BBC_The Making of West Side Story
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00:00:48Way back in 1949, Jerome Robbins, with whom I had worked,
00:00:53called me up with a terrific idea.
00:00:55It was wildly exciting.
00:00:56A Broadway show based on Romeo and Juliet.
00:01:00I thought this was a very exciting idea.
00:01:04He had a notion that it should be based on
00:01:07street warfare in the New York slums.
00:01:10Go back and do that once more.
00:01:12Still, all three of you.
00:01:13Is that candy for you?
00:01:14Yes, the Ashby Park Boardwalk.
00:01:17How are you?
00:01:18Hi, how are you?
00:01:19Which one's Consuelo?
00:01:21This one.
00:01:22Hi, that's me.
00:01:23Okay.
00:01:24All right.
00:01:25Where are you?
00:01:26Jerome Robbins brought me and Arthur Lawrence together.
00:01:29We all shook hands on it.
00:01:31Arthur Lawrence making one proviso.
00:01:33This is not going to be an opera, he said.
00:01:36I'll have you know, I know this piece very well.
00:01:39I didn't used to until this week.
00:01:41But because I've never conducted it in my life,
00:01:44and I've never studied the score until now,
00:01:47I had to study it every day and every night
00:01:49for the last 10 days.
00:01:51I think it's so funky.
00:01:53I can't get over how funky this piece is.
00:01:56When my kids talk about, oh, listen to that on the radio.
00:02:00See, that's what's new, that's what's in.
00:02:02That's funky, that's really R&B.
00:02:05It's an acid rock, it's hard, it's soft, it's whatever.
00:02:10It's all in here.
00:02:12This is wonderful, I'm so proud of it.
00:02:15What do we do first?
00:02:17Many years later, I was asked by Deutsche Grammophon to record it,
00:02:23and the whole process of rehearsing and recording
00:02:27began in my own apartment in New York
00:02:30with a tiny rehearsal for The Girls Alone.
00:02:33Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun
00:02:35🎵
00:02:39🎵 I feel pretty, oh so pretty 🎵
00:02:42🎵 I feel pretty and witty and bright 🎵
00:02:45🎵 I like pretty, any girl who isn't me 🎵
00:02:50🎵 Won't be my lover, that's me 🎵
00:02:53I said, okay, that's wonderful.
00:02:56I would roll even less than that.
00:02:59Don't make anything different.
00:03:01It's Italian but you find the...
00:03:03the...
00:03:04Yeah, prrrr...
00:03:05And it goes...
00:03:06Just make like...
00:03:07with a little air and a little breath...
00:03:11You see?
00:03:13Mere indications of Puerto Rican-ness
00:03:17are enough.
00:03:28Romantic.
00:03:32I've never conducted West Side Story
00:03:34from beginning to end, ever in my life.
00:03:36Nor have I recorded anything
00:03:38except the so-called symphonic dances,
00:03:41which is a suite.
00:03:42That doesn't even include the hit tunes.
00:03:44There's no Tonight, there's no Maria,
00:03:46there's no Officer Krupke or I Feel Pretty.
00:03:51Ahem.
00:03:52I now have the honor to present our all-star cast.
00:03:56The mighty soprani...
00:03:58Dave...
00:04:00Kiri Fekalova.
00:04:03Where are they?
00:04:04That's right.
00:04:05Wrong lady.
00:04:06There she is!
00:04:07You shouldn't have...
00:04:08I was going to present you.
00:04:10Tatiana Traianos.
00:04:11Tatiana Traianos.
00:04:12Tatiana Traianos.
00:04:13Tatiana Traianos.
00:04:14Tatiana Traianos.
00:04:15Tatiana Traianos.
00:04:16Tatiana Traianos.
00:04:17Tatiana Traianos.
00:04:18Tatiana Traianos.
00:04:19Tatiana Traianos.
00:04:20Yay!
00:04:24Jose Carreras.
00:04:31This is going to be the quintet,
00:04:33or whatever it's called.
00:04:35Tonight, I think sometimes it's called.
00:04:37I was really terribly excited to do this project
00:04:40of West Side Story with opera singers,
00:04:43especially when it involved people like Kiri
00:04:46and Pepe Carreras and Tatiana.
00:04:49Fifteen.
00:04:51It's the first time.
00:04:53The Puerto Ricans grumble
00:04:55Fair fight
00:04:56But if they start a rumble
00:04:58Even Rif, the leader of the Jets,
00:05:01who is ordinarily played by a dancer
00:05:03who can also sing somewhat,
00:05:05is in this case played by a young opera singer
00:05:09who is going to be one of the big opera singers of our time.
00:05:13That's Kurt Ullman.
