie with Natalie Wood. While the voices aren't as
great, the singing is quite enjoyable and the movie itself is a
classic that won many Acacemy Awards. "I Have A Love", which you
mentioned, is particularly haunting and the duet has beautiful
harmony. If anyone is interested the most recent DVD release is a
special edition and the quality is great. Can't you just hear Mario
doing Maria??!!
>
> - Show quoted text -
Derek McGovern
and, as you say, the quality is great on it. My only complaint about
this otherwise wonderful movie is that there's quite a bit of off-key
singing in it, particularly from Jim Bryant, the vocal "ghost" for
star Richard Beymer. Marni Nixon, ghosting here for Natalie Wood, also
sounds too mature for Maria. The conductor, incidentally, is our old
friend John Green, who worked with Lanza on three of his MGM films.
I actually prefer the 1957 original Broadway cast album of West Side
Story to the film soundtrack. The lyrics haven't been bowdlerized --
as they are in the movie -- and Larry Kert and Carol Lawrence sound
just right as Tony and Maria, respectively.
>
> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
Thelma
was a very accomplished dancer and actress, and in my opinion should
have been sought after for more films than she did.
Derek McGovern
film version of West Side Story, but was ultimately passed over
because the producers felt that at 29 she looked too old to portray a
teenager. (Natalie Wood was six years younger.) Age aside, though, she
certainly looked more convincingly Puerto Rican in the production
photos I've seen of her than Natalie Wood did.
gary from N.S.
favourites for years.
This thread prompted me to check "youtube" and I found the following
clip with Carol Lawrence "re-visiting" West S.S. It is quite
interesting imo. Also on this same site on the top of the videos
listed is Carol on a Bell Telephone Hour..worth a look as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsVfeOaySZQ
Oh yes, Sam, indeed the song Maria would have been a wonderful piece
for Mario to sing..
Cheers
Gary
Thelma
singing voice for musicals too. She was an all around talent. She
appeared in Branson in 2005 also, but I didn't see her then.
Armando
I love West Side Story. I also love both Carol Lawrence (real name
Carolina Laraia) and Natalie Wood. Lawrence should have been in the
film, but just as Julie Andrews missed out to Audrey Hepburn for My
Fair Lady so did Lawrence since Wood was a bigger name at the box
office.
Having said this, I thought that Natalie Wood was wonderful as Maria
regardless of the fact that she was dubbed. Great performances also
from Rita Moreno and George Chakiris. Richard Beymer was the weak link
in the movie- pretty boy and little else. Larry Kert would have been
preferable.
The Bernstein recording has some pretty good singing from Carreras and
the rest of the cast.
Derek McGovern
Side Story. From there, I stumbled on a very touching eight-minute
clip of Lawrence and a number of the other 1957 original Broadway cast
members singing *and* dancing bits of the show (the Jet Song, A Boy
Like That, Tonight, etc), together with much younger performers. This
was recorded only last December, and Carol Lawrence and Chita Rivera
(the original Anita) sing and dance amazingly well for 76- and 74-year-
olds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6gok589fVg
I also thoroughly enjoyed this 1967 Bell Telephone Hour performance of
Larry Kert and Carol Lawrence singing Maria and Tonight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxQu0MY1l9c&feature=related (I presume
this was the one you referred to, Gary.)
Kert's Maria is just beautiful here. Carol's slightly too restrained
on Tonight for my liking (visually and vocally), but I much prefer her
to Marni Nixon (Natalie Wood's singing voice in the film). It's a
lovely clear voice and she sings with a very pure, even line.
Hi Armando: I actually quite like Richard Beymer's acting in the
movie! Physically, he's a little awkward in his movements in places --
particularly when he first meets Natalie (though this is accentuated
by the extreme height difference between them) and in the way he
carries himself -- but I thought he did a pretty good job overall.
Beymer hated his performance (he reportedly walked out of the London
premiere at Intermission), but as even he acknowledges on the Special
Edition DVD, Tony is a thankless role to act in some ways. His songs
are wonderful, but the dramatically meaty roles are really those of
Maria and Anita.
Muriel
teaching one of your favorite musicals to receptive students! I think
so much can be learned by using music as a teaching tool, as young
people aren’t aware that it’s part of education too. I hope it is a
rousing success!
