Leonard Bernstein Conducts West Side Story

This classic documentary charts that highs and lows of making an iconic recording, as Leonard Bernstein brought his West Side Story into the studio with an all-star cast. Conducting his breakthrough score for the first time – nearly three decades after it opened on Broadway – the composer revels in its originality, beauty and brilliance, while the singers, including José Carreras and Kiri Te Kanawa, reflect on their involvement on the project, its rewards and challenges. With honesty and directness, the film shows the difficulties and pressures of recording and offers a fascinating insight into the process as well as into how Bernstein approached his own work.

Soloists: 

José Carreras (Tenor), Kurt Ollmann (Baritone), Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano), Tatiana Troyanos (Mezzo-Soprano)

Conductor: 

Leonard Bernstein