Leonard
Bernstein1918-1990
Lesson 1
Backgroun
d
• Born on August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to Ukrainian-Jewish immigrant
parents.
• Showed early interest in music, particularly the piano, and began formal lessons at age
10.
• Studied music at Harvard University and later at the Curtis Institute of Music in
Philadelphia.
• Studied under prominent conductors like Fritz Reiner and composers like Aaron Copland,
who became a lifelong friend.
• Gained instant fame at 25 when he stepped in as a last-minute replacement for Bruno
Walter to conduct the New York Philharmonic in 1943, broadcasted nationally.
• Composed music for successful Broadway shows, including West Side Story, On the3
Backgroun
d
• Became the first American-born conductor to lead a major American orchestra when he
was appointed music director of the New York Philharmonic (1958-1969).
• Hosted the popular television series Young People's Concerts, bringing classical music
to a wide audience.
• Renowned for his versatility as a composer, conductor, pianist, and educator. Spanning
classical, jazz, and Broadway genres.
• Bernstein’s legacy includes his contributions to American music, his advocacy for social
causes, and his dedication to educating future generations of musicians. He died on
October 14, 1990, leaving an enduring impact on the world of music.
4
Notable Musicals &
Songs
• On the Town (1944) – Inspired by his ballet score Fancy Free also about three
sailors in New York. The ballet was choregraphed by Jerome Robbins who later
did West Side Story.
• Wonderful Town (1953)
• Candide (1956) – One of the best overture’s to play – there’s a fantastic concert
band arrangement but it’s also really hard!
• West Side Story (1957) – Lyrics by Sondheim
• Mass (a theatre piece for singers, players and dancers) (1971)
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Compositional Style
• He blended a wide range of musical genres, including classical, jazz, blues,
Latin rhythms, and popular music, creating a unique fusion.
• Bernstein’s music often features vibrant, complex rhythms, including
syncopation and irregular meters, which added dynamism to his scores.
• His melodies are memorable, tuneful, and emotionally direct, making his songs
appealing to a broad audience.
• His Broadway scores often incorporate sophisticated orchestration and classical
forms, reflecting his classical training.
• Bernstein frequently used jazz harmonies and rhythms, particularly in musicals
like On the Town and Wonderful Town.
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Compositional Style
• Latin and Afro-Cuban Rhythms: Particularly in West Side Story, Bernstein
embraced Latin styles like mambo, cha-cha, and rumba, adding cultural depth
to the music.
• Emotional Depth: His scores often balance lighthearted, humorous elements
with serious, emotionally intense themes, as seen in West Side Story.
• Bernstein used a mix of tonal and modern harmonic structures, often moving
between dissonance and consonance.
• He composed music that served the narrative and character development,
tightly integrating songs with the plot and emotional arcs.
• Bernstein’s musicals often have moments of grandeur and lyricism reminiscent
of opera, pushing the boundaries of traditional musical theatre.
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Leonard
Bernstein
Lesson 2: Practical Theatre
Lesson
Leonard
BernsteinLesson 3
Focus Musical – West Side Story
(1957)
Background
• ‘Modern’ adaptation of Romeo and Juliet set against 1950s New York with the
‘two families’ represented as two rival gangs the Jets (Americans) and the
Sharks (Puerto Ricans).
• The themes of love, death and racial tension are still as relevant today as they
were in Shakespeare’s time.
• Another example of a book musical and again contains leitmotifs and
recurrent themes which help develop characters and integrate the music with
the story.
• Musical Style: Bernstein has tried to create an authentic Puerto Rican sound
by:
• Increasing the percussion to include congas and timbales.
• Habanera rhythms.
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• To represent the Jets music he uses a young jazz style, imitating the popular
Focus Musical – West Side Story
(1957)
Orchestration
• It’s enormous. • Trombone 1&2
• He also uses the now typical format of • Keyboard
‘Reeds’ rather than traditional woodwind • Guitar (classical, electric)
setup as seen in Rogers.
• Drums
• Reed 1 (alto sax, bass clarinet, clarinet,
• 2 percussion players (castanets, chimes,
flute, piccolo)
claves, conga, finger cymbals,
• Reed 2 (Bb clarinet, bass clarinet, Eb glockenspiel, gourd cabassa, guiro,
clarinet) maracas, police whistle, ratchet, slide
• Reed 3 (Bb clarinet, baritone sax, bass whistle, small maracas, snare drum, tam-
clarinet, English horn, flute, oboe, piccolo, tam, tambourines, temple blocks, timbales,
tenor sax) triangle, vibraphone, woodblock,
• Reed 4 (bass clarinet, bass sax, clarinet, xylophone, 2 suspended cymbals, 3
flute, piccolo, soprano sax) bongos, 3 cowbells, 4 timpani.)
