West Side Story - SHALOM-MUSIK.KOELN

In the organizer's words:

BERNSTEIN'S MUSICAL FOR GUITAR AND ORCHESTRA

It was the idea of choreographer Jerome Robbins to bring out a modern version of Shakespeare's love drama "Romeo and Juliet" as a musical. He approached Leonard Bernstein with the idea back in 1949 and together they developed the concept for a tragic love story between the children of two families who were enemies to the death. At first, both had thought of developing the musical, which in its original version was entitled "East Side Story", as a love story between a Jewish girl and a Catholic boy. However, around 1955, difficulties between immigrant Puerto Ricans and the locals on New York's West Side became so topical that the two changed their plan. The result was "West Side Story", to which the wonderful poet Stephen Sondheim contributed the lyrics and the author Arthur Laurents the dialog. Lucian Plessner and his co-arranger Andreas Kowalewitz have arranged a dance suite with the musical's most beautiful melodies for guitar and chamber orchestra.

West Side Story reworked

In 1989, guitarist Lucian Plessner was personally encouraged and authorized by Leonard Bernstein to arrange his music for the concert guitar. Plessner devoted seven years to selecting and arranging the pieces from the composer's oeuvre. The result was the critically acclaimed CD recording "Bernstein on Guitar" (DeutschlandRadio / cpo 999 505-2); Plessner performed this repertoire in concerts from San Francisco to Moscow and recently gave two concerts in Hong Kong to mark the 25th anniversary of Bernstein's death.

When a London concert agent suggested that he arrange Leonard Bernstein for guitar and orchestra, Plessner initially declined - after working for so long on the solo arrangements, he lacked the momentum for a new, fresh approach. A few years later, however, the idea of what such an arrangement should look like had matured.

The conductor and arranger Andreas Kowalewitz was recruited to arrange the orchestral part - Plessner, who arranged the solo part, describes the collaboration with Kowalewitz as one of the most enjoyable and amicable with another musician: "We shared the same views on the piece and the idea of how such an arrangement should sound."

The result is a 22-minute version of West Side Story that not only conveys the verve of the original, but also gives it its very own intimate touch. Spanish and American styles keep the balance; the guitar shows its versatility in jazzy swing, reveals wildness in A Boy Like That and ends Somewhere with a tender cantilena in dialog with the cello. And when all the musicians shout "Mambo!" together, musicians and audience alike have fun.

PROGRAM

Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990)

West Side Story Suite

arranged for guitar and chamber orchestra by Lucian Plessner/Andreas Kowalewitz

PARTICIPANTS

Lucian Plessner, Guitar

Michael Alexander Willens, conductor

Cologne Academy

Start of each concert

15:00 / 16:00 / 17:00