West Side Story: How Music Creates Tension

Summary

In 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.