1. Bernstein: Something’s Coming
Area of Study 2:
Bernstein: Something’s Coming
Lesson 3

2. Starter Activity
Do this now!

3. Learning Objectives: Today I will:
Identify the musical features of Something’s
Coming by exploring the:
Structure
Instrumentation and dynamics
Melody
Harmony and Tonality
Rhythm and Metre
Texture

4. Structure of ‘Something’s Coming’
The song does not follow a conventional verse-chorus structure, but has several musical ideas and sections that recur. In broad terms, the structure is shown in the table below:
Part of song
Length
Introduction
Bars 1-3 (bar 3 is repeated ad lib)
Section A
Bars 4-39
Section B
Bars
Section B1
Bars (shortened version of B)
Section A1
Bars (shortened version of A)
Outro
Bar 158 is a slow fade out

5. The Music of West Side Story
The music of WSS was cutting edge when
compared to musical theatre pieces up to this time.
The new elements in this work were:
The dark theme rooted in violence and tragedy
The use of long, extended dance scenes to convey the drama.
The sophisticated synthesis of jazz and classical musical idioms.
The focus on social problems and tensions of contemporary America.

6. Instrumentation and Dynamics
'Something's Coming' is a song for solo tenor accompanied by a band made up of woodwind, brass, percussion and strings.
To make sure the band doesn't overpower the solo singer, the accompaniment uses:
-Quiet dynamics
-Soft timbres, such as muted trumpets and pizzicato strings
-A homophonic texture.
Listen out for the two techniques used in the accompaniment to illustrate the words 'The air is humming': the strings use harmonics (very high notes) and play tremolo (very quick notes).

7. Melody Melody almost entirely syllabic
Based on the alternation of 3 main themes
1. The quiet, syncopated opening theme
2. The loud, strident theme in 2/4, first heard at bar 21
3. The lyrical, slow-moving theme, first heard at bar 73.
These three ideas are alternated a number of times.
The repetitions are not exact, and Bernstein varies the themes by changing such things as the words or metre.

8. Rhythm and Metre The metre changes between 3/4 and 2/4.
These changes of metre, the fast tempo and the frequent syncopation help to maintain a feeling of excitement and anticipation.
The accompaniment is largely made up of an on-beat bass part with offbeat chords.
At the start of the piece, these two parts create cross rhythms.

9. Harmony and Tonality 'Something's Coming' is in D major.
There are two contrasting sections in C major.
There is frequent use of the sharpened fourth and flattened seventh in both keys (G# and C natural in the D major sections, and F# and Bb in the C major sections).
The sharpened fourth creates the interval of a tritone with the key note, an interval that acts as a unifying feature throughout West Side Story.
The tenor's last note is a flattened seventh (C natural against D major harmonies).
This is unusual as the note is unresolved and the music just fades out beneath it. It creates a feeling of incompletion and fits well with Tony's sense of expectation.
The harmony is tonal and jazz-influenced, with frequent 7th chords and other added note chords.

10. Texture and Accompaniment
The texture of the song is homophonic. There are three main ideas in the accompaniment:
1. The repeated riff that opens the song
2. The short, mainly syncopated chords heard in bars 21-26
3. A fast, um-cha accompaniment first heard at bar 32 for the long note on 'me'.

11. Close analysis of ‘Something’s Coming’: Introduction
Bar numbers
Analysis
1-3
Breathy and excited mood in the repeated figure (riff) of the accompaniment. This riff pervades the song and the melody is used by the singer (Tony).
D major.
One in a bar tempo (176 crotchets per minute)
Features of the riff
Used in the first chord.
Tritone
A ‘push’ on the third beat of the bar.
Syncopation
(augmented 4ths, added 11th etc.)
Jazz-inspired harmony
Three-note ostinato bass.

