West Side Story: How Music Creates Tension
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the script explores how Leonard Bernstein's 'West Side Story' uses music to portray racial conflict, drawing parallels to Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'. It discusses the evolution from an initial concept of religious conflict to one of racial tension, reflecting societal issues of the time. The analysis highlights the use of jazz and Latin dance music to represent the American Jets and Puerto Rican Sharks, respectively, and how these musical styles are manipulated to underscore themes of love, hate, and identity. The video also delves into the characters of Anita and Maria, examining their representation of Latin American women and the tragic consequences of racial and sexual violence within the narrative.
Takeaways
- 🎭 West Side Story is a musical adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, focusing on racial conflict between American Jets and Puerto Rican Sharks.
- 🎵 The music in the musical serves to highlight the racial tension, with different styles representing each gang and their cultural backgrounds.
- 🇺🇸 The Jets are associated with jazz and blues, representing an American musical language, while the Sharks are linked to Afro-Cuban rhythms and percussions, symbolizing their 'otherness'.
- 💃 The dance sequences, such as the gym scene, use various ethnic dance styles to represent the cultural clash and unity between the two gangs.
- 🎶 The Mambo and ChaCha dances allow the Sharks to express their identity and emotions through music and movement.
- 🎵 The song 'America' provides a platform for the Puerto Rican characters to express their views on the greatness of America, using traditional Puerto Rican music styles.
- 🚫 The disturbing portrayal of the rape scene uses the previously Puerto Rican-identified music to dehumanize and objectify the character Anita, highlighting the Jets' view of the Sharks.
- 🎶 The transformation of the 'America' song during the rape scene underscores the loss of Anita's dignity and the perversion of the Sharks' musical identity.
- 👩❤️👨 The character of Anita represents a dichotomy of Latin American women as both sexually liberated and victims of male dominance.
- 🤔 The musical leaves the audience with an unresolved question about whether different ethnic identities can coexist peacefully or if conflict is inevitable.
- 🎥 The script analysis aims to deepen the appreciation for the musical's portrayal of complex themes like racial conflict and identity through music.
Q & A
What is the original inspiration behind 'West Side Story'?
-The original inspiration for 'West Side Story' is Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', with the story adapted to focus on a racial conflict between Americans and immigrant Puerto Ricans.
Why did Bernstein change the initial concept of 'East Side Story' to 'West Side Story'?
-Bernstein changed the concept due to the fresh memories of World War II and anti-Semitism, prevalent news of gang violence and juvenile delinquency, and the exciting dance forms emerging from Latin America.
How does the music in 'West Side Story' represent the racial conflict between the Jets and the Sharks?
-The music represents the racial conflict by associating the Jets with jazz blues, an American musical language, and the Sharks with pitched percussion and bongo drums, framing them as a threat and the 'racial other'.
What is the significance of the 'hate motive' in the music of 'West Side Story'?
-The 'hate motive' with its distinctive Tritone is used to musically frame the Sharks as a threat and to represent the racial animosity between the Jets and the Sharks.
How does the 'America' song serve as an ironic expression for the Puerto Rican characters?
-The 'America' song uses a tempo disease genre and traditional Puerto Rican instruments like the güiro, but it is performed in an ironic manner, highlighting the Puerto Ricans' complex relationship with American identity.
What role do the Mambo and ChaCha dances play in expressing the Puerto Rican identity in 'West Side Story'?
-The Mambo and ChaCha dances are used to allow the Puerto Rican characters to express their identity and angst through dance, rather than speech or violence, showcasing their cultural heritage.
How is the character Anita portrayed in 'West Side Story', and what does her portrayal signify?
-Anita is portrayed as a sexually liberated and socially free character, representing a challenge to both white and male dominance. Her character is contrasted with the innocent and virginal Maria.
What is the impact of the rape scene on the musical themes of 'America' and the Mambo in 'West Side Story'?
-The rape scene perverts the original meanings of the 'America' song and the Mambo, using them to mock and intimidate the Puerto Rican characters, highlighting the dehumanization and objectification of Anita.
How does Bernstein use music to explore the possibility of peaceful coexistence between different ethnic identities in 'West Side Story'?
-Bernstein explores the possibility of peaceful coexistence through the convergence of American blues and Latin American rhythms in songs like 'Maria', suggesting a temporary resolution of the binaries of love/hate and American/Puerto Rican.
