Fresh off the back of last year’s film adaptation, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra prepares to explore Leonard Bernstein’s glimmering and impassioned Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Conceived on the brink of the civil rights movement in the United States, Bernstein wrote West Side Story in a time of both great change and artistic exploration.
But what makes this music so great?
West Side Story has continued to both break and inspire the hearts of audiences through its visceral nature, its brash and unapologetic texture and its rhythms, both violent and sensual. Like Judy Garland, Bernstein is one of the great unsung queer heroes of the 20th century. Although the public eye only saw the heterosexual, his fluid sexuality was no secret among the artistic intelligentsia of New York City.
Where most orchestral concerts exist without words, Unwrap the Music seeks to explore the genius of great music and deliver it to an audience in an illuminating and accessible manner. Australian conductor and music presenter Graham Abbott joins the APO to dissect Bernstein’s masterwork. Abbott presents a unique and inspired perspective on Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances as a music specialist and engaging educator.
The Symphonic Dances are a great modern fusion of ballet, music theatre and 20th-century contemporary music. Although the musical was originally scored for a 31-piece orchestra, Bernstein leapt at the chance to rewrite his music for a large symphony orchestra.
Don’t miss your chance to see the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra playing Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. 6.30 pm, Tuesday, 18 October at the Auckland Town Hall.
