Music & The Fictive Dream- A Story of Forbidden Love Divided by Hate

 


Introduction

    Welcome back, and we meet once again to explore this complicated and controversial thing we call love. Love may be interpreted as forbidden, dangerous, or even destructive. Love can make lives, save lives, and take lives. West Side Story, envisioned, directed, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, is an extravagant big-screen adaptation of a Broadway musical, shot in both New York City and Hollywood, California. The film was released in 1957 and replicated the theme built around William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. The music of was written and composed by Leonard Bernstein, while Stephen Sondheim wrote the provocative lyrics (Barnes). As Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet’s portrayal of forbidden love was shattering and significant, West Side Story’s representation was debatable and devastating. The film West Side Story, released in 1961, explores the perfect illustration of forbidden love, and it began when Tony, played by Richard Beymer, tells his friend, Jet leader Riff, played by Russ Tamblyn, “Every single night for the last month I wake up and I’m reaching out" (West Side Story, 0:24:42-50). Tony’s premonition is followed by innocence and carelessness, which in turn influences acts of racism, hatred, and fear. Ultimately, the story ends with unity formed by the forces of love, the same forces that originally initiated the war.


   The film begins with a gracefully violent turf war between the Sharks, a Puerto Rican gang, and the Jets, a gang consisting of those with Irish and Polish immigrant ancestry.  The setting is in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City, currently known as Lincoln Center. The area was called San Juan Hill, which housed several Puerto Rican and Caribbean immigrants. America was rapidly changing following World War II, and those who were wealthy moved out of the cities, leaving behind Latin immigrants, struggling to survive on minimum wage employment. Many of the gang members were brought up in impoverished communities with environments lacking structure and moral support. Gang violence showed its prevalence in the mid to late 1950s and inspired the dramatic thematics behind West Side Story (Somewhere). 
   The beautiful Maria, played by Natalie Wood, sister of Bernardo, performed by George Chakiris, leader of the Sharks, met Tony, a member of the rival gang, the Jets, at a school dance. Their unition occurred in the midst of a gang-related dance off, and you could cut the tension with a knife. This connection was not accepted by their friends or family members, and the lovers were discouraged to continue their tumultuous relationship. 






     The film occurred far before its time, provoking feelings of offense and indifference from its viewers. West Side Story dominated the screen, presenting issues of gang-related crime and violence. Charles Burchell, a cultural diplomat, addresses social matters in the video “The Somewhere Project: Social Issues in West Side Story.” Charles points out that the film is an in-your-face realization, presenting the interaction between poverty, prejudice, being an immigrant, and police involvement within an impoverished community. West Side Story is about two people who are in love and how the issues afflicting their community desecrate their love, making it impossible to flourish and ultimately obliterating it (Somewhere). 

The Song



    Composed by Leonard Bernstein and written by Stephen Sondheim, the ballad "Somewhere" paints a picture of sorrow and hopelessness, yet climaxes into excitement and aspiration nearing the conclusion of the song. Maria found that her brother, Bernardo, was killed by the hands of her lover, Tony. She flees to her room, praying that there is no truth to the tragic news she received. Tony enters her room through her window, accessible from a balcony outside, and encounters the devastated Maria. She attacks him, yelling, calling Tony a killer, yet her deep love for him submits her into his arms to accept his explanation. Maria tells Tony, "It's not us, it's everything around us." Tony then tells Maria he wants to take her away where no one could find them, "Not anyone, or anything" (West Side Story, 1:49:35-15). Following a haunting pause, Tony delicately begins the melody in the key of E-flat Major accompanied by an orchestra accentuating the ambience with strings, a flute, and a harp. The timbre of Maria and Tony’s voices is shaky and unstable, replicating their despair and their fear of losing their love. They both take turns alternating verses as a duet, sharing despair within their tones, yet their vocals gradually climb. The dynamics in Maria and Tony's performance begin to escalate from mezzo piano into an exciting crescendo. You can hear the entrance of the powerful oboe and the french horn emphasizing the duet, accentuating the harmony. Maria and Tony reach the climax of the piece in mezzo forte, their intervals taking a big leap by nearly one octave. The duet concludes with one final note, the dominating E, holding steady at fortissimo, maintaining a smooth vibrato in their vocals, and then softening into pianissimo before fading out completely. 

  Bernstein wrote the tune years prior and was holding on to "Somewhere" in his pocket for the right moment. He decided that West Side Story was the perfect production for his masterpiece. The song was originally intended to be played for a ballet while sung from behind the theater by an unseen vocalist (Barnes). "Somewhere" sews together the frayed and fragile threads of a film that opened the eyes of audiences worldwide. Charles Burchell described it perfectly when he shared that art shows us reality while also nudging us toward a picture of hope. It reminds us that things don't have to be like this. He provided a clear message for the song, "Things must go well for them somewhere." The piece represents the desire for a positive future within a world of discrimination, crime, and violence. It presents that the power of love could break down the conflict between societies and cultures. “Somewhere” offers a vision of a place "for us," free from division and social bias (Somewhere). 


Personal Message & Conclusion

    My parents loved musicals, and I grew up seeing them on TV or hearing soundtracks from our car radio. West Side Story captivated me with its acrobatics and dramatic violence presented in balletic moves. I giggled at these scenes as a child and later marveled at them in adolescence. I viewed West Side Story in maturity and wept from my soul at the end. "Somewhere" was orchestrated within scenes during the second half of the film, following heartbreaking moments and permeated through the conclusion and credits.  
   West Side Story and Fiddler On The Roof presented their own versions of forbidden love from very different, yet identical cultural perspectives. Like Maria and Tony's controversial relationship, Chava fell in love with Fyedka against the rules of her culture.  I can reflect on how "Somewhere" impacted me in my youth. I had my own encounter with forbidden love, and I ultimately married him. Thirty years to today, our love reigns true, and we have found that place, that place for us. In conclusion, I wanted to share an unforgettable rendition of "Somewhere" performed by the iconic Barbara Streisand. I watched it myself while researching this topic, and it just sent me. Thank you so much for joining me once again. 



Works Cited

Barnes, Edward. SOMEWHERE: Background to the Song. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr1QSl7nVDQ. YouTube.

Princiotti, Anthony. Behind the Music: Bernstein’s West Side Story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkYq6dUIaTY. YouTube. 

Streisand, Barbara. Barbara Streisand - Somewhere (Official Video). 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAu3a7CMA84. YouTube.

The Somewhere Project: Social Issues in West Side Story. 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzSbEMrB_o8. YouTube.

West Side Story. Directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, IMDb, 1961, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055614/.

West Side Story (8/10) Movie CLIP - Somewhere (1961) HD. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SQ4ogstDVE. YouTube.

"West Side Story (1961 Film)." Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Side_Story_(1961_film). 



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