What message does Bernstein seem to convey about racial conflict through the music in 'West Side Story'?
-Bernstein portrays racial conflict as complex and multifaceted, leaving the audience with ambivalence about whether peaceful coexistence is possible, reflecting his advocacy for peace and unity while acknowledging the reality of ongoing conflict.
What is the purpose of the channel discussing 'West Side Story' and how does it aim to enhance appreciation for music?
-The channel aims to pass on an appreciation for art music, including film and orchestral music, by covering well-known and lesser-known pieces. It seeks to educate viewers on why music is great and how to appreciate a broader range of musical works.
Outlines
🎭 West Side Story: Music and Racial Conflict
This paragraph discusses how the musical 'West Side Story', inspired by Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', uses music to depict racial conflict between American and Puerto Rican characters. Initially conceived as 'East Side Story' dealing with Catholic-Jewish tensions, it evolved to address gang violence and racial issues, influenced by Latin American dance forms. The Jets are associated with jazz blues, symbolizing American music, while the Sharks are introduced with Afro-Cuban percussion, suggesting a threatening 'other'. The 'hate motive' with a distinctive tritone is highlighted as significant. The paragraph also delves into the 'Dance at the Gym' sequence, where the two gangs' potential for conflict is portrayed through contrasting dance styles like jazz and mambo, reflecting their ethnic identities and tensions.
🎵 Exploring Identity and Conflict Through Music
The second paragraph continues the exploration of racial conflict in 'West Side Story', focusing on how music is used to represent the Puerto Rican characters' identity and their struggle. It discusses the song 'America', which allows the Puerto Rican characters to express their perspective on the 'greatness' of America, using traditional Puerto Rican music styles like the salsero and huapango. The paragraph also examines the character Anita, who represents sexual freedom and defiance against white and male dominance. The disturbing use of music during the attempted rape scene is analyzed, showing how the Sharks' music is stripped of its original meaning and identity, mirroring Anita's loss of dignity and autonomy. The paragraph concludes with an examination of how Bernstein's portrayal of racial conflict is both subtle and complex, leaving the audience with an ambivalent view of reconciliation and conflict.
🎼 The Legacy of West Side Story and Bernstein's Message
The final paragraph reflects on the broader implications of 'West Side Story' as a musical masterpiece that explores racial conflict through music. It acknowledges Bernstein's advocacy for peace and unity, yet points out the unresolved question of whether different ethnic identities can coexist peacefully. The paragraph concludes with a call to appreciate the depth and complexity of music in art, film, and orchestral pieces, and invites viewers to subscribe for more content that delves into the appreciation of music across various genres and composers.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡West Side Story
💡Racial Conflict
💡Jets
💡Sharks
💡Mambo
💡America (Song)
💡Diegetic Music
💡Hate Motive
💡Anita
💡Musical Identity
Highlights
West Side Story is a love story based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, with a focus on racial conflict between Americans and Puerto Rican immigrants.
Initially conceived as East Side Story about conflicts between Roman Catholics and Jews, it was changed due to the social context of the time.
The Jets are represented by jazz blues music, symbolizing American musical language.
The Puerto Rican Sharks are introduced with pitched percussion and bongo drums, framing them as a threat.
The hate motive with its distinctive Tritone is used to emphasize the racial otherness of the Sharks.
The dance at the gym sequence showcases a blend of musical styles representing both gangs, including jazz and the paso doble.
The Mambo is used as an aggressive dance-off between the gangs, allowing the Sharks to express their identity through dance.
The ChaCha and the return of the Paso Doble music emphasize the cultural clash and the tension between the Jets and Sharks.
Tony's song 'Maria' converges American blues with Latin American rhythms, symbolizing the temporary resolution of racial binaries.
The song 'America' provides a ironic commentary on the Puerto Ricans' experience in the United States.
The use of traditional Puerto Rican music in 'America' is contrasted with its later use in the disturbing rape scene.
Anita's character represents a dichotomy between the innocent virginal Maria and the sexually liberated woman.
The rape scene perverts the original meanings of the Mambo and 'America', using music to dehumanize Anita.
Bernstein's portrayal of racial conflict is subtle and complex, leaving the audience with ambivalence about reconciliation.
The musical serves as a study of how racial conflict can be represented in music in a refined and meaningful way.