It’s been years since I’ve seen the film with Natalie Wood, and I’m
not sure I’ve ever heard the original Broadway recording. It’s
possible I have heard parts along the way. I did look at the Youtube
clips of the reunion of the 1957 cast, and they all looked quite misty-
eyed as they recalled that wonderful time in their lives. I will make
an effort to get the original as I’ve always been a fan of Carol
Lawrence. (Oh, how I envied her being married to Robert Goulet!)
What I’ve been watching and listening to the last several days is the
1984 DVD and CD recording with Te Kanawa and Carreras, conducted by
Bernstein. I was surprised when he mentioned that he had never
conducted the whole musical before, but only the symphonic parts. I
love these “how-it-was-done” creations. I recall being quite
fascinated with a book on the making of Gone With The Wind.
You mentioned Jose’s struggle with Something’s Coming and he makes the
comment that here he was, the only Spaniard in the place trying to be
an authentic American. As it turns out, this was a difficult piece for
him as the wacky tempo and words had to be precisely coordinated. All
those words too! He usually was ahead of the music and at one point,
Maestro Bernstein says, “You sang ‘wait’ and you didn’t!” Poor Jose. I
noticed a fellow next to him singing lyrics, which I gathered was a
lesson in American pronunciation. As with you, I didn’t mind the
accent and thought he did wonderfully well. Here and there he had to
repeat a word. This particular song must have been taxing for him,
though, as he had to read the many words while Bernstein wanted him to
watch him in order to stay on beat.
As you’ve described his beautiful mezza voce in Maria, we again get a
glimpse of the work that went into executing such a seemingly perfect
rendition. When he didn’t take a breath at the proper place and
Bernstein reminded him that he had to sing on “forever” and needed
that big breath. When he asked to repeat a few bars again by himself,
the announcement came that the session was over for the day, so his
request was denied. This was the reason for his frustration we see on
the Youtube clip when he left the studio in a huff. Bernstein sighed
and said something about the poor boy having so many troubles….
Watching Bernstein conduct his own creation is quite entertaining.
Each little movement and nuance meant something and, at times, the
orchestra and singers had to be on their toes to decipher what it was
he wanted. I chuckled when he blurted out, “I wrote this, you know”,
meaning “he” knew… The man used up lots of energy in his conducting.
Each artist commented on how fortunate they felt working under his
genius. I found myself waiting to hear the various side comments he
made as he worked. He even gave himself a compliment, saying he felt
like he wrote the music yesterday. Indeed, it is timeless. Working
with these operatic voices pleased him and he mentioned that.
Maria, sung by Kiri Te Kanawa, is another pleasant experience to hear.
She’s a gifted soprano, not shrill at all, and full of expression. In
fact, Bernstein had her record Somewhere, even though it was sung by
Marilyn Horne on the finished CD. He said he just loved hearing her
sing it. Watching Jose and Kiri sing the duet, One Hand, One Heart,
brought tears to my eyes. This Romeo and Juliet story never fails to
tug at my heart.
I’m having a senior moment now. Can you tell me when Jose became ill?
Was it after 1984? He gives a commendable performance here, although
it isn’t opera, I know. Another thing I noticed while watching this
documentary, is that the cast all were obviously chewing gum at
various times (not while singing). Is there a reason for this? Does it
help keep their throats or tongues lubricated? I am curious.
I certainly endorse this set and hope you all will try to see/hear it
if you can.
On Sep 2, 3:25 am, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks, Gary, for the youtube link to Carol Lawrence revisiting West
> Side Story. From there, I stumbled on a very touching eight-minute
> clip of Lawrence and a number of the other 1957 original Broadway cast
> members singing *and* dancing bits of the show (the Jet Song, A Boy
> Like That, Tonight, etc), together with much younger performers. This
> was recorded only last December, and Carol Lawrence and Chita Rivera
> (the original Anita) sing and dance amazingly well for 76- and 74-year-
> olds:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6gok589fVg
>
> I also thoroughly enjoyed this 1967 Bell Telephone Hour performance of
> Larry Kert and Carol Lawrence singing Maria and Tonight:
>
Derek McGovern
West Side Story (studio recording)" DVD as well, and kudos to Carreras
for not objecting to its inclusion of his minor tantrum, or, for that
matter, Bernstein's not-always complimentary remarks about his
singing. (He's since stated that such outbursts are to be expected in
a stressful recording session, and that the doco is therefore a
realistic one.)
