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Chapter 18 - Early Shows

from Part III - Composition, Creation, and Reception

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2024

Elizabeth A. Wells
Affiliation:
Mount Allison University, Canada
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Summary

Although the concert hall was perhaps Bernstein’s first love, musical theatre was always very close to his heart, and this chapter explores his first three works written for the Broadway stage: On the Town (1944), Wonderful Town (1953) and Candide (1956). There is an exploration of the origin and context of each show, and of the collaborative processes behind their development, from the tight team-work of On the Town and Wonderful Town to the personnel problems of Candide. The author considers the wide variety of musical styles utilized by Bernstein, particularly his blending of ‘highbrow’ and ‘lowbrow’ techniques and sounds. There is a discussion of how the stories and libretti of the three shows reflect aspects of the social, historical and political atmosphere of the time, and of the importance and influence of these early works.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Early Shows
  • Edited by Elizabeth A. Wells, Mount Allison University, Canada
  • Book: Leonard Bernstein in Context
  • Online publication: 06 April 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108891349.019
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  • Early Shows
  • Edited by Elizabeth A. Wells, Mount Allison University, Canada
  • Book: Leonard Bernstein in Context
  • Online publication: 06 April 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108891349.019
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Early Shows
  • Edited by Elizabeth A. Wells, Mount Allison University, Canada
  • Book: Leonard Bernstein in Context
  • Online publication: 06 April 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108891349.019
Available formats
×