Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0028947662693
Format: Cast Recording
Label: Decca Broadway
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
MPN: 000981802
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Decca Broadway
Release Date: 2007-09-25
Studio: Decca Broadway

To mark the 50th Anniversary of WEST SIDE STORY, some of the biggest classical crossover stars have gathered to record a brand new version. One of the most lauded musicals ever written, WEST SIDE STORY, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, is a timeless classic. The famous 1984 recording included Kiri Te Kanawa - here the part of Maria is passed to fellow New Zealander, Hayley Westenra, paired up with Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo as Tony. With a bright young cast and legendary standards, this recording is set to become the choice for WEST SIDE STORY lovers. Release coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the Broadway opening of WEST SIDE STORY - September 26, 1957. This is the first major recording of the work since the 1984 version, which featured Leonard Bernstein conducting. The recordings of Hayley Westenra and Vittorio Grigolo have exceeded 2.5 million copies worldwide. Recording includes new essay by Leonard Bernstein's daughter, Jamie.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Good sound quality
Comment: Great sound quality but If you are stuck on the original sound from the movie or broadway, this isn't totally the same.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Echoes of a great show.
Comment: The energy, sound recording and ensemble makes this wonderful recording a must for West Side Story lovers. However, the lead lady, who is usually known for her pop singing, does not have the voice quality to match the lead male, whose voice is superb. To lift the sound of her voice to an acceptable quality, the sound engineer employed much too much echo or reverberation. It sounds odd when mixed freely with other voices that don't have the same treatment. It becomes really annoying in some songs. Luckily it does not spoil the bulk of the music on the CD, which I fully recommend.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: New dimensions for a timeless score
Comment: As a Hayley Westenra fan, I didn't exactly come into this unbiased. She is indeed in top form, and for one trying this kind of performance for the first time, genuinely amazing. I was expecting to be put off by the international cast and the "wrong" accents, but let's face it - opera has been doing this as far back as any of us can remember and no one complains. West Side Story is timeless and every bit as much of a classic in every sense as Carmen or La Boheme. These are classic, though not purist, performances, and they are very, very good. I especially appreciate the orchestra's adherence to the score. Too often in revivals the perpetrators seem to think they can improve on the score/orchestration and end up butchering it instead. Not so here. This is a thoroughly enjoyable recording, but I certainly don't intend to toss out the others.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Hayley and Vittorio...a match made in heaven!
Comment: I do like the original, but musically speaking, this recording is far superior. To start with, the two young leads have amazing voices. The first Tony and Maria were adequate, but not excellent. Kiri Te Kawana and Jose Carreras have excellent voices, but they sound too mature for the role of the teenage lovers. Hayley Westenra and Vittorio Grigolo are both young AND accomplished, and they bring such beauty and passion to the roles Tony and Maria.

The rest of the cast is great too. In fact, I wasn't expecting to like "The Jet Song" or "Cool," but Will Martin's compelling tough but strong trained voice brings real life to the Riff character, and I can't imagine anyone else doing a better job of it. Another standout is Connie Fisher's incredible performance of "Somewhere."

The only reason for criticism of this magnificent album would be the international cast. None of the singers are American (Vittorio Grigolo is Italian, Will Martin and Hayley Westenra are from New Zealand and Connie Fisher is Welsh, I believe.) Personally, I don't have a problem with Vittorio's accent, I think it's kind of cute, but the "real" Tony wouldn't have one. Hayley doesn't look or sound Puerto Rican either. Oh well. These singers were chosen for their vocal abilities, not for their nationality.

This is a classy yet accessible version of this famous musical. Everyone did a fantastic job, and I'm sure I'll listen to it again and again in years to come. Of the three major recordings of "West Side Story" that I have heard, this is the one I like best. The main reason I like it best is because Hayley and Vittorio who have such natural yet technically perfect voices; truly a match made in heaven!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Was Tony from Italy??
Comment: I was really looking forward to this cd, but once I heard Vittorio sing Tony's part it kind of seemed cheap. I am a fan of Vittorio's, but why did he sing a classic piece of music and sound like he just got off the boat?
This completely took me out of the production. Who's idea was it anyway??

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