comparison of leonard bernstein's "rumble" from symphonic dances from west side story to sergei...

7/29/2019 Comparison of Leonard Bernstein's "Rumble" from Symphonic Dances from West Side Story to Sergei Prokofiev's

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Leonard Bernstein

Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

Rumble & Finale

Sergei ProkofievSuite No. 1 from Romeo and Juliet, op. 64

VII. The Death of Tybalt

I am going to compare Leonard Bernsteins Rumble from his

Symphonic Dances from West Side Story with Sergei Prokofievs Death of Tybalt, the

seventh piece from Suite No.1 from Romeo & Juliet. I chose these two pieces because they

both tell the same section of story from the Shakespeare play, Romeo& Juliet, Bersteins

however, being the soundtrack from the musical based on the story of Romeo & Juliet and

Prokofievs being the music for a ballet for the story. Leonard Bernstein (1918 1990) was

an American pianist, composer and conductor. He was most famous for his SymphonicDances from West Side Story [a musical based on the original story of Shakespeares

Romeo & Juliet but the setting being more modern.] He was one of the first conductors to

give televised lectures on classical music. He often conducted piano concertos from the

piano himself, being an experienced pianist. Despite writing symphonies, chamber music,

ballet music and much more, nothing seemed to outstand the brilliance of West Side

Story. This particular piece of composing is what took his work from classical to popular.

Sergei Prokofiev (1891 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who is one of

the greatest of the 20th

century. Famous for many works, including sonatas and concertos

for piano, symphonies, concertos, cantatas and a childrens tale for narrator and orchestra. I

chose to compare his orchestral suites from Romeo and Juliet with Leonard BernsteinsSymphonic Dances from West Side Story because they are in ways similar, but also very

different and this will prove a good combination to compare. Romeo and Juliet by

Prokofiev is a selection extracted from a ballet of the same name, like Bernsteins work,

which is based on Shakespeares famous Romeo and Juliet. I specifically want to use the

seventh piece from the 1st

suite, Death of Tybalt to compare with Bernsteins Rumble and

Finale, which together represent the death of the character within the story.

The given key at the start ofRumble is F# major. It is played quite

fast [molto allegro] at 144 1 bpm in 6/8 compound time. The piece opens with individual

orchestral instruments playing together a tritone which is subito fortissimo to symbolize the

beginning of the fight (see fig. 1).

Figure 1


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The first six bars consist of a kind of fanfare melody between the horns, winds and upper

strings, which is answered by the trumpets and flutes. These melodies make use of

syncopation and accidentals, with staccato and accents helping to punctuate the melody.

From bar 740 the upper strings play a C# while the lower strings play a C natural, giving a

dissonant feel. The upper strings feature some heavy accents, along with acciaccaturas

which are also played in the flutes, clarinets and trumpets. The upper strings play a

syncopated harmonic leading into the next section in bar 736.

The next few bars are subito pianissimo [instantly very quiet] in the

flutes with accentuation in the strings, bassoon and piano which play a vamp. The trumpets

play in unison with the flutes. There is a crescendo into another section, similar to the first,

at 740.

It modulates to Eb major in bar 746. In this section the ostinato vamp

is revisited between the bassoons, piano, strings and orchestral drums. Over the vamp the

horns play a major 4th

leap in bar 748 followed by a glissando to the tritone (see figure 2).

Figure 2

This is answered by a con sordino motif from the trumpets. The trombones then repeat the

motif which is answered by the horns and 3rd

trumpet. The trombones then play the

previous trumpet answer to the horn motif but are muted. The horns play the answer again,

the wind play it also in unison.

In bar 759 is a repeated quaver phrase featuring close imitation

played on winds, saxophone, trumpets and upper strings which is all played in unison andoctave which crescendos, first from mezzo forte then from piano over a number of bars.

From bar 768, the stabbing, syncopated dissonant chords from all upper instruments is

featured (see figure 3), followed each time by the lower instrumentation playing tritones on

the beat. These notes are all sffz which is instantly very loud.

Figure 3


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Bar 776 signifies the chase, modulating to C major in the key

signature. It however still features many accidentals throughout the section. The strings play

pizzicato, pianissimo and staccato here. The solo instruments feature imitation between

each other which develops when the phrase is repeated (see figure 4).

Figure 4

The horns, piccolo and clarinet make use of glissandi first in bars 786 and 787 which is

repeated later and the horns play an imitation of the piccolo and clarinet. The xylophone is

in unison with the violins until bar 796. Most of the orchestra play in homophony, in unisonand octave and the upper winds use acciacatura to finish the phrase. The wind in the next

few bars play 2 quavers in the space of 3 which is played against 3 quavers in the bass

clarinet, horns and strings [3 against 2]. This section is very homophonic and antiphonal; one

phrase played on the winds then answered by the brass. The time signature changes for one

bar to 9/8 and reverts back to 6/8 in the next bar to show a change of stepping for a

moment, a stumble or a trip before returning to standard movement.

The strings, piano, wind and xylophone symbolize the final blows at

bar 807 by playing an ascending sequence, getting gradually louder [crescendo] with heavy

accents in the winds and strings and semiquavers in the strings (see figure 5).

Figure 5


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The wind, horns and brass then glissando over a triton held over a pause from pianissimo[very quiet] to sffz [instantly very loud]. The entire orchestra plays an upper mordent in bar

812, in unison and octave to symbolize the final blow (see figure 6).

Figure 6

At this time the bongos and bass drum play the same rhythm and the timpani does a

descending glissando over an interval of a 7th

using the pedal of the drum. This is all played

fff. The instruments pause and this is followed by a cadenza from the flute suggesting lastbreaths from bar 812 (see figure 7) after the final blow which features crescendos,

diminuendos, accidentals, rubato, staccato, accents, dynamics and semitones to make the

cadenza expressive.

