Music - West Side Story

Front 1

What type of songs can be found in a musical?

Back 1

solo
duet
small group
chorus (at the start and end of each act includes most or all of the cast)

Front 2

What could the songs in a musical be about?

Back 2

love
individual feeling
introducing a character
a character's decision
an evil character
comedy
sadness
to move the story along - narration
to comment on what has just happened

Front 3

List all of the songs that appear in West Side Story

(there's 14)

Back 3

Overture
Jets Song
Something's Coming
Maria
America
Tonight
Gee, Officer Krupkel
I feel pretty
One hand, One heart
Quintet
Somewhere
Cool
A boy like that
I have a love

Front 4

Give a brief description of the song Overture

Back 4

songs, just the music - instrumental
no vocals

Front 5

Give a brief description of the song Jets song

Back 5

sung by the Jets, introducing the gang

Front 6

Give a brief description of the song Something's Coming

Back 6

sung by Tony

Front 7

Give a brief description of the song Maria

Back 7

Tony sings about meeting Maria

Front 8

Give a brief description of the song America

Back 8

sung by the sharks, tells of good and bad things about America

Front 9

Give a brief description of the song Tonight

Back 9

duet between Maria and Tony (feelings)

Front 10

Give a brief description of the song Gee, Officer Krupkel

Back 10

comedy song - Jets criticising the police

Front 11

Give a brief description of the song I feel pretty

Back 11

Maria

Front 12

Give a brief description of the song One, hand, One heart

Back 12

Maria and Tony love duet

Front 13

Give a brief description of the song Quintet

Back 13

Jets and Sharks - rumble
Tony and Maria - love song
Anita - countermelody

Front 14

Give a brief description of the song Somewhere

Back 14

duet, Tony and Maria talk about running away

Front 15

Give a brief description of the song Cool

Back 15

Jets

Front 16

Give a brief description of the song A boy like that

Back 16

Anita sings about Tony

Front 17

Give a brief description of the song I have a love

Back 17

Maria sings about Tony

Front 18

What is the general mood of Something's Coming?

Back 18

upbeat, anticipation, exciting, optimism

Front 19

Which Shakespeare play is West Side Story based on?

Back 19

Romeo and Juliet

Front 20

What are the names of the two gangs?

Back 20

Jets and Sharks

Front 21

Who sings Something's Coming?

Back 21

Tony

Front 22

Which gang does Tony belong to?

Back 22

Jets

Front 23

Who composed this musical?

Back 23

Leonard Bernstein

Front 24

Which style of music influenced Bernstein in his writing of W.S.S?

Back 24

Jazz

Front 25

Comment on the metre and rhythm of Something's Coming

Back 25

time signature is 3 syncopated and off beat
--- rhythm
4
cross rhythms and push rhythms

Front 26

What is the Key signature of Something's Coming?

Back 26

D major

Front 27

What is a Tritone?

Back 27

A devil's interval - an augmented 4th

Front 28

What are the 7 key musical features of Something's Coming?

Back 28

- jazz based harmony - including 'blue' notes and dissonances - e.g. 'If I can wait'
- syncopated rhythms and push rhythms anticipating the beat - e.g. 'could be...'
- extensive use of short riffs - e.g. 'something due any day'
- cross rhythms - e.g. 'or whistling down the river
- large orchestra with layers
- Tritone e.g. G# to D 'soon as it shows'
- Short snappy phrases and long held notes e.g. 'something due any day, coming to me!'

Front 29

Which instruments play the initial repeated riff in Something's Coming?

Back 29

clarinets

Front 30

What is the overall mood of S.C and what makes you think this?

Back 30

- he (Tony) is anticipating something - lyrics 'something's coming' indicate this
- the riff and varied tempo and dynamics
- lyrics said quickly - interesting for audience and contrasts with lyrics said slowly

Front 31

Which other instruments can you hear in S.C? Describe what each instrument is playing

Back 31

strings - crescendo (violins etc) - builds up
woodwind and clarinets - riff
- brass - horns muted

Front 32

How are the words 'the air is humming' depicted by the orchestral accompaniment in S.C?

Back 32

string instruments play high pitch softly - dolce
then a crescendo - violins

Front 33

How does S.C end?

Back 33

gradually fades out with diminuendo (piano)
held note - fairly high pitch

Front 34

Give a bit of background knowledge of the context f S.C in the musical

Back 34

third song in the show following the opening prologue and the 'Jet Song'.
scene changes to Tony happily engaged in work at Doc's drug store
he is optimistic about a new and better gang-free future and excited about the dance to be held that night at the gym

Front 35

Describe the section of music that accompanies the words 'Could it be?' in S.C

Back 35

exciting, anticipating, leaping, tentative leading melody
small crescendo, bouncing
slow tempo
steady accompaniment, smooth repeated and fairly quiet - legato

Front 36

Describe the section of music that accompanies the 'it may come cannon-balling...' part in S.C

Back 36

fast tempo
small note change - small range of notes - notes repeated
- change in tempo and dynamics on 'rose' - contrasts
accompaniment plays accented notes - then fades out slowly
brass instruments playing staccato
rushed lyrics - spoken in some parts
accents on some notes and lyrics
short notes, not many breaks - just for singing

Front 37

Describe the section of music that accompanies the lyrics 'Around the corner' in S.C

Back 37

slow melody
words lengthened
accompaniment faster and crescendo - also fluent and gentle
strings crescendo - higher pitch
expressive swelling dynamics
short syllable then a long one: cor-ner...........

Front 38

Describe the harmonies used in this piece:

Back 38

- jazz based harmonies

- extended chords e.g. 7ths and 9ths

- tritone

Front 39

Describe the structure of this piece:

Back 39

- precise structure:

A, B, B1, A1 + intro and outro

Front 40

What are harmonies, structures, types of songs and tunes usually like in musicals?

Back 40

- diatonic - major/minor

- alternating verse and chorus

- solo, duets, action song and chorus number

- tunes easy to sing

Front 41

When was West Side Story written, where and when is it set and who are the lyrics by?

Back 41

- 1957

- New York, 1950s

- Stephen Sondheim

Front 42

Describe the instrumentation and what the melody line is predominantly:

Back 42

- uses large orchestra: saxophone, piano, electric guitar, mandolin, celeste, wind instruments, brass, string and lots of percussion

- specific playing techniques are used to achieve certain timbres e.g. muted brass, tremolo strings and pizzicato strings

- mainly syllabic

Front 43

What types of voice are Tony and Maria and what types of rhythms and instruments are used?

Back 43

- tenor and soprano

- latin american

Front 44

What are tritones often used as, what do cross rhythms create and what precise tempo is the song?

Back 44

- appoggiaturas

- tension

- 176 crotchet beats a minute - quick

Front 45

What is the time signature, what does it actually feel like and what are there lots of (giving an example)?

Back 45

- 3/4

- feels like 6/8 as the first and fourth quavers are accented

- ostinati - 3 crotchets for the bass parts