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Rating: 
Summary: Amazing!!!
Review: "West Side Story" is without a doubt one of the greatest musicals of the 20th century! It is also one of my favorite musicals, so much so that I own several different versions of this great work!
When I bought Bernstein's own recording (the one this DVD is all about) I was surprised with the sheer beauty and amazing drama that Bernstein is able to extract from his own score several years after he wrote it! The orchestral parts are conducted and played with a mesmerizing authority!
This DVD narrates what happened during the recording sessions! It is really interesting to see Bernstein dealing with the orchestra and soloists in order to elicit their best to create this wonderful recording of his very own masterpiece! This DVD eloquently shows the labour required to perform such a deed, and it is a fantastic testimony of the excellence of Bernstein's musicianship and immense talent!
If you like Bernstein, this is a document not to be missed! An amazing document indeed!!!
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece of all times' musical
Review: Best music, best choreography, best tale of endless love...that's enough
Rating:
Summary: Bernstein and Carreras at their magnificent best
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A must own for any serious music lover!
Review: This is a great look at Leonard Bernstein in action rehearsing/recording this West Side Story session. If you are fan of Lenny, you MUST own this. If you aren't a fan, watching this video will make you one. Truly inspirational.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent but...
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent but...
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Great Memory of Bernstein
Review: What a great find! Watching Bernstein conduct his most famous popular piece is amazing. His wit, style, temper, intensity are all present. A very straightforward account of the recording of this double cd set using opera stars as "cast" members. All of the stars perform well. Carreras is an interesting study here as he takes on the role of Tony. A very talented man, he is at once brilliant and very human as he tries to overcome his inner demons. His "Maria" is especially fine. The chorus performs well also. All in all a tribute to Leonard Bernstein while serving as a behind the scenes peak at true creativity.
Rating:
Summary: Great Memory of Bernstein
Review: What a great find! Watching Bernstein conduct his most famous popular piece is amazing. His wit, style, temper, intensity are all present. A very straightforward account of the recording of this double cd set using opera stars as "cast" members. All of the stars perform well. Carreras is an interesting study here as he takes on the role of Tony. A very talented man, he is at once brilliant and very human as he tries to overcome his inner demons. His "Maria" is especially fine. The chorus performs well also. All in all a tribute to Leonard Bernstein while serving as a behind the scenes peak at true creativity.
Rating: 
Summary: West Side Story
Review: When I first played this DVD it instantly became my favorite. The music is superb and it shows a lot of what it took to make music recordings before the digital age. My DVD was damaged and I am now orderring a replacement.
Rating:
Summary: West Side Story
Review: When I first played this DVD it instantly became my favorite. The music is superb and it shows a lot of what it took to make music recordings before the digital age. My DVD was damaged and I am now orderring a replacement.
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