00:05:15We're ready to mix tonight
00:05:19We're going to rock it tonight
00:05:22We're going to jazz it up and have us a ball
00:05:26They're going to get it tonight
00:05:28The more they turn it on, the harder they fall
00:05:32But they began it, but they began it
00:05:35And we're the ones to stop them once and for all
00:05:39Tonight
00:05:42Anita's going to get her kicks tonight
00:05:47We'll have our private little mix tonight
00:05:51That's great, that's exactly it. Right, right, right.
00:05:54Is that right?
00:05:55Dubst, out of the way.
00:05:57Assassin.
00:05:59We're just rehearsing. We're just playing it through.
00:06:02Give us a minute, will you?
00:06:07Okay, stand by, everybody.
00:06:10The Jetson.
00:06:12Bar One.
00:06:14Oh, God! I'm so excited!
00:06:20All right, this is a take.
00:06:22Are you guys ready to do this?
00:06:24I'm sure they are.
00:06:26Chorus, we have to get those words and lots of accent.
00:06:30Play to that microphone, all right?
00:06:32We've got to get that gutsy feeling.
00:06:34Thank you, coach.
00:06:36We are going to restore Bar 1-1-0.
00:06:40Yesterday's promises are retracted.
00:06:42Let's try one.
00:06:44Just like the Republican Party.
00:06:46West Side Story, and it's the Jetson take three.
00:07:02When you're a Jet, you're the top cat in town
00:07:05You're the gold medal kid with the heavyweight crown
00:07:09When you're a Jet, you're the swingin'est thing
00:07:12Little boy, you're a man
00:07:14Little man, you're a king
00:07:16The Jets are in gear
00:07:18Our cylinders are clickin'
00:07:20The sharks will steer clear
00:07:22Cos every Puerto Rican's a lousy chicken
00:07:26Here come the Jets, right up back
00:07:28How the hell someone gets in
00:07:30A way someone don't feel so well
00:07:33Here come the Jets, little world
00:07:35Step aside, better go underground
00:07:37Better run, better hide
00:07:39We're drawing a line
00:07:41So keep your noses hidden
00:07:43We're hanging a sign
00:07:45Says visitors forbidden
00:07:47And we ain't kidding
00:07:49Here come the Jets, yeah
00:07:51And we're gonna beat every last bug
00:07:53And gang on the whole bug
00:07:55And stick on the whole
00:07:57Emma Mother Lovin' Spree
00:08:10Great.
00:08:13Hmm?
00:08:15I think that's it.
00:08:17Do you want to try cool, or do we offer them a break, Sam?
00:08:20Uh...
00:08:23No, no, I mean, we're hot.
00:08:25Let's go, then. Let's do cool.
00:08:27All right.
00:08:29This is cool, C-double-O-L.
00:08:33We're rolling.
00:08:34This is cool, take 17.
00:08:55Boy, boy, crazy boy
00:08:59Get cool, boy
00:09:02Got a rocket in your pocket
00:09:05Keep coolie cool, boy
00:09:09Don't get hot
00:09:10Cause, man, you got some high times ahead
00:09:15Take it slow
00:09:17And, daddy-o, you can live it up and die in bed
00:09:22Boy, boy, crazy boy
00:09:25Stay loose, boy
00:09:28Breeze it, buzz it, easy does it
00:09:32Turn off the juice, boy
00:09:35Go, man, go
00:09:37But not like a yo-yo schoolboy
00:09:41Just play it cool, boy
00:09:44Real cool
00:10:22Real cool
00:10:52Real cool
00:11:23Oh, yeah
00:11:41Cool
00:11:43Go
00:11:44Crazy
00:11:45Cool
00:11:46Go
00:11:47Crazy
00:11:52Yeah
00:12:00Yeah
00:12:22Yeah
00:12:33Boy, boy, crazy boy
00:12:36Stay loose, boy
00:12:39Breeze it, buzz it, easy does it
00:12:43Turn off the juice, boy
00:12:46Go, man, go
00:12:47But not like a yo-yo schoolboy
00:12:51Just play it cool, boy
00:12:54Real cool
00:12:57Yeah
00:13:20Socko?
00:13:21Yes, I know. R31-32 is not together.
00:13:26Oh.
00:13:28Now it comes. Little by little, the bad news dribbles in.
00:13:34Okay, from the top?
00:13:36No, I would like to do something else, because we have something else to record.
00:13:39Oh, what else are we doing tonight?
00:13:41The, the, the, the, the, the next...
00:13:44Oh, the balcony?
00:13:45The balcony scene.
00:13:46Ah, the balcony.
00:13:47What number is that?
00:13:48Capuleti and Lonteki, actually.
00:13:49He comes in on 62, so...
00:13:51In my eyes, in my words, and in everything I do
00:13:56Nothing else but you, forever
00:14:00And there's nothing for me but Maria
00:14:04Every sigh that I see is Maria
00:14:08I would say West Side Story is a favorite for everybody.
