West Side Story is a 1957 musical that premiered on Broadway, was popularized in the cinema and has been performed in concert halls all over the world as an orchestral suite. Inspired by Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the original plot revolves around the love drama of two young men from rival Manhattan gangs. Beyond the conventions of theater, with melodies such as Maria, America and I Feel Pretty, Leonard Bernstein presented a sophisticated blend of Latin rhythms with influences from jazz and the symphonic tradition. He brought popular and classical cultures closer together in the footsteps of George Gershwin, who had already premiered Porgy and Bess in 1935, whose suite Catfish Row includes the famous song Summertime. The program also includes a concert by Artie Shaw, one of the greatest clarinettists of the swing era, and the premiere of a work by Pedro Moreira, also for clarinet and orchestra.
Danças Sinfónicas de West Side Story
Orquestra Sinfónica Metropolitana
G. Gershwin Suite from the opera Porgy and Bess (Catfish Row)
Pedro Moreira Premiere work for clarinet and orchestra
Artie Shaw Clarinet Concerto
L. Bernstein Symphonic Dances (West Side Story)
Soloist Nuno Silva clarinet
Christian Vásquez conductor