Carreras became ill in July 1987, while in the middle of filming La
Boheme. 25-year-old Luca Canonici -- also a tenor -- replaced him in
the film, but mimed to his singing. (Actually, without Carreras, the
film was a bit on the dull side -- despite the presence of the lovely
Barbara Hendricks.)
Lou
doco even more than the recording itself. The realistic interplay
between Carreras and Bernstein is priceless.
Relatedly, I've read about an unauthorized recording of a live 1953
performance of West Side Story *in Italian* at La Scala. Billed as
Storia Laterale Ovest, the performance was conducted by Bernstein
himself and boasted Maria Callas and Giuseppe Di Stefano in the
principal roles. For some unclear reason, however, it was unsuccessful
and marred by heaviy booing. In case you have not yet come across this
Callas rarity, here's the link:
http://inkpot.com/classical/callaswss.html
Derek McGovern
stage singing "I Feel Pretty"? This story is priceless! Unfortunately,
it's also a gigantic leg-pull :-) Besides, Bernstein hadn't even
written West Side Story in 1953. Very funny, though...
Lou
West Side Story so the alleged 1953 performance date didn't tip me
off. But the reference to Natalie Wood's movie portrayal should have
set off warning bells. Yes, it's indeed very funny -- my gullibility,
that is. :-))
Derek McGovern
begin my day! And if it's any consolation, it probably fooled a lot of
other people as well. But I can assure you that Callas sang nothing
but opera. (Though thanks to that spoof review, I now keep visualizing
her doing the cha-cha-cha with Di Stefano in the dance at the gym :-))
Actually, until 1984 Bernstein had never conducted the entire West
Side Story; he'd only conducted partial rehearsals for the original
production, and later his symphonic dances on various themes from the
musical.
Lou
>But I can assure you that Callas sang nothing but opera.
quarters think otherwise, though. For instance, a New York Times
critic (sorry, forgot his name) calls it one of the great operas of
the 20th century. And I understand Bernstein himself saw it as an
opera, which was probably why he had opera singers in the principal
roles in his own recording. (Incidentally, he is said to have first
offered the role of Tony to Jerry Hadley.)
It seems the jury is still out on whether WSS is an opera. Would you
like to give us your reason(s) for thinking it is not? Perhaps other
forum members would care to weigh in as well. As for me, strictly from
a musically uneducated layman's point of view, I'm inclined to
classify it as an opera because it's dark and serious, not light and
frivolous; the hero's violent death is common in operas but rare in
musicals; and at at least some of the songs seem to have been composed
with operatic voices in mind (I have yet to hear a non-operatic
singer do justice to Tonight, Maria, and I Feel Pretty).
Thelma
http://www.classicalarchives.com/dict/opera.html
Maria Luísa
one and very dramatic too. A modern Romeo and Juliette. Wonderful
film, exceptional music. Fantastic dancers and singers. Bernstein
made a classic in every sense of the word. It will last forever.
Derek McGovern
> You're saying then, Derek, that West Side Story is not an opera? Some
> quarters think otherwise, though. For instance, a New York Times
> critic (sorry, forgot his name) calls it one of the great operas of
> the 20th century. And I understand Bernstein himself saw it as an
> opera, which was probably why he had opera singers in the principal
> roles in his own recording. (Incidentally, he is said to have first
> offered the role of Tony to Jerry Hadley.)
>
> It seems the jury is still out on whether WSS is an opera. Would you
> like to give us your reason(s) for thinking it is not? Perhaps other
> forum members would care to weigh in as well. As for me, strictly from
> a musically uneducated layman's point of view, I'm inclined to
> classify it as an opera because it's dark and serious, not light and
> frivolous; the hero's violent death is common in operas but rare in
> musicals; and at at least some of the songs seem to have been composed
> with operatic voices in mind (I have yet to hear a non-operatic
> singer do justice to Tonight, Maria, and I Feel Pretty).
Hi Lou: You've raised an interesting question, and one that I've
recently been toying with in my PhD thesis in a chapter of My Fair
Lady.
No, I don't regard West Side Story as an opera. Nor did Bernstein
himself, in fact -- or, at least, not in the 1984 liner notes to the
2-CD version of West Side Story with Carreras & Te Kanawa. For him,
the deciding factor was that at the crucial moment (Tony's death),
Maria didn't burst into a dramatic aria -- as she would if it were
really an opera -- but instead gave a moving *speech* ("How many
bullets are left"?, etc). Bernstein tried to write an aria for Maria
at this point, but the results simply felt phony to him.