00:14:12I remember I was a kid, and I fell in love with the film and then with the music.
00:14:16And the numbers I'm singing here, like Maria or Tonight, it's a dream for me to sing.
00:14:22Jose, make sure you put a T there.
00:14:24Every sight that I see.
00:14:25Sight.
00:14:26Sight that I see.
00:14:27Sight.
00:14:28Yeah.
00:14:29Sight.
00:14:30Every sigh that I see.
00:14:31Every sight that I see.
00:14:32Every sight.
00:14:33Yeah.
00:14:34Sight.
00:14:35Somehow get that T in there.
00:14:36Sight.
00:14:37Sight.
00:14:38Mm-hmm.
00:14:39Every sight that I see.
00:14:40Very much T here.
00:14:41Yeah.
00:14:42T.
00:14:43You'll have to sacrifice a little of the legato just to get the T.
00:14:44Every sight that I see.
00:14:45I see.
00:14:46Sight that I see.
00:14:47That I.
00:14:48Right.
00:14:57The only Hispaniot in the cast is the one who has to be an American.
00:15:01I mean, a New Yorkese.
00:15:03And that's, of course, a little bit difficult for me, to come into this kind of character, this atmosphere.
00:15:15Yeah, that'd be easy, actually.
00:15:21That one was much better there.
00:15:23It is difficult.
00:15:24It is difficult, not because only the accent and the music, but also in some of the numbers.
00:15:31For instance, the first number, something's coming.
00:15:34It's a lot of words to say in very quick kind of music.
00:15:40And that is, of course, probably the most difficult piece of the whole music.
00:16:11I got a feeling there's a miracle due.
00:16:15Gonna come true.
00:16:16Coming to me.
00:16:22Could it be?
00:16:23Yes, it could.
00:16:25Something's coming.
00:16:26Something good.
00:16:27If I can wait.
00:16:30Something coming.
00:16:32I don't know what it is, but it is gonna be great.
00:16:39With a click.
00:16:40With a shock.
00:16:41Funnel.
00:16:42Jingle.
00:16:43Funnel.
00:16:44Funnel.
00:16:46You're ahead of me.
00:16:49Pepe, watch me, not the music.
00:16:52And if you make a mistake, we'll go back.
00:16:55You know this.
00:16:56When you look at the music, you sing wrong words.
00:16:59Just look at me.
00:17:01Four bars before.
00:17:05José.
00:17:07Come.
00:17:08Coming.
00:17:09Come.
00:17:10Coming.
00:17:11Come.
00:17:12I'm saying come.
00:17:13Coming.
00:17:14John, please don't do this.
00:17:17Don't give elocution lessons over the microphone.
00:17:20Okay?
00:17:22Sit down.
00:17:26Madman.
00:17:2932.
00:17:32Here we go.
00:17:3332.
00:17:34Bar 32.
00:17:35Call it.
00:17:37Okay, stand by, everybody.
00:17:39Something's coming.
00:17:40Take 130.
00:17:42I don't have numbers, maestro.
00:17:43I'm sorry about that.
00:17:44I'll sing it for you.
00:17:46Coming to me.
00:17:51131.
00:17:53Coming to me.
00:17:59Could it be?
00:18:01Yes, it could.
00:18:02Something's coming.
00:18:03Something's coming.
00:18:04Something good.
00:18:05If I can wait.
00:18:08Something's coming.
00:18:13You went to G major instead of F major.
00:18:17Also, if I can wait, you're not waiting.
00:18:24Maybe we should break and listen to it.
00:18:27Why not?
00:18:28Why not?
00:18:31Take a breath.
00:18:32Take care.
00:18:35Could it be?
00:18:37Yes, it will.
00:18:38Maybe just by hope.
00:18:40Just by hope.
00:18:41It'll be there.
00:18:44Come on.
00:18:45Something's coming.
00:18:46Don't be shy.
00:18:47Make a guide.
00:18:48Up a chair.
00:18:51Up a chair.
00:18:55Coming.
00:18:58Coming.
00:19:01Forget it.
00:19:06Stop.
00:19:11Now what?
00:19:14I'm afraid we need retake.
00:19:15Yep.
00:19:25Could it be?
00:19:26Yes, it could.
00:19:27Something's coming.
00:19:28Something good.
00:19:29If I can wait.
00:19:32Something's coming.
00:19:34I don't know what it is, but it is going to be great.
00:19:41With a click.
00:19:42With a shock.
00:19:43Funnel.
00:19:44Jingle.
00:19:45Donald.
00:19:46Knock.
00:19:47Open the latch.
00:19:49Something's coming.
00:19:52Something's coming.
00:19:53Something's coming.
00:19:54Something's coming.
00:19:55Something's coming.
