Transcript On The Waterfront

On The Waterfront
By Leonard Bernstein
On the Waterfront - Trailer [1954] [27th Oscar Best Picture] - YouTube
• On the Waterfront was made in
1954. It’s a gritty drama dealing
with union corruption in New
York’s docklands.
• The score was written by Leonard Bernstein
and is his only original film score.
• In 1955, Bernstein arranged a selection of the
film music as an orchestral suite – our piece is
the opening section of this suite.
PERFORMING FORCES AND THEIR HANDLING
In the 50’s, budgets for film scores were high and
they often used a full symphony orchestra.
Bernstein’s choice of instruments is quite
conventional – large string section and a standard
brass section
Are there any instrument choices that you would
class as unusual?
Use of alto saxophone
Use of Eb Clarinet –
small & high pitched
Large, varied percussion
section
Which instruments show Bernstein’s jazz
influence?
Bernstein uses some ‘special effects’ – can you
see/hear any unusual use of the instruments?
6 bar opening section for horn – high
register
Muted trombone (b7) and
trumpets (b13)
Use of rim shot on snare
drum
Una corda on piano (b20)
Flutter-tonguing on
trumpets and upper
woodwind (105)
Sul ponticello (b108)
Timpani glissando (b24)
TEXTURE
Describe the texture in the following bars:
1-6
Monophonic
7 - 12
2-part canon
From bar 20
Fugal – unusually for percussion
78
Homorhythmic tutti
85
Homophonic
STRUCTURE
There are 3 sections in the extract:
1. Opening section – Andante (b1-19)
2. Presto barbaro (b20-105)
3. Adagio Coda (106 -)
Fill in the table you have been given,
describing the music in each of the
sub-sections
TONALITY
This varies from section to section
• The opening horn solo is in simple pentatonic – write out the
scale.
• The Gb in bar 5 (sounding Cb) transforms the music into a 6
note blues scale with the standard flattened 3rd, 5th and 7th.
• When the second timpanist enters at bar 26, there is a clear
suggestion of bi-tonality (G and C# tonal centres). Bar 78 is it’s
most forceful
• At other times, the music can be described as atonal (from 72)
HARMONY
Think of one word that would describe the harmony of this
piece…..
DISSONANCE
Examples could be:
• Bar 16 – clash of Fb in trumpet with pedal F in bass
• Use of augmented 5th between timpani notes F# and Bb
in bar 26
• In the coda, 2 triads of F major and Bb major are played at
the same time by the strings. (bars 108-110)
MELODY
What were the 2 scales used in the melody?
Prominent use of the interval of the minor 3rd both
rising and falling – find some examples.
Diminished 5th interval used in bar 14
Bar 88 – opening 2 notes taken from saxophone solo
played on their own - distinctive minor 2nd.
RHYTHM & METRE
Extensive use of syncopation – rhythm parts
Lots of use of short note on beat one, followed by a long note
on beats 2 & 3. ie sax solo bar 42 and opening horn solo
Triplets and time signature changes
2 possible questions:
How is the music for On The Waterfront typical of its
time?
Answers to this question can range from comment on aspects
that are particularly twentieth century, such as the dissonance
and the emphasis on rhythm, but also on the influence of jazz
on this 1950s score.
How is the music for On The Waterfront influenced by jazz styles?
Answers here should refer, again, to rhythm, and also to the
use of the blues scale in the melody writing. The use of
saxophone, brass and percussion is, of course, a big feature.
3 more possible questions…
How did Bernstein create a sense of a bleak, dockland landscape
in his music for On The Waterfront?
How does Bernstein create tension in this music?
Why is the music of On The Waterfront obviously film music?