• Reed 5 (bassoon) • Violins 1-7
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• • Cello 1-4
Focus Musical – West Side Story
(1957)
Act 1
• The Prologue: There is no overture in the original production however one
was written and included in the 1961 film. The action begins immediately to
establish the rivalry between the gangs. It starts with 8 syncopated chords
which feature the major and minor third simultaneously which do not
harmonically resolve. This finishes with three finger snaps and a solo sax, 5
note melody, which ends on a tritone. The four pitched drums signify the
entrance of the leader of the Sharks. It also contains a walking bass and large
textural and dynamic contrasts before returning to its opening 12 bars after a
police whistle is heard.
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Focus Musical – West Side Story
(1957)
Act 1
• Jet Song (Riff and the Jets): Begins with material from the prologue then
develops the chords into a syncopated accompaniment in 6/8. Riff’s vocal
melody is clearly in ¾ showcasing a large poly-metric section giving a highly
cross-rhythmic effect. The main part of the song is 32-bar song form and in
the B section a saxophone melody including the tritone is used.
• Something’s Coming (Tony): Tony’s solo with vocal syncopation representing
his character’s unrest. There is a two-bar ostinato accompaniment, and the
main opening of the song also uses the augmented 4th/diminished 5th
tritone.
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Focus Musical – West Side Story
(1957)
Act 1
• Dance at the Gym (Instrumental): Begins with the ‘who knows’ tritone
played by orchestra as well as an inversion of the same interval (which is later
heard in ‘Maria’- it therefore serves as a leitmotif for the character). The
orchestra plays through several different dance styles, a blues, promenade,
mambo, a cha cha and a jump. During the dance Tony and Maria meet and
speak/dance together, underneath this there is underscore featuring the same
tritone again. The range of musical styles in this one song is very diverse,
from the Latin American in the mambo to the bebop style of the jump.
• Maria: One of the most famous songs for tenor voice. It begins softly centred
around D#. This then enharmonically changes to Eb which then becomes the
key of the piece: Eb major. The tritone interval is back!
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Focus Musical – West Side Story
(1957)
Act 1
• Balcony Scene (Maria and Tony): Contains the love duet ‘Tonight’. A classic
duet of taking in turns then singing together in unison. Underneath the
beautiful melody the accompaniment is one of urgency conveying excitement
and danger. Before the last section of dialogue Tony sings alone for 8 bars
whilst the cello plays the music of the lyric “there’s a place for us” from the
later song Somewhere foreshadowing what is to come.
• America (Anita, Rosalia and girls): Ensemble number based on Latin
American rhythms. It begins with guiro and claves creating a cross rhythm. It
alternates 6/8 and ¾ creating a rhythmic hemiola.
• The Rumble (Instrumental): Bernstein ends the act in the same way he
started, with an instrumental. It features syncopation and a carefully
choreographed sequence with a knife where two main characters end up dead
on stage as the curtain falls.
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Focus Musical – West Side Story
(1957)
Act 2
• I Feel Pretty (Maria and the girls): After the shock ending of Act 1, Act II
begins bright and cheerful in ¾ in a major key.
• Ballet Sequence: Begins with a repeated timpani note with other instruments
joining on a simple two note motif in 3/2. A scherzo follows with a range of
different time signatures. This then makes way for ‘Somewhere’. This begins
with a minor 7th interval and is both triadic and features triplets. The dream
becomes a nightmare as the music from the rumble is reprised.
• A Boy Like That/I Have a Love (Anita & Maria): Two duets with the first in
a very low register. In the second, the tritone makes an appearance in the
accompaniment when Maria sings the lyric ‘right or wrong’, an Eb major chord
sounds with an A in the bass as she sings the word ‘wrong’.
• Finale (Maria and Tony): The show finishes with a 6 bar a capella reprise of
‘Somewhere’, a further 7 bars of instrumental, Maria’s speak and then the
orchestra plays 14 bars of music incorporating the “there’s a place for us” 16
Leonard
BernsteinLesson 4
Practice Questions on Bernstein
1. State two features heard in this extract that demonstrate a
jazz influence. [2]
2. State the interval between the two notes heard on the lyrics
‘oh well’. [1]
Perfect 5th Octave Perfect Fourth Tritone
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