Bernstein: ‘Something’s Coming’ from West Side Story

Question 1

INSTRUMENTATION

Answer 1

o Solo tenor
o Band (quiet dynamics, soft timbres, homophonic texture):
• Woodwind
• Brass (muted trumpets)
• Percussion
• Strings (pizzicato, harmonics, tremolo)

Question 2

STRUCTURE

Answer 2

o Three main themes

o Alternated and varied (words and rhythm slightly changed)

Question 3

MELODY

Answer 3

o Mainly syllabic
o Theme 1 – quiet, syncopated opening
o Theme 2 – loud, strident
o Theme 3 – lyrical, slow-moving

Question 4

RHTHM

Answer 4

o Frequent syncopation (feeling of anticipation)

o Accompaniment – on-beat bass part, off-beat chords (cross rhythms)

Question 5

METRE

Answer 5

3/4

2/4

Question 6

Tempo

Answer 6

o Fast tempo (feeling of excitement)

Question 7

HARMONY

Answer 7

o Tonal

o Jazz-Influenced (frequent 7th note chords and added note chords)

Question 8

TONALITY

Answer 8

o D major (‘something’s Coming’)
o C major ‘2 contrasting sections)
o Sharpened 4th – tritone interval (unifying)
o Flattened 7th – unresolved (feeling of incompletion to fit with Tony’s sense of expectation)

Question 9

TEXTURE

Answer 9

o Homophonic
o Three main ideas in the accompaniment:
1. Repeated riff
2. Short, syncopated chords
3. Fast, ‘um-cha’ accompaniment