Dances from West Side Story: (Fugue) by the Stony Brook Wind Ensemble

By Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990); arranged for band by Ian Polster
Composer Leonard Bernstein, lyricist Stephan Sondheim and choreographer Jerome Robbins called their musical, West Side Story, a social music drama. It opened on Broadway in 1957 and ran for two years. A movie version followed in 1961. Bernstein composed a medley of four dances from the play in preparation for the movie; the work premiered in a New York Philharmonic Fund raiser conducted by Lucas Foss. The dances revolve around a tritone—the notes C, F# and G (as in the opening of the song Maria). In the scherzo, we hear the opening theme representing the confrontation of the Jets and the sharks, as well as Somewhere. Cool is a fugue composed in a 12 tone scale. A Broadway revival of West Side Story opened on March 19th this year, featuring several songs in Spanish and new choreography.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• dances
• west
• side
• story
• fugue
• stony
• brook
• wind
• ensemble
• bruce
• engel
• leonard
• bernstein
• stephan
• sondheim
• jerome
• robbins
• broadway
• new
• york
• philharmonic
• lucas
• foss
• maria

[dancetothemusic99]

phew, far too fast for groovin' !? however - good job!

[lapj19]

My dad's (Ian Polster) arrangement!! FABULOUS!!!!

[Beyak117]

Very nice. 1337th view, too.

[mrlarryb818]

Great clip, but I can assure you that is not Lukas Foss conducting.

[bosherrz]

this is AWESOME!