Bernstein was a proponent of peace and unity, but West Side Story raises questions about whether ethnic identities can peacefully coexist.
The channel aims to pass on an appreciation for art music, covering lesser-known pieces to help listeners discover new music worlds.
Transcripts
but you would one here that's all that
you need you are in American us why West
Side Story is by all means a love story
based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
the core of the drama revolves around a
racial conflict between Americans and
immigrant predatory cleaners it wasn't
always going to be this way
in its first inception Bernstein
accorded East Side Story in visiting a
conflict between Roman Catholics and
Jews a number of things made him change
his mind
world war ii and anti-semitism were
fresh in the minds of the public matters
of gang violence and juvenile
delinquency were prevalent in the news
and with the wealth of exciting styles
and dance forms that were emerging from
latin america bernstein settled on West
Side Story as we know it today
the racial conflict emerges in the music
in a number of ways some quite clear and
others more subtle right from the
beginning the American Jets are labeled
with a kind of jazz blues music jazz
being understood as an American musical
language
when the puerto rican sharks first
appear what we hear instead is pitched
percussion evoking bongo drums an
afro-cuban instrument this music seems
to frame them as a threat to the
Americans
accompanied by what I think of as the
hate motive with its distinctive Triton
and this will become important later the
Sharks here are musically the racial
other the show Bolton in a sense more
musically primitive when we see them
through the Jets eyes and this idea of
the Sharks our sub Alton is on the
lowest rung of the racial hierarchy is
reflected throughout the drama was
thinking peace day that's just the
beginning
one of the greatest examples of
different musical styles representing
racial conflict comes in the dance and
the gym sequence the two gangs go to a
community dance and anticipate the
possibility of a fight here Bernstein
uses an array of styles that ethnically
represent both gangs the first music we
hear is jazz played by a full big-band
as the American Jets Turner
[Music]
[Music]
then as the dance begins we hear a
promenade based on the paso doble a
Hispanic line downs well-known in Mexico
however Burnside makes this into a kind
of parody while it should fall into a
flat major it crashes into F major the
wrong key as if by mistake and then with
the weight of the bass drum and
trombones it becomes a heavy footed
grotesque caricature of itself instead
of the graceful light dance that it
should be then comes the Mambo a Cuban
dance form here fully orchestrated and
written with breakneck intensity though
Bernstein does remain fairly true to the
man-bat style this number is used as an
opportunity for an aggressive dance-off
between the gangs we could say that here
is one of the few opportunities the
sharks have to musically express
themselves communicating their identity
and their angst through dance rather
than speech or violence the cries of
descend directly from the flamenco
tradition where dancers are urged on by
enthusiastic onlookers the Mambo flows
into a delicate ChaCha another Cuban
dance as the world freezes around the
lovers and when they begin speaking they
are accompanied by an American film X
tile of music then as the world around
them begins to re-emerge Bernstein
brings back the Paso Doble music again
as a caricature of itself starting in
slow motion and with the room gradually
whirring back to full speed
[Music]
as the gym empties and focus returns to
the Jets we get another jazz number in a
swung blue style finally Tony sings
Maria a kind of convergence of the
American blues harmonic language with
the Latin American Brissac language
we'll never be the same
[Applause]
and at the same time that try turn of
the hate motive is resolved into a love
motive I just kissed a girl
so in this amazing song these two
binaries love hate and American puerto
rican are temporarily conflated resolved
brought into unity but there's another
more disturbing and subtle way in which
bernstein portrays racial conflict in
the music first let's take the song
america probably the only other chance
the puerto ricans get to have their own
expressive musical voice so they use it
mostly ironically this thing about the
greatness of america the beginning of
this song is in tempo disease genre that
was fairly popular in puerto rico in
fact the only genre of puerto rican
origin in the whole musical bernstein
uses Spanish guitar Clovis and guiro to
adhere to the traditional style
Bernstein's choice of the sades means he
can allude to the sales de bomba or the
seis de controversy which were used for
the delivery of sly insults and
argumentative exchanges
[Music]
the main body of the song adopts a tempo
the huapango the huapango originated in
Mexico and is recognizable by its
constant hemiola patterns other moments
such as this musical gia allude to
Mexican mariachi bands whatever the
musical origins this song gives the
Puerto Ricans the opportunity to express
