Just popped by the cd shop in Jurong Point to look for interesting music. Didn’t really find anything interesting, but I did come across some cds on sale, 2 of which I bought.
The first one that caught my eye was the 50th Anniversary recording of the West Side Story musical by Leonard Bernstein. This one seemed different as it was performed by Hayley Westenra, Vittorio Grigolo and Connie Fisher together with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. It was on sale anyway, so I guess no harm trying it out. The composition is superb. How bad can it get? Well, actually, when I came back to listen to it, I was kind of disappointed. I mean, yeah… their voices are nice… but it lacks the emotion and feeling I would imagine in the actual musical. Seems sort of bland. Hayley lacks the Puerto Rican accent I remember hearing in the musical I went for at the Esplanade about 2 years back.
Pretty sad. But anyway, it was pretty cheap and the composition is still as good as ever. So, I shall not complain. Did you know that the key to West Side Story’s beautiful score is just 3 notes? The notes G, C and F#. They are the opening notes of the show, and throughout the entire score, it appears over and over again in various permutations… These 3 notes also form a unique distorted chord called a tritone, which is neither major nor minor. It’s supposed to represent the harmony of the lovers and discord of the street gangs. Read this in the introduction in the cd booklet written by Jamie Bernstein, Leonard Bernstein’s daughter. Interesting huh? There’s more… but I guess I shall not impose it on you… Hahaha…
Last week, Sam passed me a dvd of Leonard Bernstein Conducts West Side Story. Now… that is really good…. and pretty entertaining too. I get to see Bernstein’s funny expressions and French horn players scratching their backs with their horn. Hahahah!
The second cd I bought was all time favourite of mine. My idol. The Very Best of James Galway. My favourites all in 2 cds. 
Canon, Sabre Dance, Clair De Lune, The Swan, The Flight of The Bumblebee, Danny Boy, Ashokan Farewell, Annie’s Song… just to name a few… well.. actually I might as well have named all the songs… haha… Listen to James Galway play sometime. I only wish that I could be half as good Somehow, Someday, Somewhere… haha.. (just in case you didn’t know, Somewhere is a song in West Side Story)
Last night, I heard this pretty interesting fusion of jazz and classical music performed by Claude Bolling & Jean-Pierre Rampal. It’s called Suite For Flute And Jazz Piano Trio. Contact me if you’re interested to hear any of these. 
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