Bernstein: West Side Story
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Leonard Bernstein, José Carreras, Stephen Sondheim, Tatiana Troyanos, Kurt Ollmann, Marilyn Horne
Leonard Bernstein’s 1984 production of West Side Story was fraught with controversy: For his first time conducting his masterpiece, Bernstein cast operatic heavy hitters José Carreras and Kiri Te Kanawa as leads, bringing to the surface questions about the distinction between opera and theater. Of course, the recording is excellent—Te Kanawa shines on the breezy “I Feel Pretty,” Carreras’ tenor dominates the romantic “Maria,” and the London Symphony Orchestra exercises their world-class dexterity and precision on “Prologue” and the comically jaunty “Gee, Officer Krupke.”