00:19:56Something's coming.
00:19:57Something's coming.
00:19:58Something's coming.
00:19:59Something's coming.
00:20:00Something's coming.
00:20:01Something's coming.
00:20:02Something's coming.
00:20:03Something's coming.
00:20:04Something's coming.
00:20:05Something's coming.
00:20:06Something's coming.
00:20:07Something's coming.
00:20:08Something's coming.
00:20:09Something's coming.
00:20:10Something's coming.
00:20:11Something's coming.
00:20:12Something's coming.
00:20:13Something's coming.
00:20:14Something's coming.
00:20:15Something's coming.
00:20:16Something's coming.
00:20:17Something's coming.
00:20:18Something's coming.
00:20:19Something's coming.
00:20:20Something's coming.
00:20:21Something's coming.
00:20:22Something's coming.
00:20:23Something's coming.
00:20:24Something's coming.
00:20:25Something's coming.
00:20:26Something's coming.
00:20:27Something's coming.
00:20:28Something's coming.
00:20:29Something's coming.
00:20:30Something's coming.
00:20:31Something's coming.
00:20:32Something's coming.
00:20:33Something's coming.
00:20:34Something's coming.
00:20:35Something's coming.
00:20:36Something's coming.
00:20:37Something's coming.
00:20:38Something's coming.
00:20:39Something's coming.
00:20:40Something's coming.
00:20:41Something's coming.
00:20:42Something's coming.
00:20:43Something's coming.
00:20:44Something's coming.
00:20:45Something's coming.
00:20:46Something's coming.
00:20:47Something's coming.
00:20:48Something's coming.
00:20:50Will it be?
00:20:51Yes it will.
00:20:53Maybe just by holding still.
00:20:55Still?
00:21:00Okay, I think we've got that.
00:21:02Have you got what you want?
00:21:03Yeah, I think we have.
00:21:05Okay.
00:21:07I find it so exciting
00:21:08that he, himself, is conducting
00:21:10his own piece.
00:21:13And I find working with him
00:21:14very exciting.
00:21:15Nice!
00:21:16I mean, the input,
00:21:17the energy,
00:21:18Everything that goes through his head. I mean there must be like a million thoughts that goes through his mind every minute
00:21:23You just love that that energy and that brilliance to work with London Bernstein. It's it's a magnetic
00:21:30exciting
00:21:48to me
00:21:50You're walking hot and tired. So what no matter if he's tired as long as he's
00:22:04To neither will be no morning star
00:22:08Tonight, tonight I'll see my love tonight and for us stars will stop where they are
00:22:23Oh
00:22:54I'm counting on you to be there
00:23:01When diesel wins it fair and square tonight
00:23:06That Potter Rick and punk will go down and when he's hollered uncle will tear up the time
00:23:13Oh
00:23:22One quarter too soon, I don't know why Puerto Ricans bundle whatever wherever that is, what bar is this?
00:23:31Beautiful
00:23:33Can we go?
00:23:35Would you buy baby baby seat though?
00:23:38Would you buy doing from 92 again? Oh
00:23:41Oh
00:23:52I'd say let's do two bars before that which means a 90 and still those guys
00:24:10Oh
00:24:25When diesel wins it fair and square
00:24:29That Potter Rick and punk will go down and when he's hollered uncle will tear up the time
00:24:40John
00:25:10Oh
00:25:37Fabulous
00:25:41Guys good go. Thank you
00:25:50This is an orchestra that nobody has worked with before
00:25:54It's an orchestra that's been put together
00:25:57With the best elements available at this time of year in New York. It's what's called a contracted
00:26:03pickup orchestra, but
00:26:06superb
00:26:10It's take time
00:26:40I
00:26:59Found myself taking a slightly slower more lilting tempo of something less frenzied and less Viennese waltz ish
00:27:07It's usually done that way because it's the opening of act two and
00:27:10The pit conductors are at great pains to assure the audience that there is some fun
00:27:16After the show since the last day the audience
00:27:19Seen is the end of act one which is two corpses lying on an empty stage
00:27:24As a result of which they played over brightly and I didn't mean it that way
00:27:29And it doesn't matter on the recording so I could play it the way I meant it and cutie just ate that up
00:27:59Oh
00:28:29I'm
00:28:59She's
00:29:29I
00:29:45Feel pretty
00:29:59I
00:30:29I
00:30:54Interpretation is fantastic and that he can he pulls things out and puts them in but the funniest thing
00:30:59of all when he suddenly just
00:31:01Started just conducting and he just said
00:31:04That's the tempo. That's it. I
00:31:06sort of lost because that was like having Mozart with you or
00:31:11Bring handle back as is that's what I wanted. That's the tempo
00:31:13That's how it shall be and you were getting it from the master himself
00:31:22Look at your camera and say judge for yourself. You see a difference. You see a tired aging maestro
00:31:29where yesterday you saw
00:31:32Tired aging maestro, but less than this aging
00:31:40Okay
00:31:43The only comment I have
00:31:45Is strangely enough you wouldn't think I'd have any comment for strings in the piece like this
00:31:50But I do that the articulation when you have the tattletale
00:31:55The tattletale down down out there places where I don't hear that articulation from you the way I hear it from
