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 “Few composers capture their time and become the iconic voice of their age.” (John Mauceri) It is safe to say Leonard Bernstein was one of those exceptions. Bernstein was a famous composer who wrote many different styles of music and one of his most famous works is West Side Story, “a musical first presented in 1957 on Broadway in New York City and later made into a film in 1961” (The Library of Congress). 

   “Leonard Bernstein found his "voice" in the early 1940s and projected the sound of urban and urbane America from the period of World War II to the anti-war movements of the 1970s and the restoration of freedom in Europe, with the fall of the Berlin Wall and Soviet communism.” (John Mauceri)

      “In the 1950s, Broadway musicals were a major part of American popular culture. Every season saw new stage musicals send songs to the top of the charts. Public demand, a booming economy and abundant creative talent kept Broadway hopping. To this day, the shows of the 1950s form the core of the musical theater repertory. The best of these musicals integrated every element, offering recognizable characters singing in stories told with wit and genuine heart.” (John Kenrick) As for the music Bernstein composed, this was something new and being so cultured, he brought different styles together to compose the music for West Side Story. 

   During this time period that the musical came out, interracial couples were not common and racism was high. There was a lot of tension because of the immigrants moving in and taking jobs. The musical portrays all of these feelings and the animosity between the Americans and the Puerto-Ricans. The music style was new and Bernstein tried many times to inform people of this new century type of music. “He wanted to persuade his enormous audience that twentieth-century music was as beautiful in its own way as that of earlier centuries.” (Humphrey Burton)

    Bernstein had many projects going on at one time. Right before West Side Story he had just finished Candide which did not do so well, and he was so exhausted after the first opening he ran away for a few days and hid from the world. (Humphrey Burton) Some critics were already dooming the upcoming musical before it even came out, and assuming it would fail like Candide. But soon those critics were proved wronged, The Washington Post called West Side Story “a uniquely cohesive comment on life . . . . The violence is senseless but Leonard Bernstein's score makes us feel what we do not understand.” (Humphrey Burton) 
   
   During the time this came out, the music style was new and people were not used to it. Bernstein had to explain to people that this was the new 20th century style.  Today this work of art is still very popular. The musical is still being performed all across the country and it is still being watched in school. Eventually everyone learned to like the new style and people like John looked up to Bernstein,  “He has left us an aural image of his time and place and, at the same time, an eternal voice of humanity” (John Mauceri).

   I watched this musical in Middle school for choir and didn't pay attention to the music but now looking back I would love to download the soundtrack on iTunes and listen to it. I think the way he combined all the different styles of music into one is really awesome. I like the song “America” and the Spanish influence on it is beautiful. 

    As I mentioned earlier, right before West Side Story was put out, the release of Candide had just been released into theater and although it did not do so well, the people still loved the music. “Although Candide had been a box office flop, Bernstein's music for it had been widely praised.” This musical can be compared to West Side Story because it is similar in style and is the beginning to this new style of music. 

   This work of art is most significant because it was something new to those living in that time period and it gave Bernstein most of his fame. I believe it should be preserved because of its originality and so that other composers can look back and admire the beauty of the piece. 


				Work Cited
Erin Allen, “West Side Story” Redux http://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2013/08/west-side-story-redux/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Side_Story
General knowledge 

John Kenrick History of The Musical Stage 1950s I: “When Broadway Ruled”
Humphrey Burton,  “Leonard Bernstein” http://www.westsidestory.com/site/level2/archives/bibliography/bibliography.html
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/bernstein/aa_bernstein_influenc_2.html
