|
|
| produced by Rogers and Hart |
|
|
|
| founded in 1919 as cooperative entity – near bankruptcy by 1940 |
|
|
|
| proposes Green Grow the Lilacs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| barely functional alcoholic, lyricist to Rodgers, more attuned to contemporary stories than oklahoma! |
|
|
|
| director of Oklahoma! suggests the pantomime ballet |
|
|
|
| choreographer of Oklahoma! formerly in RODEO used ballet to advance the story & provide deeper meaning |
|
| secondary plot of Oklahoma! |
|
| Ado Annie, Will Parker, Ali Hakam |
|
| Surrey with the Fringe on Top |
|
|
love song with dialogue interspersed – not necessarily new technique- adopted but abandoned in TPA publishing era.
Hire a custom writer who has experience.
It's time for you to submit amazing papers!
order now
emotion of wagon & trotting of horses, juxtaposition of mono and multi-syllabic words emphasizing emotion
the associative melodies are in place
|
|
|
|
|
old fashioned waltz based on A&B melodies
scenic apparatus is set
curly provides active narration
reprised later, intuiting that Laurie and Curly are meant to be together
|
|
|
|
|
provides perfect vehicle to contrast to curly’s romantic nature;
speech underlines station in life, uneducated ; lower social class
melody is a funeral dirge
bad guy doesnt have good lyrical expression
tells Jud he’s worthless and should commit suicide
|
|
|
|
|
only song in a minor key – dark undertones, three dimensional character of Jud revealed
cut from movie
|
|
|
|
|
dance could convey the awkward emotions in a poetic manner
confirms Curly’s affections and Jud’s intentions
classical, traditional & parisian follies
forecasts the plot for us
reprises Act I music and signature melodies
|
|
|
|
|
simple, tuneful music, traditional dancing
makes great counterpoint to dream ballet
reaffirms central message that they are decent, hardworking Americans
balletic/modern dance
|
|
|
|
|
Oklahoma chorus to celebrate marriage and the statehood of Oklahoma
last minute addition to cite the context of the land (suggestion made by Theresa Helburn)
|
|
|
|
|
reflected ordinary sensibilities and social issues
songs define and drive the narrative
multiple styles of dance
strong female protagonists
lengthy scenes set to music interspersed with dialogue
|
|
|
|
|
2212 performances
first musical to produce a soundtrack
sold in the millions
numerous revivals
R&H maintained artistic control
|
|
|
|
| hungarian source by Ferene Molnar 1909 produced into a play by the Guild in 1921 |
|
| Molnar also contacted by… |
|
|
Kurt Weill (Three Penny Opera)
George Gershwin
Giacomo Puccini
|
|
|
|
|
redemption
morality play – good vs evil housed in the same person
|
|
|
|
|
opening scene unconventional
music of carousel and elaborate pantomime
provides basic plot in gesture
waltz not quite correct – strident/shrill in the wrong key
carousel music represents juxtaposition between fantasy and reality
|
|
|
|
| catalyst for Julie wanting to be with Billie |
|
|
|
|
only duet between principles
TPA song structure tailored to the love song fashion
Billiedoesn’t engage- fills out 3D portrait Is he really capable of love?
becomes basis for reprise will be used as an associative melody
|
|
|
|
|
only carousel love duet
carrie ; Mr. Snow relationship catalyst
use of conditional = not traditional
last twelve minutes – dialogue interspersed with music
basis for important musical reprise
Julie’s suplicaiton to Billy who is at war with himself – changed the subject
they have outlined the course of their relationship – they will never be together
|
|
|
|
|
extended free association – breaking with traditions
assumes child to be male
he forecasts his own end
STROPHIC FORM
Billy is singing about himself
WALTZ RHYTHM
Billy forges identity between son and carousel
song changes to TRIPLET RHYTHM, ROMANTIC ABLLAD when he realizes it could be a girl
moment of REALITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
brilliant nuance of R &H
ends with a totally different emotion than the beginning
|
|
|
|
|
Agnes di Mille
Act II – to enhance the drama and portray Louise as lonely, miserable, and ostacized
dance, pantomime, spoken dialogue
appearance of carousel ties to past & future music in the first half is mostly from soliloquoy and then reprise from If I Loved You
repulsed by the kiss.
|
|
|
|
|
use of tragic subject matter
american tragedy contemporary to 1945
expressed looming post-war USA
protagonist: anti-hero
suicide, abusive, crass, stands outside of community
dramatic fabric: REALISM
entire scenes conveyed in music which conveys narrative
music joined to dance for narrative
dialogue and song used interchangeably
extension of concepts in Oklahoma!