00:32:03Grass people and it's important. Otherwise, I wouldn't have written string parts for this. It's not just a jazz band. No
00:32:10That's true. Everybody gets really jazzy
00:32:11The strings just tend to give up and it's why the fact that we have this great genius first trumpet playing it
00:32:17We still need the Sun is an octave higher and so on
00:32:21Okay
00:32:22So from the top, here we go dance at the gym the intro
00:32:52I
00:33:22I
00:33:52I
00:34:09Never need help doing those
00:34:15Later on we do need trumpets on those
00:34:18Yeah, great
00:34:24Yeah, what wasn't together at
00:34:28That's impossible
00:34:32It's really impossible I never heard anything so together in my life
00:34:40What else we can bring up the trombones at that first place what else
00:34:45We need on bar seven we really need a big strong trombone
00:34:54How big you wanted I mean
00:35:01It's just sort of covered by the high trumpets
00:35:07We try one more
00:35:10All right
00:35:13Maybe fix that trombone place in the mix and just
00:35:19We know that you just weren't ready for it and you readjusted your bikes and don't give us excuse
00:35:28All right now have you done your homework this time so we're not do it again
00:35:34Don't give us a mere skyde excuses that we're not together
00:35:42That's at the gym
00:36:09I just wanted can you give us a little more good?
00:36:13vibes
00:36:15So we can hear all these notes because the chords each part become more complicated and they don't sound it
00:36:21okay, I was increasingly chromatic and
00:36:43Oh
00:36:48No base at all
00:36:51Don't you care you guys
00:36:53There's some very often too much bass sax a lot of the time. I'm not a toothpick and it should be heard
00:37:00They're very loud instruments
00:37:04Does that mean we have to remake it
00:37:08No, we don't hear it I hear nothing
00:37:13I mean there are people playing that
00:37:17Remember that the bass lines are important. It's too close baritone and bass
00:37:24This is what we're talking about and
00:37:27They are two instruments that can sound like 14 trombone sections and do that. You have to pick them up
00:37:34You gotta do your homework
00:37:43You
00:37:56At the moment I'm a little tired not from the sessions but from so much listening to playbacks
00:38:02Which I've been doing for over an hour now
00:38:04since we broke and
00:38:07That's very tiring
00:38:09listening to
00:38:11many takes
00:38:12but otherwise, I've been very up and I've been feeling very young and
00:38:17I'm feeling rather the way I felt when I was writing it and
00:38:21it seems
00:38:22This may sound self-congratulatory. I suppose it is but every once in a while. Why can't one be self-congratulatory and
00:38:30Say that it sounds as though I just wrote it yesterday to me. Anyway, it's a personal a very subjective reaction, but I
00:38:38Thought I would share that with you because that's the way I'm feeling
00:38:42We are okay on the blues
00:38:45We're gonna have to lay in eight bars of the two low saxes of the blues. We do that later
00:38:51They can't get any bass
00:38:54Clare that very light. It's all chamber music now everything way
00:39:00Here we go. It's the gym for C
00:39:08No, hey, please one two three
00:39:30Oh
00:39:32Those pitch drums are much too low
00:39:35It should be so elegant and
00:39:41Little high ones and tambourine just touch it just as lightly as possible. All right, you better go back
00:39:48It's take 74
00:40:18To
00:40:40Sorry, what happens to the little baracas he's not there
00:40:45All right, so we have to do it again
00:40:47Honey, are you happy with the pictures of the drums and 13? Yes. Yes I am, but I'm not happy with your 16th
00:40:54That's it too fast
00:40:55But it was it's not that
00:41:00Very elegant still same take we're rolling
00:41:14I
00:41:44Know you are not
00:41:46I
00:42:11Know you are not
00:42:17Or that we've met before I know we have not I
00:42:25Felt I knew something never before was going to happen, but this my hands are cold
00:42:34Yours too
00:42:40So warm yours too, but of course they are the same
00:42:47I
00:42:51It's so much to believe you're not joking me I
00:42:55Have not yet learned how to joke that way. I
00:42:59Think now I never will
00:43:01He needs to raise the pitch
00:43:12But he also needs to speak out more and raise his pitch but this is just an experiment I get the downbeat together this time
00:43:31I
00:44:01I
00:44:03I
00:44:33Have you that's it that's perfect five
00:44:41When it was composed way back in those years of 1957
00:44:46It came out to New Zealand of course
00:44:48Eventually in the film and I can't remember what year that was
00:44:51But that was the music I grew up on the music that I loved I could relate to
00:44:55Young boy young girl love and all that sort of thing and parents not allowing it
00:44:59I think I was going through the same sort of torments myself when I was very young
00:45:03And I sort of related myself to the young girl
00:45:06but then the music was so lovely and of course I was in love with a young man who played the piano and could play
00:45:11This music like heaven
