Subject：Music Literature Survey （West Side Story ）

MUS – 13 Marston Date:_________________________

Name:_________________________

West Side Story

Scene 1: Opening (5:00)

1. What is a tritone? What does it represent?

2. What two instruments first play this melody?

3. What are the two gangs in this scene?

4. How does this scene build tension between the two gangs using musical elements? List at least three ways

5. How does dance help to build the characters in this scene?

Scene 2: High School Dance (33:04)

1. What happens in this scene?

2. What is a mambo?

3. Here is the opening percussion ostinato - What instruments are playing? Label them in the score

4. What instrument plays this? What can you say about the melodic intervals?

5. What instrument plays this? What’s a “fall off?”

6. What instrument plays this? What’s a “shake?”

7. What’s happening on stage when we hear this? What instrument is it?

8. What instrument plays this?

Scene 3: “America” (47:00)

AMERICA

ROSALIA  Puerto Rico,  You lovely island . . .  Island of tropical breezes.  Always the pineapples growing,  Always the coffee blossoms blowing . . .  ANITA  Puerto Rico . . .  You ugly island . . .  Island of tropic diseases.  Always the hurricanes blowing,  Always the population growing . . .  And the money owing,  And the babies crying,  And the bullets flying.  I like the island Manhattan.  Smoke on your pipe and put that in!  OTHERS  I like to be in America!  O.K. by me in America!  Ev'rything free in America  For a small fee in America!  ROSALIA  I like the city of San Juan.  ANITA  I know a boat you can get on.  ROSALIA  Hundreds of flowers in full bloom.  ANITA  Hundreds of people in each room!  ALL  Automobile in America,  Chromium steel in America,  Wire-spoke wheel in America,  Very big deal in America!  ROSALIA  I'll drive a Buick through San Juan.  ANITA  If there's a road you can drive on.  ROSALIA  I'll give my cousins a free ride.  ANITA  How you get all of them inside?  ALL  Immigrant goes to America,  Many hellos in America;  Nobody knows in America  Puerto Rico's in America!  ROSALIA  I'll bring a T.V. to San Juan.  ANITA  If there a current to turn on!  ROSALIA  I'll give them new washing machine.  ANITA  What have they got there to keep clean?  ALL  I like the shores of America!  Comfort is yours in America!  Knobs on the doors in America,  Wall-to-wall floors in America!  ROSALIA  When I will go back to San Juan.  ANITA  When you will shut up and get gone?  ROSALIA  Everyone there will give big cheer!  ANITA  Everyone there will have moved here! 

1. What instruments play this? Where to do these rhythms come from?

2. What are the cultural implications using this dance in a musical?

3. Describe the meter of this phrase.

4. Although presented in a somewhat lighthearted way, this song highlights some serious cultural issues. What are they? Include a quote from the song, to summarize.

Scene 4: Rumble (1:36)

1. What happens in this scene?

2. What instrument plays this?

What’s a straight mute?

What’s a gliss?

Describe the melodic intervals.

3. What instruments can be heard playing this long fermata?

What happens during this music?

Describe the melodic intervals.

Scene 5: Somewhere (1:47)

1. Here’s how this melody appears at this part of the show (You’ll need this later)

2. What is the interval of the first two pitches of this melody?

What might this symbolize in terms of the story?

3. Why is it missing?

Scene 5: Closing (2:19)

1. Here’s an excerpt of the closing bars.

What melody is heard?

How has it changed?

How can you describe the harmony of the closing bars, especially in terms of how this melody appeared before?

2. What do these closing bars symbolize, regarding the story, and Tony and Maria’s love?