12. Close analysis of ‘Something’s Coming’: Section A
Bar numbers
Analysis
4-12
Piano section
‘Could be’ + ‘Who knows’ = statements of tonic to dominant
13-20
Tony sings a melody closely based on the opening riff = short two-bar phrases (one bar answered by the next)
‘Soon as it’ triplet outlines the tritone (G# to D)
Long crescendo ‘blue’ note (flattened 7th in D major)
21-39
Fast, loud, recitative like phrase.
Bar 21- G major 7th chord.
Word painting- ‘It may come cannon balling down through the sky....’
Accents on the weak part of the beat
Riff in accompaniment (bars 27-30)
Sustained E on ‘me’ (bar 31) highest note on the piece.
Accompaniment style changes to oom-pah- straight on beat rhythms (to contrast with the opening riff)
Four note minim riff is heard in the middle part (NEW!!)

13. Close analysis of ‘Something’s Coming’: Section B
Bar numbers
Analysis
40-51
Based around C major rather than D major and in 2/4 time.
Tritone is used harmonically from the bass note to the melody note.
One-beat accompaniment.
52-72
Repeated one tone higher at bars
On-beat crotchets add to the strength and conviction that something is going to happen at the dance that evening.
Chords used are diatonic to C major but with added notes from jazz inspired harmony (bars 52-58).
72-105
Expansive and lyrical section.
The whole section comprises four long eight-bar phrases.
Higher melody range.
Use of triplets- fluid movement.
Bass plays on-beat quavers.
Chromatic harmony.
Full of suspense and mystery.
Neapolitan chord is used at bar 95 (flattened supertonic in first inversion).
Shift of key to C major

14. Close analysis of ‘Something’s Coming’: Section B1
Bar numbers
Analysis
Music that repeats that start of the lyrical section.

15. Close analysis of ‘Something’s Coming’: Section A1
Bar numbers
Analysis
Bernstein changes back to ¾ at bar 141.
The orchestra plays the one-bar riff.
The hopeful question of ‘maybe tonight’ at bar 153 sounds the tritone for the last time G# to D as the long held final voal ‘blue’ not of C natural (flattened 7th) ends the piece in the air, suspended and unresolved just like Tony’s future.

16. Close analysis of ‘Something’s Coming’: Outro
Bar numbers
Analysis
158
This is a simple ‘ad lib fade’ bar taking us into the music for a change of scene (instrumental).

17. Test your knowledge
On which Shakespeare play is West Side Story based?
In which year was West Side Story first performed?
a) 1935 (b) 1946 (c) 1957 (d) 1968
3. Name the two different metres used in this song.
4. What unusual interval recurs throughout this song and the rest of West Side Story?
5. Is the melody largely melismatic or syllabic?
6. What musical term best describes the repeated accompaniment pattern that opens the song?
7. What two instrumental techniques does Bernstein use to illustrate the words 'The air is humming'?
8. How is the second theme (first heard at bar 21) different to the opening vocal melody?
9. What musical term is used to describe two conflicting rhythms heard at the same time?
10. West Side Story was originally written to be performed without amplifying the voices. In 'Something's Coming', how does Bernstein ensure the instruments do not drown out the voice?
11. What is the texture of this song?
(a) homophonic (b) monophonic (c) polyphonic
12. How does Bernstein create a sense of expectation at the end of the song?

18. Homework:
Listen to Something’s Coming by Bernstein and think about the following aspects: Instrumentation/timbre , harmony, rhythm, texture, structure, melody You will answer a listening question and an essay question on this set work in the next lesson. Be wise, be prepared!!

19. PLENARY – SELF ASSESSMENT
KEY WORDS – Melody, Rhythm, Metre, Harmony, Tonality, Instrumentation, Structure
I can identify tritones, cross rhythms and push rhythms
I can explain a blues scale and know how “blue” notes are used in Something’s Coming
I can describe other musical features such as
dynamics, articulation, melody and harmony in
Something’s Coming
I can talk about Bernstein and musicals intelligently