Music History Essay Sample
Write about three musicals that we have studied that engage with the subject of race and ethnicity in America. pulling analogues and comparings between the three and observing contrasts. The American Musical has frequently been used as a medium in which uncomfortable issues were boldly addressed. This has been the instance for the issue of race and ethnicity in America. in peculiar the undermentioned musicals: Show Boat. Memphis. and West Side Story. The first two musicals addressed the issue of the integrating of African Americans into American civilization. with Show Boat. set in the early 1900s. concentrating on the trouble of true racial blending in America. and with Memphis. set in the fiftiess. concentrating on the still hard undertaking of integrating black and Whites in America despite the ulterior clip period.
West Side Story besides focuses on race issues during the 1950s. but between Puerto Ricans and Whites. The three musicals all effort to accomplish a peaceable blend of races. but are similar in that they all fall short or fail. All three musicals make usage of failed matrimony figure of speechs. perchance connoting the failure of trying to incorporate races in America. at least during that clip period. However. the grounds for which the interracial twosomes fail in each musical are different. which makes each musical unique. Besides. the musical Numberss serve to further stress the efforts at work outing the job of racial favoritism in America.
Show Boat focuses on the impossibleness of racial integrating in America during the early 1900’s. The powerful vocal “Ol’ Man River” is sung by Joe. a black dock worker. The vocal is sung in the “black” idiom. with the pronunciation of murphy as “’taters. ” and stating them as “’em. ” In this figure. Joe reflects on the indifference of others. in peculiar Whites. on the predicament of him and his fellow black workers. This reveals the unfairness towards inkinesss. but besides the resigned apathy the inkinesss are unluckily experiencing. In add-on. Show Boat follows the life of twosome Steve Baker and Julie La Verne and lovers Gaylord Ravenal and Magnolia Hawks. Surprisingly. Julie is good acquainted with African vocal and dance. and is able to sing “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man. ” a “black” vocal. even though she is white. This vocal. with its imitation of 12-bar blues in 32-bar signifier. is taught to the immature white Magnolia. in an effort to open up the black civilization to Whites. However. learning the vocal and dance to Magnolia – in peculiar the “shimmy” – is awkward and abashing. as Magnolia “black” dance moves look like a imitation in comparing to the black people’s natural motions.
Therefore it could be thought that Whites can non move like inkinesss. but it besides suggests that through music Whites and inkinesss can acquire along. It is revealed subsequently in the musical that Julie is really a mulatto. significance she is half black and half white. This becomes a beginning of contention for the remainder of the musical. In Act II. the matrimony between Julie and Steve and Gaylord and Magnolia both fall apart. Julie. the mulatto. in secret gives up her occupation so that Magnolia can happen work as a vocalist. and subsequently Magnolia is reunited with Gaylord. The declaration of Magnolia’s relationship and the disregard of Julia’s. every bit good as the neglect towards how Julia finds how to do a life after she gives up her occupation for Magnolia represents the indifference of Whites towards inkinesss as related at the beginning of the musical in “Ol’ Man River. ” Show Boat allows a happy stoping for the white twosome Magnolia and Gaylord. but overlooks mulatto Julia’s predicament. reflecting the attitude of the clip period that felicity and assimilation was non yet possible for inkinesss.
Memphis is set about 40 old ages after Show Boat and addresses the job of race integrating still prevalent in America. through the failed relationship/marriage figure of speech between African American Felicia and white Huey Calhoun. It could be said that Huey represents white Memphis. while Felicia represents black music. Huey’s vocal love for Felicia consequences to him and her being physically hurt. and leads to the soulful figure “Say Prayer. ” Sung by Felicia’s African American friend Gator. The vocal is sung like a Gospel figure. with Gator singing “Amen. ” and inquiring aid from Jesus. and besides with the fellow black friends chiming in after Gator with “Say a supplication. ” while Gator beseeches. “that alteration is a comin’ . ” Here. the Blacks are seeking aid from a higher power to work out this woebegone job between the commixture of Whites and inkinesss. However. in the 2nd act. there is hope for alteration. with the figure “Change Don’t Come Easy. ” Sung by Huey’s female parent. who goes “black. ” after being moved by an African American church choir.
The vocal wordss and beats are rather uncharacteristic for reserved white Mrs. Calhoun. but she embraces the African civilization of joyous vocalizing. chant. and dance. and besides joins in with Felicia’s brother and friends in a shimmy. Unfortunately. the alteration does non come rapidly plenty for Huey and Felicia’s love affair. which ne’er has the opportunity to come to fruition. Felicia ends up get marrieding a black adult male. although she does happen celebrity as a vocalist. while Huey ends up washed up and entirely. Although. there is a gleam of hope for felicity for Huey in the coda when he sings a last vocal with Felicia. the separation is still at that place. poke ating at the still of all time present trouble of integrating of inkinesss and Whites in America.
West Side Story displays the failed relationship/marriage figure of speech between Puerto Rican Maria and White Tony. The tensenesss between the two racial groups ( Sharks and Jets ) are high. and it does non assist either that the Puerto Ricans do non even feel like they belong in America in the first topographic point. This is related in the figure “America. ” where the idealistic Puerto Rican adult females are shot down by the pessimistic and realistic Puerto Rican work forces. The vocal is sung as a seis de controversia. a Spanish manner of beat. which is an jury-rigged statement of exchanged twits with sly abuses slipped in every so frequently. The raillery between the Sharks and their girlfriends reveal the troubles that Puerto Ricans face populating in California. When the misss say “Life is all right in America. ” the male childs counter with “If you’re a white in America. ”
The tenseness and the unfairness are evident. and Puerto Ricans are below the belt unaccepted by the Whites in New York. However. two star-crossed lovers still find each other. but unluckily happen it impossible for them to happen a topographic point where they can populate merrily. This is seen in the figure “Somewhere. ” which implies calamity. as if there is no way to this “somewhere. ” There is besides an unsolved tritone at the stoping of the vocal. proposing the insolvability of this job for Maria and Tony. The terminal of the musical with the decease of both Tony and Maria reveal the trouble and near impossibleness of integrating of inkinesss and Whites in America. because it can take to decease.
The American Musical has been frequently used medium to turn to the issue of race and ethnicity in America. An issue that is of most common concern throughout American history was the integrating of different races – African Americans and Puerto Ricans – into the white civilization of the United States. This issue was the topic of several musicals. including the three discussed in this paper: Show Boat. Memphis. and West Side Story. The three musicals show analogues through their usage of failed matrimony figure of speechs to explicate the bigger image of integrating of races neglecting to win in America. but contrast in their relation of the narrative and grounds for failure. Despite this. the three musicals handled the race issues of the clip in the musicals every bit best as white dramatists were able to visualize in the history of the American musical.