00:45:12I thought and I would sing it along with him and we just go around singing it all over the place and then for me
00:45:18it meant a very vital time in the young love in my life and
00:45:24Now when I'm doing with this this genius I
00:45:27Just can't believe
00:45:29That all that music oozed out of that man to give us this and everyone else dancing in the studio
00:45:36Such a long time after it's composed
00:45:38Oh
00:45:54Although the song somewhere is not sung by Maria
00:45:59But it's sung by an offstage voice during the ballet in the second act. I
00:46:04Couldn't resist once I was working with Kitty
00:46:07Hearing her sing this song, which is one of my favorite songs in the show
00:46:12And so we made a take of it, even though in the final recording
00:46:18The song was recorded by Marilyn Horne
00:46:37Oh
00:47:07Oh
00:47:18My voice is not a strong voice
00:47:20There's this wonderful thing called air conditioning coming from England
00:47:23We just don't have it there and coming here and getting air conditioning straight across my vocal cords is death
00:47:28I came here healthy and well, and I congratulated them for mucking up my voice in 12 hours. Okay, we've got all that
00:47:35I
00:47:37Thought it was yummy
00:47:40Not long ago my aunt Irene told me that from the hospital I was taken right to the West Side
00:47:49Tenements where Lincoln Center is today and that's where the West Side Story was filmed and that's where I spend a lot of my time
00:47:56Which is at the Mitchelton Opera, so I think it must be fate
00:48:00And here I am involved in this wonderful
00:48:03Recording and filming of West Side Story, and it just seems so right that I'm a part of this wonderful project
00:48:24Great great make pipe short
00:48:29I get rid of it and then take your time get rid of it. Take your time. No, I
00:48:37Pulled right because should you set up for this?
00:48:43Let's do it
00:48:46What this is America?
00:48:49Take 48. Are you ready?
00:48:57Okay rolling
00:48:59Oh
00:49:29Oh
00:49:59The bullets
00:50:29I like the city of San Juan. I know
00:50:59I'd rather be weak through San Juan. If there's a road you can try
00:51:07Right
00:51:29Oh
00:51:59I'll be a TV for San Juan
00:52:29Oh
00:52:59Oh
00:53:29Oh
00:53:53Fabulous that may be my favorite side of the show
00:54:00I
00:54:01Do it over and over we do takes we rehearse and I listen to playbacks
00:54:05I come back and do it again, and I don't get sick of it. That's a sign of
00:54:09Something fresh. I mean, it's not fresh the way Mozart stays fresh time after time
00:54:15But that's who's in that class. None of us
00:54:20Very exposed very quiet got an absolute silence out there in the studio
00:54:25All right one more time
00:54:299a take 112
00:54:59You
00:55:29You
00:55:59You
00:56:29Oh
00:56:59Oh
00:57:29Oh
00:57:59Oh
00:58:03The
00:58:04Final take of one had one heart just destroyed me
00:58:07One of my children Nina who was sitting at the session and who is as hard-boiled as can be
00:58:13And who was born when West Side Story was already five years old came to the podium
00:58:20Broken tears. I've never heard anything like it and
00:58:24What was so great about that reaction because I trust her reaction very much
00:58:29She is never flattering for anything, but that was not meant to be flattering. She was just telling you how she felt
00:58:54Oh
00:59:24Oh
00:59:54Oh
01:00:17Marvelous
01:00:19Gorgeous
01:00:21beautiful solo play everybody
01:00:24His lyrical music you just have to lay back with the sound and sing through the words and not be too precise
01:00:31Not that his music should not have precision
01:00:34But in order to sing that sort of music to make it sell and to make it it live his way
01:00:41You have to just lay back and sing it like it's I don't know. It's just it just goes on forever
01:00:47You can't just sing note for note for note, okay, all this
01:00:57Sound like Maria has been heard in so many guises and
01:01:03Tempi and voices. It's almost hard to reconcile yourself to the original
01:01:08Orchestration and sound but if you happen to have Jose Carrera singing it, that's a fresh element. I can tell you
01:01:16Maria, I'm sorry about that. Okay, and suddenly I find
01:01:30This is the first time I did a musical comedy what I did often is recordings of popular music
01:01:37Hits from Broadway or Hollywood like love is a many splendid thing or things like that
01:01:46I
01:01:59Just
01:02:04The difficult thing is the music is so beautiful and don't to spoil the atmosphere with singing it wrong
01:02:11I
01:02:12Not because it's a difficult vocal thing, but to sing it with the right dynamic. That's what I think is difficult
01:02:28Say it loud
01:02:41Oh
01:02:56You have to take a breath never stop saying
01:03:01Maria
01:03:03Body you have to go on for hours
01:03:06Mmm
01:03:09It's no place to start bar six all the beautiful sounds of the world to sing a word
01:03:15All right
01:03:16bar six
01:03:21Play I wrote
01:03:25You didn't get this information
01:03:27No, no
01:03:28I mean Q was changed to play and my red pencil four o'clock in the fucking morning
01:03:34I was I'm doing this. Why don't we deliver these messages?
