DESCRIPTION:
From the album "New York! New York! Symphonic Dances and Overtures from Musicals". Performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conducted by Carl Davis.
(c) Royal Philharmonic Masterworks

Leonard Bernstein (August 25, 1918 -- October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim. According to The New York Times, he was "one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history."

As a composer he was prolific, writing symphonies, ballet music, operas, chamber music, pieces for the piano, other orchestral and choral works, and other concert and incidental music, but the tremendous success of "West Side Story" remained unequaled by his other compositions.