their own musical voice as they sing and
dance together even if it is a pan
latin-american voice and not
specifically played it with you so
dramatically both the Mambo and America
afford the puerto ricans a chance to
express themselves and affirm their
identity through music and dance and yet
both songs later become stripped of
their identity and become tools in the
disturbing rape scene where we're
reminded again that to the Jets the
Sharks are closer to objects than humans
to understand the depth of this scene
let's have a quick look at Anita's
character the two main female characters
in the plot anita and maria form another
kind of dramatic binary jenny rivera not
the singer has said how Latin American
women tend to be portrayed as both
innocent virgins and sexy vixens and in
this musical these ideas are split
between the two characters there's the
innocent virginal Maria dressed in white
to symbolize purity conforming more to
Western ideals of marriage and even
played by a white American actress in
the film perhaps making the interracial
love affair more palatable to audiences
of the time and then there's the raunchy
sexually liberal anita who enjoys the
freedom to express herself socially and
sexually here her sexual ideas are
accompanied by saxophone glissandi
reminding us of the blues women such as
Bessie Smith and moraine E these blues
women and Davis rights were emblematic
of female sexual and social freedom and
were tough resilient and independent
women unafraid of defending their right
to be respected as autonomous human
beings
so perhaps Anita represents more than
just the sexually exotic she represents
freedom from both white and male
dominance so what happens when her
freedom and ideals are stripped and
crushed by white males when the Jets
overpower and attempt to rape her the
scene begins with the Jets playing the
Mambo on the jukebox this is what's
called diegetic music meaning the
characters on stage can hear it too
what was once a music for the Puerto
Ricans to freely express themselves is
now used to mock
intimidate them in this sense the
music's original meaning is stripped
from it and its identity is belittled
just as the Jets want to strip an eater
of her humaneness and pass her around
like an object without a voice the music
that once allowed Anita to assert her
freedom and sense of self
now reinforces social division and here
emphasizes her position as an unwelcome
outsider the music on the jukebox fades
and is replaced by non-diegetic music
resembling the huapango sounds of the
song america and exciting anticipation
builds with shimmering strings and muted
trumpet creating a disturbing
uncomfortable relationship between what
we hear and what we see when the main
riff finally appears its perverted out
of form in an irregular time signature
with heavy dissonant punctuation when
the America theme returns a second time
it's more harmonically true to itself
and in the right time signature but this
time completely overwhelming an over
orchestrated with its use of cross
rhythms extreme dissonance fortissimo
dynamics and immense orchestration Anita
is treated not as a human but as a piece
of meat and just as she is stripped of
her dignity voice and independence the
tune to America is stripped of its
original significance no longer the
Puerto Ricans musical voice as it is
overpowered by the dominance of the
immense forces of western classical
music West Side Story is in so many ways
an amazing musical and it gives us a
study of how something as complex as
racial conflict can be portrayed in
music in a way that is refined and
meaningful without being obvious and
outlets throughout his career whether in
his teachings his concerts or his music
Bernstein was a great advocate for peace
and unity across mankind and yet here
beneath the surface of the musical he
seems to ask the question can these
different ethnic identities ever truly
combine peacefully or will there always
be conflict yet Bernstein is perhaps too
intelligent to provide an answer to this
question and instead we are left at the
end with ambivalence reconciliation
[Music]
contrasted with Maria's newfound hatred
when I can kill too because now I have
it all under pinned by this ambiguous
Triton which once represented both hate
and love
[Music]
I hope you enjoyed this now what I
wanted to do with this channel is pass
on an appreciation for art music with a
film musical orchestral anything of that
kind
I might cover pieces that aren't so well
known and the point of that is to pass
on an appreciation for why that music is
so great where the Tchaikovsky Beethoven
or a lesser known living composer and
through this you might learn how to
appreciate a whole new world of music so
if you like this and want to see more
then subscribe give this a like and
thanks for watching
Weitere ähnliche Videos ansehen
The melting pot
Unit 9: AP English Lit Faculty Lecture with Associate Professor Kim Coles (and Keith Hamilton Cobb)
I Am Not Your Negro | James Baldwin on the Dick Cavett Show | Netflix
A C Bradley's The Construction in Shakespearean Tragedy
O FUNK não passa de algo TRIBAL!
The Century, America's Time: Then and Now (2 of 3)
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)