|
|
|
|
|
lyricist of My Fair Lady
experience only musicals at Harvard
|
|
|
|
|
composer of My Fair Lady
emigrated to the United States in 1924
song of Edmund Loewe – famous singer in Viennese opera
|
|
|
Brigadoon (1947)
Paint Your Wagon (1951)
|
|
| first successes of Lerner and Loewe |
|
|
|
|
George Bernard Shaw
Pygmalion
sculptor who brings statue to life
OVID: Metamorphosis, Book 10
|
|
| sought rights for Pygmalion |
|
|
|
|
| simple, direct, compact, linear |
|
| obstacles for MY FAIR LADY |
|
|
plot too thin
nature of realtionship ambiguous at best – no romantic love story
no secondary plot or ensemble
legal issues from Shaw’s estate
|
|
| solutions to My Fair Lady obstacles |
|
|
Higgins removed from University
chorus of servants underlines the message of class and social differences
eliza first appearance at the races, to juxtapose social class
expanded role of Alfred Dolittle – 3D character
contrived resolution between lovers
|
|
|
|
| Henry Higgins spoken words over vamps characterize the dry humor of shaw |
|
|
|
|
Eliza’s TPA AA1BA style – almost operetta singing;
a popular sound that contrasts with the talk singing
|
|
|
|
|
Higgins and ELiza embody this contrast
;
|
|
|
|
| raucous;musical style of Alfred Dolittle like a German operetta |
|
|
|
|
faithful ot the stage version film;
only a single song is switched
all 21 songs are kept
|
|
|
|
|
talk song
no melody – free movement from speech to song
accompaniment: vamp
Higgins elitist, borderline;misogynist;lyrics;
passive narrative instead of active
|
|
|
|
|
Eliza is an eternal optimist
put right after last song so you can compare the characters
pure cockney speech
Hook is the title
A A1 BA TPA format
standard rhythmic pattern to contrast Henry’s variable rhythms
|
|
|
|
|
2 contrasting musical and lyrical sections
A: self-description, smooth melody, gentleman, warped self image
B: more vigorous fast tempo angular melody underlines erudition and bias against women
lyrics are more important than the melody
|
|
|
|
|
closest to Broadway ensemble
crafting scene illustrates Eliza’s breakthrough
Henry starts to see her as a woman
some exchange of character traits
eliza loses emotion and Henry gains it
tango rhythm – wrong but good
|
|
| “I Could Have Danced All Night” |
|
|
celebration of breakthrough
first sign of attraction to Henry
humanity and emotion vs. intellect
represents flowering of emotion
talk sings the beginning – relates to Henry
song emphaises first person until “I only know when HE” at which it reverts to the first melody shows her attraction to him
|
|
| “Get Me to the Church on Time” |
|
|
Alfred Doolittle: third musical style
English Music Hall
simplistic with repetitive lyrics
participation of the chorus
remains unchanged despite marriage
stylistic counterpoint
injects comic relief
|
|
|
“I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face”
|
|
|
Henry Higgins culmination of musical
presented in talk song
lyrics recount relationship
music is filled with reprises suggesting an affinity for Eliza
process of rationalization is being affected by emotion, not intellect
begins to reprise “let a woman in your life”
conclusion is consistent with Shaws
|
|
|
|
|
2717 performances
movie rights sold for $5 million
Rex Harrison not traditional Broadway star
original: broadened the range of sources
returned elements of English operetta to Broadway
non-American subjects could succeed on Broadway
no relevance to 1956 – element of the exotic
presents the plot with 3D characters
distinct musical styles: diverse, well-defined characters in music
|
|
| original idea for West Side Story |
|
| conversation between Jerome Robbins and Montgomery Clift in 1948 |
|
|
|
|
NYC Ballet
choreographer of West Side Story
|
|
|
|
|
director of the NY Philharmonic
write music for West Side
|
|
|
|
|
wrote the book for West Side Story
prominent Hollywood screenwriter
|
|
|
|
| convinced Berstein not to let Maria commit suicide because if you let her die you are saying that violence conquers all |
|
|
|
|
jerome Robbins
choreography emulated music
five major dance scenes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
replacement for nurse
bernardo’s lover
catalyst for tony’s death
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
inroduces main characters, music and dramatic themes
dance, pantomime, and music narrate the story
choreo: classical and modern
the two warring clans are synchronized showing unity
musical signatures presented here which will later transform
intended clash HATE motive
|
|
|
|
|
three notes presented in prologue
hate undoes all
used in the prologue, jet song, and music of the sharks but alway left incomplete – tony allowed to complete it with a descending note in Somethings Coming
|
|
|
|
| transformation as characters get deeper into the plot and take part in the action so does their music develop – opera technique utilized by Bernstein |
|
|
|
|
Riff based upon character of Mercutio
based on “Up to the Moon” earlier song by Bernstein
Riff and the entire gang have a collective identity
meoldy first heard in prologue
song: operatic, complex, expressing sentiment and pathos, musically very hard to sing
ingenuity of the song: RHYTHM
in a triple pattern
accompaniment in a double pattern
juxtaposition of 2 against 3 – HEMIOLA – intuiting strife between jets and sharks
|
|
|
|
|
juxtaposition of 2 against 3 – HEMIOLA – intuiting strife bettween jets and sharks
melody triple pattern
accompaniment double pattern
also seen in America
|
|
|
|
|
Tony’s song of introduction actually based on Mercutio’s Queen Mab Speech
appropriate moment, grafted onto Tony and introduces music to later be recalled.