Figure 7


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The given key at the start ofDeath of Tybalt is Ab major. The start is

the beginning of the fight. The opening 4 bars features chromaticism and is played in unison

and in octave which symbolises the beginning of the fight (see figure 8).

Figure 8

It also features appropriate articulation like staccato and accents to symbolize the attack of

the pace. The pace is set at 160 beats per minute in a simple time of 3/4. This running pacesuggests the characters running in chasewith each other. A vamp in the chase between

points 63 and 69 gives us a feel of bounciness or running, perhaps a frantic sprint (see figure

9).

Figure 9

Upper strings, reeds and horns build up an ascending then descending phrase of dissonant

chords with tones and semitone intervals. Bar 6 or 7 of point 64 marks the start of the first

main theme, the first subject (see figure 10a).

Figure 10a


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Played over the vamp, this melody, featured across violin and clarinet, 4 bars of basic

length, but varied when repeated ascends and descends with appropriate articulation and

accidentals to create a very fitting running motif(see figure 10b).

Figure 10b

In 65 the first subject motif jumps between the piano, piccolo trumpet, violin and snare

drum in a antiphonal fashion, suggesting events between the characters.

5 bars into 65 the key changes to B major which gives a sudden

change of tone between the characters which is shown also by the repeat of the dissonant

chord phrase from bars 3 6 of 64. 66 marks the signature motif again, suggesting the fast

pace between the characters, one symbolized by the lower strings and piccolo trumpet, theother by violin, which features syncopation and accents to show stumbling. 4 bars before 67

the strings feature back to the opening 4 bars phrase with chromaticism, staccato, accents

and octave to symbolize the attack of the pace. The cellos and basses feature syncopation at

67 which is played col legno which gives the idea of stumbling quite violently. The upper

strings, upper reeds and piano create the dissonant ascending and descending semitonal

phrase from the opening 9th

to 12th

bars 4 before 68. At 68 the original melody motif is

revisited from bar 6 or 7 of 64 which ascends and descends with appropriate articulation

and accidentals.

From 69 to 70 the fight is symbolized to be increasing in tension by a

build-up of dissonant and diminished chords, starting with few instruments mid-range,building up on either side, getting higher and lower, lower strings and bassoon playing a

pedal, getting louder which is intimidating and brash (see figure 11).


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Figure 11

After this build-up there are spans of silence separated by short, loud, semiquaver and

quaver phrases, quivering against the silence and general pauses which create a sense of

emptiness and disconnection from everything. From 70 the strings solo as a section. The

violas and lower strings vamp throughout, keeping the momentum of the running pace

flowing underneath the violins which both 1st

and 2nd

parts play in unison. This top melody

has phrases 4 bars long which feature chromatic passes and arpeggios, ascending and

descending in perpetual motion (see figure 12).


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Figure 12

At 74 the sense ofstabbing arrives and homophonic phrases are used to suggest stabs,

misses and minor gashes (see figure 13).

Figure 13

Glissando on the upper strings in bar 2 of 74 and leaps over octaves in bar 5 of 74 give us

the idea of screaming in pain. From 75 the strings play the previous feature of chromaticism,arpeggios and perpetual motion to continue the momentous pace. 4 bars before 79 the


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upper strings tremble in unison between semitones. From 79 there are 15 heavy accented,

homophonic notes, which symbolises 15 harsh stabs, most certainly stationary while the

victim is down (see figure 14).

Figure 14

From 80 to 82 is the victims last struggle to take control. At 80 the

mood is much darker, seems to be less hopeful for the victim of the events. The time is keptto a solid 3 beats struck out at a grave tempo with pizzicato strings and accented, almost


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staccato articulation from all. At 81 the horns play a motif which is bold by it being played

legato against the staccato accompaniment and also being played in unison by all 4 horns

(see figure 15).

Figure 15

From 82 comes the last blows. The snare drum solos here (see figure 16), a triple forte,

military style rolled variation of the 3/4 beat phrase which suggests some form of authority

arriving.

Figure 16

The bold horn motif repeats above the solo and further 3/4 beat phrase suggesting final

heat beats and last steps taken. Beats 2 and 3 or the 2nd

bar of the poco meno mosso

symbolises the final two breaths (see figure 17) taken over chords VI and a dominant 7th

chord II before a grand rallentando into his final fall.

Figure 17

His final fall plays over a perfect cadence of chords VI to V and then I which is an abrupt and

chilling end (also see figure 17), in the minor key, to the piece.

Although both Rumble from the Symphonic Dances from West Side

Storyand Death of Tybalt from Romeo & Juliet Op. 64 are describing the same scene from

the original Shakespeare play, both pieces are different in their own ways. Both pieces are

20th

century featuring chromaticism, modulation and varying dynamics and tempos. The

Bernstein piece, Rumble makes more use of chromatic scales, syncopation, imitation and acadenza to symbolise last breaths taken. The Prokofiev piece, Death of Tybalt is the older


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piece, and so is a little less chromatic, referring back to sounds of the Romantic period. It

however, features more antiphony than the Bernstein, and also features a prominent

homophonic section of 15 bars to signify stabbing and also a prominent legato melody over

a staccato accompaniment showing boldness of the events. Both pieces though, have the

vamp motif, which is key throughout chase sections.

To conclude, these to pieces have given me both insight to each

composers style of composition but also an insight to the original story of Shakespeares

play, Romeo and Juliet. I have found many differences and similarities between the two

pieces which I have discussed throughout. This has also helped me understand how each

piece is to be performed and how an effective contrast can be created whilst performing

them.

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