Kiri Te Kanawa sings I Feel Pretty From "The Making of West Side Story - Leonard Bernstein" (1985) with Louise Edeiken, Stella Zambalis and Angelina Reaux
Who could not love Kiri? Her charisma is evident. Everyone seems to like her. I also love the three ladies backing this performance. Everyone is sooo talented in this ensemble.
There are many people who don’t like the cast of this recording due to opera singers in it. But listening to Kiri’s voice it’s obviously that only opera singer could produce that quality of high notes that music requires.
Try Ingeborg Hallstein's rendition which is just a copy of Carol Lawrence's version. The high notes seem to go even higher. There are German and English versions so be aware.
Just a bit of insight from someone who has gone to music school in the US within the last ten years. Today's musical theatre singers are trained with classical singing as the foundation for good technique. I think it's probably more likely to find musical theatre singers that can handle this kind of "classical light" singing now than there was in the 80s. Several of the MT girls I went to school with were actually quite good in both styles.
Extraoedinary performance of two "monsters of music", so much talent in a single room!!!!.Bernstein himself conducting dame Kiri Te Kanawa!!!, wow, this is sure something to remember for ever; thanks for sharing with us!!!!
Kudos to all that participate and to the writer of this song. Great movie and a song that every girl should know. Today's music and movies are crap!!!!
This was during the recording of a pickup cast and orchestra for the Deutsche Grammofon release of West Side Story - Bernstein conducting. Was originally aired in about 1985.
I love how Kiri has such a huge variety of repertoire, she's not an opera snob, it's amazing, she's such a great person besides being such a hugely incredible singer. Also, i love the french horn playing scratching his back with his horn... haha not quite what it was made for :-P
The song requires a Puerto Rican accent. From Wikipedia: In 1984, Bernstein decided to re-record the musical, conducting his own music for the first time. Generally known as the "operatic version" of West Side Story, it stars Kiri Te Kanawa as Maria, José Carreras as Tony, Tatiana Troyanos as Anita, Kurt Ollman as Riff, and Marilyn Horne as the offstage voice who sings "Somewhere". It won a Grammy Award for Best Cast Show Album in 1985 and the recording process was filmed as a documentary.
Hi leo. I have found the answer. The original lyric said "happy and witty and bright" to rhyme with "tonight". The setting in the film was changed to the day time for the film. The producers changed the lyrics to "happy and witty and gay" to rhyme with "today". This is what Natalie Wood (with Marni Nixon's voice) sang in the movie. Therefore both the "bright" and "gay" versions are official and correct. On the West Side Story site, they are called "lyric1" and "lyric2".
To me, this "take" was not the score used in the movie. I heard 3 big vocal mistakes in the take. The movie version fixed these 3 errors but a new mistake was made when the word "key" was sung. But it's still my favorite movie.
The maestro was absolutely right, of course. He knew that the number plays better to the ear when the tempo is slower as in this performance. And he describes perfectly how other conductors play it "overbrightly" and too "viennese waltzish" in order to compensate for the dark mood at the end of Act 1 with the corpses on the stage and all. This tempo is much more pleasing, and that is how it was meant to be played. Afterall, Lenny did write it, so he should know!
The main stanza is based upon harmonic scheme of Wunderhorn "Verlor'ne Muh", Mahlerian but as Quirino Principe showed, strongly owing to Slavic sources; In an apparently witty "dessert" piece, the Master goes deep to its profound roots.. Viva!
@saab900se Why? I think it sounded great. I think people aren't used to hearing healthy voices and people, in general, reject what they don't understand. I wish more singers would engage in "crossover" work. There's really not a difference between the genres, just a time period thing. Both are singing and acting, perhaps Music Theater a bit more dancing. Some people like hearing people that don't scream or wobble.
Well in early musicals like WSS there really wasn't much of a difference. For instance, is Porgy and Bess and opera? operetta? musical? it's really up to the listener. Bernstein himself picked this cast for his "operatic" recording. I think they are fantastic with this. He actually wanted Placido Domingo over Carreras, which I agree with, but he was unavailable.
I have to confess. I did some research. "Bright" and "tonight" are the original lyrics. I did think that that the word "gay" came in somewhere, but was wrong. The lyrics are correct as sung by Kiri.
saab. This is what opera singers do for a living. There are all sorts of musicals from WSS, to the Magic Flute, the Mikado. the Merry Widow and Showboat. Not all are "heavy opera" like "Siegfried".
@tenorschofield Thanks so much for the perceptive comments! & I want to apologize for the 'what were you on" in a prev. comment. Working on being more polite on YT--especially when others have opinions diff. than my own--ha, ha. Don't get me going about 'ultranew st. ideas"--ie Chereau & Co.--ha, ha--I've done treatices of this on YT--& crossed swords with others--I'm a traditionalist--why make Wotan into a businessman??? What's the point? And Brunnhilde into a street walker? Bye for now.