Recalls the hate motive from the prologue but it now descends with a third note
figure of peace and reconciliation
|
|
|
|
|
tony completes the hate motive in Maria and produces the love motive
also previews the music for tonight
|
|
|
|
|
gangs meet at community center
first meeting of Tony and Maria
opening music: big band jazz
“hate motive” prodominently featured in jazz music
the “promenade music” has the hate motive in the bass line
MAMBO cuban dance refers to the ethnicity of the Sharks
well synchronized: their common ground is on the dance floor
“dream sequence” in the midst of mambo
“cha cha melody” basis for the melody of Maria
|
|
|
|
|
disguised in the cha cha melody
first full expression of positive sentiment
Tony’s excitement: rhythmic introduction on a single note
Maria melody completion of hate motive
she represents peace, reconciliation
sng based on melody from Regina (Mark Blitzstein)
we understand the dynamics between characters now
|
|
|
|
|
counterpoint to the Jet song
defines and embodies the sharks
dance critical element of identity
song considers racism in America
rhythm utilizes 2 against three pattern of hemiola previously seen in Jet Song
the rhythms between the two are thus the same – there is no difference between the two groups. Both are immigrants, the jets are just one generation removed
the 1961 release of the movie had a great deal of relevance to contemporary issues of the time
|
|
|
|
|
emotional culmination
transferred to fire escape from R & J
traditional Broadway Love duet
previewed earlier in Tonight
Maria expresses her feelings in a balance to Tony’s
They trade verses in the duet
each sing love motive
duet song ends in unity (traditional sense of unity of mind)
|
|
|
|
|
“One Hand One Heart”
“Tonight Quintet”
“The Rumble”
opera technique: bring all the characters on stage and recap their situations
|
|
|
|
| wedding ceremony – articulates love story |
|
|
|
|
sung in five parts
Sharks (Riff) – sharks and jets sing the same thing
Jets (Bernardo)
Tony – tony and Maria same thing
Maria
Anita
reprise of love and hate motives
|
|
|
|
|
balances opening prologue
book end that reprises nearly all of the music
same music used when Tony kills Bernardo as when Bernardo cuts Little John
dance narrates the action
rumble logical conclusion
pantomime delivers violence and shock value
|
|
|
|
|
marias response to Tony is surprising
most powerful duet in act II
almost traditional except it repeats the B concluding section
A A1 B A B1
brief but great deal of importance to the dramaturgy
she sings it back to Tony – forgiveness
becomes the basis for reprises – had been foreshadowed in Tonight
melody becomes the basis for cool
|
|
|
|
|
anita’s rebuke
harsh dissonant manner
verse sung twice
|
|
|
|
|
Maria’s transformation of Anita’s A Boy Like That
similar to the transformation of the hate melody
shes transforming anitas sentiment
her love for Bernardo is flawed because Bernardo and Riff could never see beyond their hate
|
|
|
|
|
it cant end happily because it is still a tragedy
Maria does not die because does not succomb to violence
Tony must die for his sin
his is an act of self-consumption: suicide
finale succeeds through understatement
maria does not sing a farewell aria
orchestra plays Somewhere
and I Have love played for procession of the body
conclusion: HATE MOTIVE PLAYED
|
|
| The run of West Side Story |
|
|
premiered in Washington DC
Broadway: Sept 1957
732 performances
national and european tours
nimonated for Tony Award 1957
WSS impact not considerable until film version 1961
11 academy award nominations
soundtrack outsold Oklahoma
|
|