CHAPTER 16 | JAZZ IN THE POSTWAR YEARS 409
timing section text comments1:38 a' Tonight, tonight
I’ll see my love tonight...Va r ia nt a' modulates to the key a minor third
higher.
1:51 b To d a y
The minutes seem like hours...Melody continues ascent to apex (“To-day”),
then begins long, slow descent, with violins
echoing.
2:04 a" Oh moon, grow bright... Return to the opening key; music breaks off
before the fi nal word as the orchestra returns
to agitated introduction music, louder than
before.
2:21 verse 4 I’m counting on you to be
there
Tonight...Return to minor mode, in key a third higher
than before; Riff addresses Tony.2:40 “Tonight”
reprisea Tonight, tonight
Won’t be just any night...Shift to major for Maria’s reprise. In
counterpoint, Riff sings fragments of the
chorus melody and Tony responds with
fragments of the verse melody.
2:52 a' Tonight, tonight
I’ll see my love tonight...Sharks sing fragments of the chorus melody
and Anita sings fragments of the verse melody.
3:05 b To d a y
The minutes seem like hours...Tony joins Maria, with counterpoint from all
other participants.
3:18 a" Oh moon, grow bright... The fi nal moments begin very softly
(pianissimo), with a dramatic crescendo to
the loudest dynamic (fortissimo). Reaches
conclusion with fi nal word, “Tonight,” which
Maria sings on a high C.Listen & Refl ect
- What aspects of the “Tonight” ensemble add to its operatic effect, and what aspects seem
defi nitely non-operatic? How does each set of attributes help or hinder the dramatic
situation? - Choreographer Jerome Robbins originated the idea for the show and directed the 1961
fi lm version. Robbins’s choreography mixes elements of ballet with vernacular theatrical
dance, much as Bernstein’s music mixes opera and musical comedy styles. After viewing
the fi lm’s opening sequence on DVD or online, compare its mixture of ballet and street
gangs to this ensemble’s mixture of opera and street gangs.
Listening Guide 16.5“Tonight” Quintet, from West Side Story
CD 3.11 LEONARD BERNSTEIN AND STEPHEN SONDHEIM172028_16_386-411_r3_sd.indd 409 23/01/13 10:56 AM