@windstorm1000 I guess that will always prefer classical technique, even if it is ussed in the wrong repertoire, to the "Br'way" singing style or popular singing. Now I understand that there are some popular voices naturaly gifted...but that is a matter of tastes as well. I respect your opinion very much; sadly I cannot say anything about this registration story, but what I hear in this video. I am a Kiri Te Kanawa fan, and prefer her in other repertoirs. Thank you for your note.
@dannymaestro I admire your talent of watching the embodiment of perfection and seeing a parody. I'm sure you could do it a lot better than these amateurs.
Kiri has never described herself as a "diva". She called them "divers". Kiri always has a self effacing sense of humor. This comes across on these videos, and why Lenni clearly loves her.
@tenorschofield Although I disagree about crossover singers (why do it?? Ego--me thinks so), I do respect your opinion as well. Lets put the shoe on the other foot: Would we want Patti la pone to do La Boheme?? It works both ways--let Br'way singer do what they do best--Br'way, and opera singers do what THEY do best--opera.
She was called queen cat because of her continuous smug expression and sense of superiority. "Walthamstowe was/is one of a number of what may seem surprising venues that recording companies use for recording. St. George's church in Tooting is another. .
Penzance. Did the "queen cat" refer to her wearing of a fur coat? Also, I always thought of Walthamstowe as being "down market". My daughter lived there as came in for quite a bit of racial abuse.
You've obviously never worked with the "queen cat" as backstage staff at Covent Garden refer to her. The sight of her swanning in to Walthamstowe town hall wearing a fur coat for a recording session was one to behold (Solti always gave his "pets" a fur coat.
@windstorm1000 Dear friend, I agree with you but in the other hand, it really depends in who the singer is.For example, if they have or not the vocal talent to engage into crossover repertoires.I really did not liked some of the Pavarotti`s pop songs, but also migth say that classical singing has everyday less and less exposition, due to the fact of crazy and stupid "ultranew stage ideas". So I understand why some lyrical singers try more logical staged shows...and better paid as well!!!
Rubbish! Who could hate Jose? Certainly not Leni! Kiri and Jose are wonderful and charasmatic people. Their encounter with Leni is a national treasure.
marknyc5, I agree with you. It's one thing to justifiably commend her for her singing, another thing to blindly laud every single one of her performances. She is truly a diva but she is out of her depth as Maria.
You would be quite irrational to challenge any critic in the same way. I am by no means arrogant, nor do I suppose I have talent to match hers, and you would be stretching it very far to read that into my words. I think that bespeaks your rash character and lack of judgment. There will inevitably be some who disagree with my comment on her performance as Maria, and they are perfectly entitled to their personal opinion, but at least they are not at fault of being blind as you most certainly are.
@saxamaphoneguy1 Well, actually you are only partially right--B. was stuck with Carreras---Neil Shicoff--another opera tenor-- was committed. Troyonas sounds like a drag queen (no offense). Carreras? No comment. Kiri? voice beautiful--but not for Maria. Moral: Opera singers in Broadway never work--Ezio Pinza the ONE exception.
@tenorschofield So much talent??? Maybe elsewhere. What were you on when you listend to this? Was a miserable experience for all parties--and the most infamous Br'way remake ever. Bernstein took the money and ran. Moral: NEVER use opera stars for Broadway--Ezio Pinza the ONE exception. Two separate voice types--opera singers just not believble voice way, you know??
Opera singers sing opera for a living. Stage musical singers sing stage musicals for a living. Carreras and Ke Tanawa are superb in Mozart but in musicals....oh dear.
Kiri has a Heaven sent voice - but Imo a powerful operatic voice is just too much for songs that were meant for musical theatre. Almost operatic voices are required for the two leads Tony and Maria - but not this much.
+Margaret Tudor Well, actually if you search the story of the creation of West Side Story, you can see that Bernstein wanted to present it as an opera. So I would think this voices are kind of the right ones.
leo. You are right! Well spotted. She says "I feel bright" and then rhymes it with "tonight" instead of "I feel gay" to rhyme with "today". They did change it. How pathetic is that?
I like Kiri--but her voice is all wrong for this part. The entire production was a disaster and Bernstein smelled a dud. Did make a fair amount of money, but I think everyone connected with this bomb prefers to forget the experience!! I would.
The fact the the composer conducted peice exactly as he originally wrote it says something! Thus was the only time he conducted and recorded it with his hand picked cast!
Well, this isn´t good. Is it a parody or what? Does anybody enjoy listening to this kind of music with opera-singers with just one sound. I feel pRRRRetYYYYYYYYY... LOL
