L. Bernstein - 'Something's Coming' from West Side Story

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What is the context of this piece?
Tony's first solo in West Side Story (musical based on Romeo and Juliet)
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When was this piece composed?
1957
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What style of music is this piece?
Musical Theatre - influenced heavily by jazz
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What key is this piece written in?
D major
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What is the time signature of this piece?
Changes between 3/4 and 4/4
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What is the structure of this piece?
Introduction, 2 main sections (A-B-B1-A1) each with a varied repeat, ad lib fade bar/coda to link with the scene change instrumental, ends unresolved on a flat 7th C natural
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What is tempo of this piece?
Fast - 176 BPM
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What is the instrumentation of this piece?
30-man band (approx.) - solo tenor, band (woodwind - flute, strings - violins, brass - trumpets, percussion - drum-kit), some players double up
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How does the band make sure not to overpower the singer?
Quiet dynamics, soft timbres like muted trumpets and pizzicato and tremolo strings, homophonic texture
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What is the rhythm like in this piece?
Accompaniment plays on beat bass and off beat chords to create cross rhythms, frequent syncopation, um-pah bass line with a straight rhythm, push rhythms to anticipate the beat, driving rhythms, accented notes, short rhythmic ostinati
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What is the harmony/tonality like in this piece? (1)
D major key, 2 contrasting sections in C major, sharpened 4ths and flattened 7ths added to conventional chords to create extended chords (jazz influence), tritone used in D major chord and also as a unifying feature throughout the piece
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What is the harmony/tonality like in this piece? (2)
Tenor's last note is flattened 7th - unresolved ending adding to the anticipation, bi-tonal sections, chromaticism in bars 77-81, neapolitan chord in bar 95
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What is the texture like in this piece?
Homophonic, 3 main ideas - repeated riff, syncopated chords, fast um-cha accompaniment
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What are the dynamics like in this piece?
Theme A is soft, theme B is loud, theme C has diminuendos and crescendos, fade at the end
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What is the melody like in general?
Based on the blues scale, tritone is used, mainly syllabic, word painting used, melodic riffs
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What is an example of theme A and what is it like?
"Something due any day. I will know right away, soon as it shows" - Short 2 bar phrases, tritone on triplet, syllabic
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What is an example of theme B and what is it like?
"It may come cannonballing down through the sky, gleam in its eye, bright as a rose" - Syllabic (apart from rose which is melismatic), word painting e.g. loud dynamics, repetition of notes and phrases,
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What is an example of theme C and what is it like?
"Around the corner, or whistling down the river. Come on, deliver to me" - Word painting, longer duration of notes, 8 bar phrasing, higher vocal register, contrasting to other themes and lyrical
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1957

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