Leonard Bernstein Musical Influences

I selected Antonio Vivaldi as from the list of composers due to his vast influence in the development of music, including current popular styles such as the double violin concertos and ritornellos, and his influence on future composers such as Bach. Vivaldi’s significance to the music world is further emphasized by the introduction and popularization of concepts such as his usage of rhythm to create escalating tension and the application of motivic elements as themes for his pieces. Vivaldi’s life was set out to pursue priesthood from a young age yet, ironically, an illness allowed him to follow his true passion as both a violinist and composer. Antonio Vivaldi remained pious throughout his life and it was his particular education as a priest

Count Basie, was born August 21, 1904 in Red Bank, New Jersey. He was a gifted pianist, bandleader, and composer. His mother was a pianist and his father was a mellophonist. His mother, not realizing that he would become an amazing pianist and bandleader, started off his journey by giving him his first piano lessons. Later on, William and his family moved to New York, where he was further influenced by James P. Johnson and Fats Waller. In New York, Waller taught Basie organ playing techniques. Further on in his life Count Basie had many top chart hits such as “One O’Clock Jump” and “Blue Skies” In the 1858 Grammy’s became the first African-American male represent of a Grammy Award. Throughout his career, he won many more. Not only was he a great composer and musician, but he was a good person who influenced many people's lives. This essay will outline the life of Count Basie and all of his

Bach’s complex compositional style incorporates religious and numerological symbols that fit perfectly together in a puzzle of musical code. Demanding unfaltering facility in dexterity, precise pitch, particularly in the multiple stoppings, as well as sensitivity to implied polyphonic and harmonic textures. These exceptional works may be the closest thing we have to a “perfect” composition, so why is it that musicians have drastically different alterations and interpretations of his works? It is as if quality, intensity, duration, and even pitch are subject to the performer’s adaptation. By mapping out these alterations performers make to Bach’s music, it becomes possible to map out their respective musical personalities.

West Side Story came out in 1961 as a melodramatic musical that took place in New York. It takes the same theme as Shakespeare's, Romeo and Juliet, in that it is about two lovers whose relationship is not accepted by others because of conflicting backgrounds.

There are elements of Spanish and Afro-Cuban musical in which are combined, both in terms of rhythm and the instruments

Bernstein blossomed from his educational successes and later, in 1943, caught his big break, according to PBS. Bernstein was signed on as the assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Bernstein received this honor by the recommendation of Koussevitzky, according to the Gale Encyclopedia of Biography. One night on short notice, he had to fill in for Bruno Walter. PBS said “Bernstein found himself on the cover of The New York Times — an instant celebrity. Within two years he was named the director of the New York City Symphony.” The orchestra was

West Side Story was considered the first musical tragedy and Sondheim continued to be an innovator to the musical theatre catalog. “Sondheim can be seen as a bridge connecting the Rodgers and Hammerstein era to the postmodern era and even beyond”(). Sondheim would continue to reinvent the musical genre and one of his most innovative was Company.

In his eye-opening book, Jason Bivins analyzes the connection that jazz music has with American religion. Not many scholars have decided to address this area religious studies. He conducts interviews with multiple musicians, in an effort to grasp what level of impact that their religion or spirituality had on their work.

West Side Story is the iconic American musical that is a 1957 Broadway production choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Arthur Laurents is the author of the original book with the setting taking place in the upper west side New York city in a blue-collar neighborhood during the mid-1950s. (The Broadway) Because West Side Story is a movie musical, it will be a lot of narrative conveyed through the song. The movie West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet have many similarities and differences consider their plot, their character and their setting. The major plot of the musical is about a rivalry between two different ethnic group gangs, the Sharks and Jets. The Sharks are Puerto Rican and the Jets are white. Leonard Bernstein composed the dynamic and influential music. In the mix of the conflict between the two gangs, a former member of the Jets, Tony, falls in love with the leader of the Sharks sister, Maria. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet clearly influenced this movie, and there are parallel characteristics. For instance, Romeo and Tony, Juliet and Maria, Mercutio and Riff, Tybalt and Bernardo all have similar characteristics. As for the specific film, I decided to watch the 1961 version.

“To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.” This quote by Leonard Bernstein is just one of the many things that represents how transcendent he was as an individual in his lifetime. The accomplishments he made throughout his life were far superior and unlike any by others. He began playing music at the age of ten years old and ever since then he was in love with it. The first instrument he played was the piano, which he received from his aunt.

In the Encyclopedia of World Biography, Bernstein is describes as “one of the most glamorous musical figures of his day” because he had the “special gift of bridging the gap between the concert hall and the world of Broadway.”

He creates this dance-like feel in a variety of ways. Firstly, the 2/4 time signature makes the music feel upbeat compared to the 4/4 time signature of the rest of the piece. Secondly, the sforzando accent on the first beat of every bar drives the music onwards. Also the catchy, short and rhythmic melody is lively and metronomic. Finally the fiddle-like manner in which the violins play creates a sense of a dance. There are unexpected changes and dramatic dynamic changes throughout the trio which are both romantic qualities. The fact that this movement moves seamlessly into the next is also romantic.

What made it so different was that Bernstein modernised Romeo and Juliet making it relevant to the issues faced by Americans and those of the world. The major themes of racism and prejudice which he touched on are relatable because almost anyone across the world can relate to it just in a different context. This Musical also made use of more complex and unconventional music and a wider range of styles such as bebop fugue, avant-garde jazz, vaudeville, Latin rhythms and Operetta. Operetta influences can be seen in the songs ‘Tonight’ and ‘I Feel Pretty’ with the background atmosphere created by the Overture and the ballet sequences. All of which allowed for various ballet sections which showed the reality of the west side of New York City. All

John Coltrane is considered one of the most important figures in jazz, alongside other greats such as Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong. Coltrane struggled with drug addiction early on in his career, but during the late 1950’s he was able to get through it. I chose John Coltrane because I consider myself a fairly religious person, Coltrane himself was a religious person who wanted to bring positivity to people through his music. Arguably Coltrane’s most globally acclaimed record, “A Love Supreme,” was greatly influenced by his devotion and love for God. This record shows just how much influence Coltrane’s religious awakening had on his musical creations. I want to learn more about John Coltrane and how his own religious experiences shaped his

Never could I have thought that my first concert experience was going to be in a college class, performed by various composers of classical music. During the concert, I got to listen to four performances. First, the Oxycotton was played by Tim Sanchez. Second, Samantha Post played Acht Stucke on flute, followed by Nicholas Gledhill, playing Blues and Variations for Monk on horn. Finally, the CSU Graduate Brass Quintet performed a piece named Misty. In this essay, I will share my personal experience of the concert and discuss the different elements of music seen in the different performances.