01:03:39Mmm. Anyway, the first two notes of bar eight are not to be played. You never got that, huh?
01:03:46You never got poke or poke or sends of something, you know, but you do that. Anyway, you have to be right
01:03:54What happens it's only Maria you have time to put any of these
01:04:04Oh
01:04:06How many times do I have to tell you?
01:04:11Talking about two weeks ago. Ah
01:04:15Where are we bar 48?
01:04:19Red eyes, I'll never stop saying
01:04:27You know where
01:04:30Just before you say the most beautiful sound right
01:04:35Okay, one more time
01:04:51Maria Maria Maria Maria
01:04:57Maria Maria
01:05:00Maria
01:05:02I've just met a girl named Maria
01:05:07And suddenly that name will never be the same
01:05:16I've just kissed a girl named Maria
01:05:21And suddenly I found how wonderful a song can be
01:05:27Maria
01:05:29Maria
01:05:31Try it now and there's music playing
01:05:33Say it soft and it's almost like praying
01:05:35Maria
01:05:37I'll never stop saying
01:05:39Maria
01:05:41Maria
01:05:43Maria
01:05:45Maria
01:05:47Maria
01:05:49Maria
01:05:51Maria
01:05:53Maria
01:05:55Maria
01:05:57Maria
01:05:59Maria
01:06:01Maria
01:06:03Maria
01:06:13Yes, I would like to do these three bars alone, I mean
01:06:20The rest
01:06:22Oh, come on you do it wonderfully, um, uh, would you rather do this tomorrow well
01:06:30Because with sessions over oh
01:06:33Okay
01:06:34Now look everyone
01:06:36For tomorrow evening
01:06:38Looks like you'll be free if we need anything. We'll do it after a little after five. We'll go over time tomorrow
01:06:43So you're free tomorrow evening
01:06:46I can hardly believe it
01:06:52So
01:07:08We don't want it to end I don't either
01:07:14That's such problems
01:07:17Well, it's always difficult to build up an atmosphere and after 10 minutes to have to stop that because the
01:07:25Session is over
01:07:27Uh at that moment. I was a little bit
01:07:30Let's say
01:07:32Not too happy, but it's the way it is one more time from the top
01:07:37Not too happy, but it's the way it is one more time from the top
01:07:52Maria
01:07:55The most beautiful sound I ever heard
01:08:02Maria
01:08:04Maria
01:08:06Maria Maria
01:08:11All the beautiful sounds of the world in a single word
01:08:18Maria
01:08:31I've just met a girl named maria
01:08:36And suddenly the name will never be the same to me
01:08:46I've just kissed a girl named maria
01:08:51And suddenly I found how wonderful a song can be
01:09:00Say it loud and there's music playing
01:09:06Say it softer. It's almost like praying
01:09:12Maria
01:09:15I'll never stop saying
01:09:21Maria
01:09:25Maria
01:09:29Maria
01:09:31Maria
01:09:34Maria
01:09:58It's almost like
01:10:03Maria
01:10:07I'll never stop saying
01:10:23The most beautiful sound I ever heard
01:10:33Maria
01:10:50It's a great take
01:10:53I suppose you could say it was hectic in the beginning. He's a man of many emotions
01:10:57you know ups and downs and loaves and and to see that coming from a conductor when conductors are
01:11:02Very serious people not that he's not serious
01:11:05but to see it this
01:11:08this sort of animal working is
01:11:11It's quite amazing. You can see his moods from time to time. You see his his frustrations his happiness his glee his
01:11:18His wanting to perform to people
01:11:20Um, that's the thing that makes the man interesting you one is constantly trying to read him
01:11:25But really he's on another planet. He's on a planet that no one can touch
01:11:29The man is just brilliant we wait upon your every word
01:11:35All right, here's here's one boy like that number 15 take 140
01:11:50A boy like that would kill your brother forget that boy and find another
01:11:56One of your own kind stick to your own
01:12:05A boy like that will give you sorrow you'll need another boy tomorrow
01:12:18A boy who kills cannot love a boy who kills has no heart and he's the boy who gets
01:12:26And gets your heart
01:12:36A boy like that wants one thing only
01:12:39And when he's done, he'll leave you lonely. He'll murder your love. He murdered mine
01:12:46Just wait and see just wait. Maria. Just wait and see
01:12:56Oh
01:13:26Is
01:13:50You should know better you were in love or so you said you should know better
01:13:56you
01:14:16What else can I do?
