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Technical Notice
| Classical Composer: | Bernstein, Leonard |
|---|---|
| Work: | West Side Story: Symphonic Dances (arr. P. Lavender for wind band) |
| Year Composed: | 1961 |
| Duration: | 00:23:22 |
| Work Category: | Wind Ensemble/Band Music |
Work Information
Available Recording(s)
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story was first performed by the New York Philharmonic on an all-Bernstein concert in 1961, four years after the opening of West Side Story on Broadway. The songs of the musical had immediately become popular standards, while at the same time, the dance music had been sophisticated enough to find its way into the concert hall, similar to music of a ballet. Most composers for Broadway were songwriters who did not write their own dance music, but Bernstein, a fully trained composer who had already written two formal ballets, crafted these remarkable dances himself.
The following dances from the musical are included in the suite: The Prologue, a rivalry between the Sharks and the Jets; Somewhere, a dream sequence in which the two gangs are friendly; Scherzo, a continuation of the dream, as the gangs break out of the city into a world of open space; Mambo, a competitive dance between the gangs; Cha-Cha, when Tony and Maria see one another for the first time; Meeting Scene, a short, musical underscoring for their first words together; Cool, for when the Jets anticipate a fight; the Rumble, in which the two gang leaders are killed; and the Finale, love music and a procession that recalls Somewhere but now in a tragic mood.
Writers:
David Robinson and Robert Schwartz
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