Listening Response Form Bernsteln: West Side Story, Tonight View Listening Outli

Question

Listening Response Form Bernsteln: West Side Story, Tonight View Listening Outline References Listening Response Learning Objective: Examine the sources of theLearning Objective: List and describe the elements of a musical musical and trace its development up to the present Note: This question ill not be automatically graded. It will be sent to your instructor fo value: 6.00 points Critical Response For the elements of harmony and form, write one sentence that describes the composer's creative expression of each in this work. Identify a short segment on which to base your comments Read the background information. What is the dramatic setting for this song? How well does the style and character of the music suit the situation? Explain Musical theater is considered one of the most popular musical art forms in America today. Describe your most recent experience attending or viewing a musical theater performance, including schools, television, or DVD. In what way was it inspiring? In what way was it meaningful? In what ways does West Side Story comment on the social and cultural challenges on living in New York's inner city?

Explanation / Answer

Question 2. With regard to the setting of the song Tonight from Bernstein’s West Side Story, one can see it’s stark resemblance to the famous scene from Romeo and Juliet on the balcony which is the epicentre for the romantic drama that unfolds amidst the darkness and silence of others( viewers) . However, the musical West Side Story is based in the context of urban New York which has been an artistic symbol for intercultural assimilation and urban inequalities between the rich and the poor. ‘Tonight’ presents a duet between the protagonists Maria and Toni and is divided into five parts of the quintet comprising of solo parts, then overlapping parts where the different voices come together and build the harmony towards the final line “ Tonight!” . Bernstein’s artistic skill can be seen in the way he builds the anticipation of his audience about the climactic scene of the feud between the rival gangs the Jets and the Sharks in the same way that an Opera conductor builds the tension through the interplay of the mesoforte and forte in an opera. Thus, the style of the song where multiple harmonies mark a transition from one part to another is befitting the context of multiple characters and rivals that are being spoken of in the song.

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