Prologue Accompaniment Leonard Bernstein Clicking This is used

Prologue Accompaniment Leonard Bernstein

Clicking � This is used to tell the audience that a group have appeared. � It also represents the body’s psychological rhythm. When the scenes become more tense, they dance quicker and click quicker.

Geographic Context � At the beginning the Jets click their fingers but stop when we hear a ball hit the fence. This gets the audiences attention. � It helps us to understand that they are in the courts, giving geographic context. � It also represents their authority, as they all stop clicking to throw back the ball, then continue in unison after the boy has got it back.

Helping to tell the story � After they stop clicking, Riff as the leader suggests they start moving. But instead of saying it, the music trills to aid the narrative.

Volume � When walking around the courts, the Jets take a ball off a boy and when they are playing with it the volume is much louder, when they return the ball to the boy it returns to how it was before. � Also the more the Jets dance, the louder the music becomes.

Silence � This is used to demonstrate tension. � For example when the Jets are dancing and end up face to face with Bernardo there is silence to represent the tension between the two groups.

Sound Effects � The Jets whistle and make a coaxing sound in order to patronise Bernardo and make him seem like an animal. Demonstrates their authority. � Bernardo punches the wall and we hear a bang, shows his anger without saying it. � We hear the Jets celebrating with cheers when they feel they have regained their ground.

Layer of Music � When Bernardo is walking on his own up the alleyway all we hear is one layer of music. As his other gang members join him a layer of music is added to represent them being more powerful as a group.

Speed � The speed of the music increases as they dance faster and as they get more aggressive.

Speech The Jets say ‘beat it’. This has two meanings. � The first is the literal meaning of ‘go away’, as the comment is aimed at the Sharks. � The second is rhythmically, they are referring to the beat which they are dancing to which could be suggesting the Sharks should dance to the rhythm or leave, as they are sat down playing cards when it is said to them. �