Bernstein: West Side Story

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 theatre. Of course, the recording is excellent—Te Kanawa shines in the breezy “I Feel Pretty,” Carreras’ tenor dominates the romantic, dreamy “Maria,” and the London Symphony Orchestra exercises their world-class dexterity and precision in “Prologue” and the comically jaunty “Gee, Officer Krupke.”