While I do agree with you that it's hard for non-operatic singers to
do full justice to songs like Maria and Tonight, it's equally hard for
operatic singers to do justice to some of the other numbers, such as
Cool and the Jet Song. Poor Kurt Ollmann, the then 27-year-old
baritone who sang Riff on the Bernstein recording, sounds far too
refined to be taken seriously as a gang leader; you really need a
Broadway voice to pull off those particular songs. Another problem is
the sheer amount of dancing in West Side Story; how many opera singers
would be up to that challenge? :-)
Here's a chunk from my thesis that might interest you:
Any discussion of Broadway musicals inevitably involves the use of
such generic terms as musical comedy and operetta. The distinctions
between these and other theatrical genres – or subgenres, as some
would argue – remain decidedly blurred, however, with My Fair Lady not
alone in being variously described as a musical comedy, an operetta,
and a musical play. Some musicals – as in the case of Frank Loesser's
The Most Happy Fella (1956) – have also been labelled as operas, in
spite of the objections of their creators. Conversely, while Porgy and
Bess (1935) was described by its composer George Gershwin as an
"American Folk Opera", some critics have regarded it as a musical
(Gottfried 229). Many years later, the composer Leonard Bernstein
would debate at length whether his musical West Side Story (1957) was,
in fact, an opera – ultimately concluding that it was not.
Given the lack of consensus, then, on the defining characteristics of
each of these genres, some commentators have preferred to employ a
single all-embracing term for Broadway book musicals. Swain argues
that, "The cantankerous distinctions [...] made between musicals and
musical plays on one hand and operettas and operas on the other hand,
in the words of Professor Higgins, by now should be antique. […] The
matter at hand is *music drama*" (412). Bernstein, on the other hand –
speaking on a 1956 telecast – argued for the term *musical comedy* on
the basis that American musicals possess "one great unifying factor:
they all belong to an art that arises out of American roots, out of
our speech, our tempo, our moral attitudes, our way of moving"
(178-179). He acknowledged, however, that the American musical theatre
was eclectic – assimilating "this from opera, that from revue, the
other from operetta, something else from vaudeville" – and suggested
that it was the subject matter in a given musical that determined the
extent to which these borrowed elements should be emphasised:
"For instance, Oklahoma! is a Western that leans 'way over toward
operetta, whereas Annie Get Your Gun [1946] is a Western that is pure
musical comedy. The question [...] is one of the vernacular: Oklahoma!
uses realistic Western speech, whereas Annie uses tough talk that
belongs to New York. [...] My Fair Lady, because of its subject
matter, is necessarily closer to operetta, whereas Damn Yankees [1955]
is necessarily further from operetta because of its subject matter."
(178)
In any event, operetta is arguably a less contentious term than opera,
which, although traditionally referring to "a dramatic theater piece
with continuous music as the dominant artistic feature" (Kislan 13),
also embraces such compositions as Georges Bizet's Carmen (1875) – a
work that in its original conception contained passages of spoken
dialogue without musical underscoring instead of the traditional sung
recitatives (Schonberg 335). Generally defined as being lighter both
in subject matter and in the complexity of its scoring than opera, an
operetta also typically includes a considerable amount of dialogue. It
should not, however, be confused with comic opera, which, as Kislan
observes, "exploits plausible situations, farce, or verbal wit,
[whereas] operetta abandons everything to unfettered imagination"
(99).
Derek McGovern
Joseph P. Swain's definition and label West Side Story as simply a
musical drama. "Musical comedy" is wrong (sorry, Bernstein); the
subject matter is too serious. And it's not exotic enough to be an
operetta. A "play with music" (yet another term!) is wrong because the
music is more important in West Side Story than the dialogue --
except, as I pointed out above, at the end! Come to think of it,
perhaps "musical play" is the best description after all...:-)
Lou
inputs, and my apologies for the delay in acknowledging them. I'd been
experiencing a problem with my DSL connection, which has not yet been
fully resolved. I keep my fingers crossed even as I type this, hoping
that the connection will not conk out on me before I can send my post.