01:14:26Is
01:14:35I am
01:14:48And is
01:14:56He needs me
01:15:09There's nothing to be done
01:15:26Foreign
01:15:38Oh
01:15:56Foreign
01:16:12There is
01:16:26Is
01:16:56So
01:16:58So
01:17:25Goddamn noise
01:17:29Badness
01:17:32How do you have to listen to that really really was somebody photographing during that take
01:17:40Somebody what please stop it unless you want a bullet
01:17:48Our marksmen are everywhere
01:17:52Okay, stand by everybody
01:17:55This is officer krupke take 29 from the top this time and let's make it funny
01:18:04Stand by please
01:18:10Let's go
01:18:13All right
01:18:18Hey you who me yeah you boy it is officer krupke baby john
01:18:23We'll talk at the evening officer krupke
01:18:25I'll crap the top of your skulls if you punks don't stop when I whistle you see cops believe everything
01:18:31They read in the papers to them. We ain't human. We're cruddy juvenile delinquents. So that's what we give them
01:18:43Hey you me officer krupke. Yeah you give me one good reason for not dragging you down the station house. Yeah
01:18:53Connelly sergeant krupke you gotta understand. It's just i'll bring an upkeep that gets us out of hand
01:19:00Our mothers all our junkies our fathers all our drunks. Golly moses. Naturally. We're punks
01:19:09We never had to love that every child on a kid
01:19:12We ain't no delinquents. We're misunderstood
01:19:30That's a touching good story, let me tell it to the wild just tell it to the judge
01:19:35Judge
01:19:40Dear
01:19:41Kindly judge your honor. My parents treat me rough with all the marijuana. They won't give me a puff
01:19:48They didn't want to have me but somehow I was had leaf and lizards. That's why i'm so bad
01:19:57This boy don't need a judge he needs an analyst care it's just his neurosis that ought to be coined
01:20:04He's psychologically destroyed i'm destroyed
01:20:18In the opinion of discord this child is depraved on account he ain't had a normal home
01:20:23Hey, i'm depraved on account of the bride
01:20:27So take him to a head shrinker
01:20:29My
01:20:34Father is a bastard my ma's an sob
01:20:37My grandpa's always blasted. My grandma pushes d my sister wears a mustache. My brother wears a dress
01:20:44Goodness gracious. That's why i'm a mess. Yes
01:20:50This boy don't need a doctor just to put on his job
01:20:59I am sick
01:21:11In my opinion this child don't need to have his head shrunk at all juvenile delinquency is purely a social disease
01:21:18Hey, I got a social disease
01:21:20So take him to a social worker
01:21:22Yeah
01:21:29They say go earn a buck might be a soda joker, which means like be a schmuck it's not i'm anti-social i'm only anti-white
01:21:39That's why i'm a
01:21:53Good i'm no good
01:22:03The trouble is he's crazy the trouble is he drinks the trouble is he's lazy the trouble is he stinks the trouble is he's growing
01:22:11Trouble is he's
01:22:20Because no one wants a fellow with a social disease
01:22:37That's great you guys
01:22:39Chorus chorus. Thank you very much. You are dismissed orchestra. Hello or not
01:22:53We got just time to do this guys, okay
01:22:57Okay, here we go
01:22:59Stand by everyone
01:23:02We're rolling number six the balcony scene take 22
01:23:09Tonight
01:23:19Tonight
01:23:37Tonight
01:23:40The
01:23:59Better than all
01:24:09The world is
01:24:31Tonight
01:24:39It all began
01:24:46I saw you
01:24:49And
01:25:07At the beginning of this project I was not all that secure about what was going to happen
01:25:13It was an extraordinary idea
01:25:15I thought it might for one thing seem dated. It is 50s music
01:25:20And what I have found
01:25:22Out of all that insecurity is a tremendous feeling of security
01:25:27this poetic language of jets and sharks that was created by arthur lawrence is
01:25:33Something truly poetic in the sense that it lasts the way a poem lasts
01:25:38I feel that it is peace that is
01:25:41in its
01:25:42funny little crazy way
01:25:45at classy
01:25:50Come to the back door see tony
01:25:54What does tony stand for anton?
01:25:59Anton teodoro maria
01:26:15And when you dream
01:26:45So
01:26:52Not bad, why is the door open?
01:27:15Hmm
01:27:45So
01:28:15You