deFilharmonie . Paul Watkins

Are you looking for an excuse to jig around in your seat? Ask your hairdresser for a greaser's quiff and practice your finger-snaps, because Paul Watkins is bringing to deSingel the best of what the West Side of New York has ever produced. Let's begin with Leonard Bernstein and 'West Side Story'. The unforgettable love story with its social tragedy brought Bernstein world fame, and rightly so. Anyone who is not grabbed by this mix of orchestral brio, catchy tunes and deep profundity cannot credibly call themselves music lovers. Preceding Bernstein's symphonic dances we hear John Corigliano's effervescent and brilliantly orchestrated 'Tournaments Overture'. An early work from 1965 by this American, whom we know mostly for the soundtrack from the film 'The Red Violin'. Britten's absolutely gorgeous, but rarely played Violin Concerto sets the right tone for the evening. Although the influence of Mahler and Stravinsky is audible, Britten's highly personal style is already apparent in this early score. The disarming young Dutch violinist Simone Lamsma takes the principal role in this masterpiece.