On Sep 7, 7:58 pm, "Derek McGovern" <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> No, I don't regard West Side Story as an opera. Nor did Bernstein
> himself, in fact -- or, at least, not in the 1984 liner notes to the
> 2-CD version of West Side Story with Carreras & Te Kanawa. For him,
> the deciding factor was that at the crucial moment (Tony's death),
> Maria didn't burst into a dramatic aria -- as she would if it were
> really an opera -- but instead gave a moving *speech* ("How many
> bullets are left"?, etc). Bernstein tried to write an aria for Maria
> at this point, but the results simply felt phony to him.
into a kind of operatic "mad scene", but that wiser counsels prevailed
on him to leave Laurents' devastating words to floor the audience. I'm
amazed that West Side Story missed being categorized as opera simply
because its composer had decided not to set the text of the finale.
called a ballet-with-songs and a dance musical, because much of the
dramatic action is carried on by Jerome Robbins' choreography. Among
the professionals who keep to the opera-versus-musical dichotomy,
there are those who maintain that WSS is a musical because it is
"supremely collaborative", unlike operas, which are composer-driven.
At this point, I'm inclined to sit on the fence with Stephen Sondheim,
the lyricist of WSS and since then a prolific composer in his own
right, who says, "When Menotti's operas The Medium and The Telephone
were staged in theatres, they were seen as musicals. When [my] Sweeney
Todd was done at New York City Opera, it was opera. The difference is
about expectation, what audiences bring to the piece." I take
Sondheim's comment to mean that when WSS is performed at the Met
(which has yet to happen), it is an opera; when staged on Broadway, it
is a musical. But whatever it is, West Side Story is definitely a
classic, as Maria Luisa points out. Enjoy!
Derek McGovern
primarily a ballet with songs, or a dance musical -- especially if
you're talking about the stage version, in which there's quite a bit
more dancing than in the film, including the long balletic sequence
based around the song "Somewhere". (In the movie, this was changed to
a brief duet between Tony and Maria, without any dancing.) There's not
a lot of dialogue in West Side Story either -- significantly less than
we get in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals of the same period, and
infinitely less than in My Fair Lady -- and, as we've already
discussed, it only assumes significance at the very end of the work
with Maria's heartrending speech. Ultimately, I guess, West Side Story
is a hybrid work -- part opera, part burlesque, part ballet, etc --
that defies categorisation. But you're certainly right about it being
a classic! Teaching it has reinforced to me what a work of genius it
is.
Incidentally, I'm glad that Sondheim didn't write the music for West
Side Story (as he had initially hoped to do), since I can't imagine
anyone coming up with melodies as perfect as those of Bernstein's
Maria, Tonight, etc. From the little I know of Sondheim's music (and
that includes beautiful songs such as Send in the Clowns), his melodic
gifts are not on the scale of Bernstein's. But then whose are among
composers of the second half of the 20th century?
Apparently, Bernstein also had a hand in the lyrics of West Side
Story, but generously allowed the young Sondheim to receive sole
credit for these.
Lou
> Apparently, Bernstein also had a hand in the lyrics of West Side
> Story, but generously allowed the young Sondheim to receive sole
> credit for these.
>
credits as co-lyricist removed, given that, as I understand it,
Sondheim had written almost all the lyrics, scrapping or rewriting
Bernstein's originals. As one account has it: "For the lyrics to a
comical song, 'Officer Krupke,' Stephen Sondheim originally ended it
with the words 'Gee, Officer Krupke, F**k you!' However, when he
noticed the producers wince at the sound of his line, he went to
Leonard Bernstein seeking his advice. Although Bernstein was not a
lyricist, he was quick to suggest that Sondheim instead write 'Gee,
Officer Krupke, Krup you!' This was Bernstein's sole contribution to
the musical lyrically, but is a key line in "West Side Story."
Derek McGovern
about Bernstein and the lyrics! I wish I could remember where it was
that I read that claim.
Incidentally, I'm curious, Lou: are you familiar with Sondheim's
actual *music*? If so, what's your opinion of it? (Anyone else who
wishes to comment: please feel free to do so!)
Sam
to me his music is another story. Except for a few songs like Send In
The Clowns, I find that his music is not too memorable and doesn't
have the staying ability of most popular standards. Whereas in West
Side Story, all of Bernstein's tunes can be hummed and sung and are
classics. Perhaps Sondheim is ahead of his time, but that only means I
am behind---which I don't mind at all!
Lou
his that I have listened to is Carreras' version of Send in the
Clowns. I understand that this is Sondheim's only major pop hit, out
of some 500 complete songs that he composed. I just love it; I think
the unusual melody and the ironic, self-mocking lyrics perfectly
complement each other. I've read, however, that Sondheim's music is
generally cold and cerebral, which is enough to discourage me from
sampling his other works.