Something's Coming

Something's Coming Context

Solo character song, 1957, Leonard Bernstein, Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story- 1950s New York. Fusion of jazz and classical. Latin American dance rhythms- 3rd number in show. Optimistic and excited about future

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Something's Coming Jazz Elements

Syncopation, push rhythms, cross-rhythms. Riffs, blue notes, added notes to chords- jazz-based harmony. Jazz type instruments and techniques. Tritone (sinister feel) and snappy phrases with long sustained notes

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Something's Coming Tempo

Fast. Crotchet = 176. Sounds slower in contrasting sections because of longer note values

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Something's Coming Dynamics

Starts pp in accompaniment- excited, anticipated mood. Tenor enters softly. "It may come cannonballing"- contrasts, starts instantly f marcato. Soft for B section. Legato melody- mf. Ends softly, anticipating mood to follow.

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Something's Coming Use of Voice

Tenor, melody throughout. Range suits voice well- up to top G. Snappy diction and short phrases, contrasts with warm legato melody. Sounds octave lower.

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Something's Coming Word-setting

Almost entirely syllabic. Some word-painting, e.g. marcato section "down through"- melody goes down. "Cannonballing"- repeated fast notes, accents in unexpected places. Orchestra- strings use tremolo to underline "humming"

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Something's Coming Texture

Entirely homophonic- counterpoint would distract from vocals. 3 main ideas in accompaniment- beginning riff, punctuating syncopated homophonic chords, 'oom-pah' bass and chords. One bar of monophony.

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Something's Coming Melody

1- opening syncopated melody. 2- more forceful punchy idea. 3- warmer more legato and extended melody (8 bar phrases). Strong ton to dom opening. Goes high for excited moments. Blue notes. Melodic riffs.

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Something's Coming Metre

Starts in simple triple 3/4. Goes into simple duple before B. Occasional bars of 2/4. Return of A1 is in 3/4. Changes of metre, fast tempo, frequent syncopation helps maintain feelings of excitement and anticipation

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Something's Coming Rhythm

Syncopated push rhythms, cross rhythms.Triplets and longer note values. Accents highlight syncopation. Chords punctuate in syncopated fashion. Accompaniment largely made up of on-beat bass part with off-beat chords.

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Something's Coming Harmony

Functional harmony- perfect cadences and pedals. Some diatonic harmony. Much chromaticism from blue notes. Added notes to chords- jazz based harmony. Tritone pervades whole musical. Neopolitan 6th. Flattened 7th.

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Something's Coming Orchestra

Large- 30 players in pit. 5 woodwind players who double up. 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, 7 violins, 4 cellos, drum kit, 2 horns, 2 d-basses, 2 other percussionists. Mutes, tremolo, wire brushes on drums, detailed articulation such as staccato.

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Something's Coming Structure

Intro, A, B, B1, A1, outro. Ends flattened 7th- unresolved- Tony's future. 3 melodies- opening syncopated melody, forceful punchy idea, warmer legato extended melody. Repetition, contrast through differing ideas and changing words and metre. Riffs.

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Something's Coming Tonality

Some suggestion of bitonality. D major- reflects positive hopeful mood. Two contrasting sections in C major. Moves through G major, ends in D. Functional harmony. Pedals especially in C section.

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Something's Coming

Other cards in this set

Card 2

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Card 3

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Card 4

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Card 5

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