Search - Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Hayley Westenra :: West Side Story

Jennie J. from AUBURN, MA
Reviewed on 2/11/2009...

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!

A Disappointment

West Sider | New York, NY USA | 10/16/2007

(1 out of 5 stars)

"West Side Story is one of my favorite Broadway musical scores, and I was looking forward to listening to this recording. What a disappointment! The Prologue starts off wrong by omitting the signature whistle signal of the Jets that is so captivating. The Jet Song is horrid, with an insertion by the Jets gang that sounds like chorus boys from The Producers doing a gig in Las Vegas. The two principals have fine voices, but the casting is totally mixed up. Hayley Westenra as Maria has a lovely American accent, while Vittorio Grigolo as Tony has an operatic Italian accent. So in listening to the recording, you basically have to pretend that Maria (or should I say Mary) is the native-born, and Tony (short for Anton, or should I say Antonio) is the immigrant. Thankfully Anita and the Sharks gang carry themselves well enough. If you want to enjoy a recording of West Side Story, I guess you need to stick to the original cast. Listening to this makes me want to move to the East Side!"

Disappointment is right!

Wilfredo Lukban | Philadelphia, PA | 10/07/2007

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I am familiar with the original cast, the film cast (not sung by Natalie Wood but by Marnie Nixon), the Deutsche Grammophon recording of Kiri Te Kanawa and Carreras and some other productions but I must say that even by listening to the samples presented in Amazon's "listen to samples" option, THIS IS A BAD recording of the Bernstein classic. One has to understand that this is a groundbreaking piece of musical -- reasons: it employed the unpredictable musical tones, dynamics and tempo of Bernstein, heard in his compositions of "American" music but incorporated in musical theater -- itself an American created art form; second, being a musical, it still calls for drama and therefore, third, the audience should demand to hear something emotionally driven but fresh. We want the singers NOT just to sing but ACT!!! So far, this is the driest, most unsatisfying and sorriest interpretation of Bernstein's great innovative work.



Tony. Being an a second generation American (I presume that it was his parents who were born in Poland...) still should sound American. If not, Polish perhaps? But not Italian. But that is minor...Carreras was Spanish... But if one listens to Carreras in the 1984 recording, he may not sound right with his accent, but one can appreciate the acting still though dry it may be. Maestro Bernstein DRILLED him in singing his lines during the recording of the DG West Side Story. I think we still have to see the tenor of this recording be drilled by Bernstein (unfortunate that he has passed away) or by someone similar just to know the complexities of the role of Tony. It has to have passion and drama manifested in the syncopation of the notes. Carreras has difficulty in noting the timing of "Something's Coming", this one has probably sung it with timing but definitely without the enthusiasm of the piece. In other words, make be believe that SOMETHING is COMING.



Maria. Dry as a desert. One is not singing a lullaby which this one sounds like what she is doing. Rather -- sing us your sweetness with a yearning to break free from family traditions and to be ready to just dedicate yourself to LOVE your man. She sounds like she's singing a light ballad to make one go to sleep. Her voice is pretty but not what I expect or even want for the work.



Orchestra -- no excitement. Sounds like a metronome -- one two three four, one two three four...despite the calls for syncopation.



Listen to the DG version for the Orchestration because it was DEMANDED by Bernstein. Listen to the Original Cast for Tony (sung by the late Larry Kert -- a fine voice crystal clear....). Listen to Rita Moreno for her vicious portrayal of Anita and Marnie Nixon as Maria (it was not sung by Natalie Wood although she was tried but did not have the right vocal range and strength) in the film version.



There is no single great recording of West Side Story and each past recording as its own flaws. One thing is certain: this is not great at all.



...NOW FOR AN EPILOGUE... for the comment that states that I was basing my review on the "listen to samples" section of Amazon, I was able to buy the CD finally after being offered on a 75% reduction of the original price. I still have not made any changes on my opinion not as a matter of pride, rather, it only confirmed what I have always thought. The Orchestra was heavy and treats the musical with so much drama, it drags...a Mahler interpretation of the Jazz American work. The Riff character does not do jazz syncopation very well (lacking in lilt) just as the Tony character; although both have good voices. They both have potential. I do agree with the accent of Tony -- reminds me of the Te Kanawa-Carreras-Bernstein recording -- although I think it is a minor setback compared to its lack of anticipation inherent in portrayal of Tony (Somethings Coming...). It needs lightness where the lightness is due and drama when it is called for.



But the biggest disappointment is STILL Maria. She (conversely) lacks the accent, cannot act and has no power. Although I do not expect bleating voices and certainly no Celine Dion do I want, it should have the capacity to just stem from a high note with power and drama (e.g.: "Oh no Anita no!!... from 'A Boy Like That'). She basically sang it like the lullaby that I described in my review...



So...probably at most a 1-1/2 star but I still stick to my 1 star rating. I guess my CD will just be another my collection of thousands..."