- 202 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
West Side Story, Gypsy, and the Art of Broadway Orchestration
About this book
In this ground-breaking study, Paul Laird examines the process and effect of orchestration in West Side Story and Gypsy, two musicals that were among the most significant Broadway shows of the 1950s, and remain important in the modern repertory. Drawing on extensive archival research with original manuscripts, Laird provides a detailed account of the process of orchestration for these musicals, and their context in the history of Broadway orchestration. He argues that the orchestration plays a vital role in the characterization and plot development in each major musical number, opening a new avenue for analysis that deepens our understanding of the musical as an art form.
The orchestration of the score in Broadway musicals deeply shapes their final soundscapes, but only recently has it begun to receive real attention. Linked by a shared orchestrator, in other ways West Side Story and Gypsy offer a study in contrasts. Breaking down how the two composers, Leonard Bernstein and Jules Styne, collaborated with orchestrators Sid Ramin, Irwin Kostal, and Robert Ginzler, Laird's study enables us to better understand both of these two iconic shows, and the importance of orchestration within musical theatre in general.
Tools to learn more effectively
Saving Books
Keyword Search
Annotating Text
Listen to it instead
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Half-Title
- Series
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Preface and acknowledgments
- Copyright permissions
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Broadway orchestration in the 1950s
- 3 West Side Story and Gypsy: Composers and orchestrators
- 4 Process and effect in the orchestration of West Side Story
- 5 Process and effect in the orchestration of Gypsy
- 6 Concluding thoughts: Orchestration and shared illusions
- Index
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app