Depiction of character through music and words Essays

Depiction of character through music and words Essays Depiction of character through music and words Essay Depiction of character through music and words Essay so alive. Released from the constraints of social etiquette and expected respectability, the unsavoury side of Jekyll becomes powerful, ruthless, and free. The same happens in the reprise of Alive, after Hyde has wandered the streets and committed his first murder. In contrast to Jekyll singing about sitting with the Gods, Hyde states I feel Ill live on forever, with Satan himself as my guide, and Ill show the world that tonight and forever, the name to remembers the name Edward Hyde! ) Both sides of Jekylls character want recognition and fame for completely different reasons although, ironically, recognition of either side will prove that Jekylls theory was indeed true, if poorly thought out and underestimated. The next song we hear from Jekyll is the haunting Obsession in which he considers what is happening to him and accepts that Hyde is indeed a darker side of himself, and that he must have been harbouring these feelings and depravities deep inside himself in order for them to be brough t to the fore by Hyde. We hear Jekylls remorse, his self doubt, and his desperation. We also hear resignation and exhaustion. What streak of madness lies inside of me, what is the truth my fears conceal, what evil force makes Edward Hyde of me, what darker side of me does he reveal? Am I the man that I appear to be, or am I someone I dont know? Jekyll is desperate, feeling himself being dominated by the character of Hyde, and yet he manages to gather his strength and resolves to put things to rights, to conquer the evil inside himself and get back to where he began. In the song The Way Back he remembers the dream he first had, the reasons he wanted to undertake his experiments, and that the good side of him is what matters. He sings Somehow Ive got to rebuild all the dreams that the winds have scattered, from what fate has shattered, Ill retrieve what mattered. He also asks God for his help, in contrast to Hyde being with Satan (God you must help me carry on, when it seems all hope has gone) The most effective song through which to examine the way the characters are portrayed in the musical is the Confrontation wherein Jekyll and Hyde battle for survival. It begins with Jekyll singing a reprise of the first verse of Lost In The Darkness, which takes us, and him, back to the beginning of the story. This time, however, it seems it is he who is lost in the darkness, he who is experiencing endless night rather ironic when we consider it was his original intention to free his own father from such a plight. Hyde then takes over and sings, again with short, rhythmic phrases, telling Jekyll he will never set him free, never let him go. He expresses his supremacy over Jekyll (Im what you see when you face in the mirror. ong as you live I will still be here You cant control me, I live deep inside you. Each day youll feel me devour your soul) Jekyll tries to reply, tries to tell Hyde he will be rid of him, but Hyde states that he will never be free of him, that in fact Jekyll IS Hyde, and always will be. This confrontation signifies Jekylls realisation that as long as he lives, Hyde will live too as they are one and the same. His repeated shout s of NO! convey his desperation, his anger, and his refusal to admit that he has such an evil side. The music and orchestration of this piece add considerably to the atmosphere of the musical as a whole and to the representation of each side of Jekylls character. The roles of the orchestrator is vital in the success of a piece of musical theatre Snelson states that in the 1960s, orchestration progressed from the traditional woodwind, brass and strings structure to a sound more akin to a big band, centred on reeds and brass, supported by drum kit and (often electric) bass. He says this created the archetypal Broadway sound to which we are now accustomed. This certainly is true of this score. In addition to excellent orchestration, as in Bizets Carmen and also in Wagners Tristan und Isolde Wildhorn utilises leitmotifs throughout the piece to signify which character is dominant at a particular time. The use of motif and leitmotif in the composition of music has been apparent for centuries Sadie (1985, p. 59) states that Composers have always used melodic recurrence as a means of giving shape and artistic unity to a composition. He also goes on to say that . it may be a phrase, of perhaps six or seven notes, or even a motif, or a figure, of two or three. Sadie explains that the composer uses the motif persistently, so that it becomes familiar to the listener and imprints itself on their mind, therefore giving the piece a sense of unity. Specific instruments are also used to enhance the quality of each song and to intensify and exaggerate the personality and mood of each side of the character. Jekylls songs, before the introduction of Hyde, are written in the major key, with the exception of the first song, Lost in the Darkness, which begins in G# Minor but has a Major section, reverting back to the Minor towards the end. Take Me As I Am and This is the Moment are written in B flat major and E major respectively and as such are positive, uplifting and essentially Broadway Musical style songs. In contrast, the songs sung by Hyde, and also the Confrontation, which involves both personalities, are written in the minor key. Alive and the Alive reprise are written in A Minor, Confrontation and Dangerous Game are in E Minor, and the song I Need To Know, despite being sung by Jekyll, is in C# Minor as it is subsequent to Jekyll having begun to be dominated by Hyde. These minor keys create a sense of foreboding, of menace and danger, and are very effective in conveying the characteristics of both Jekyll and Hyde as the story unfolds. Another effective way of enhancing the portrayal of the characters is through the use of different orchestration. For Jekylls songs, the scoring mainly uses piano, keyboard and strings, particularly violin and viola. This creates a light, mellow but thought provoking atmosphere, and suggests a character who thinks deeply, who is sensitive and who is not threatening. In comparison, the orchestration for Hydes songs also includes piano, but always alongside frantic fast percussion and drum rhythm. Tremolo is used to great effect in the string section, which creates tension and suggests the anticipation of impending disaster. Hydes songs are also enhanced by choral backing, occasionally using whispered text which is a repeat of lyrics sung by Hyde himself, but mainly singing, in harmony in minor chords, on an ah sound, creating an almost ethereal effect, an eerie addition to the orchestration which sounds threatening, frightening and intimidating. This adds to the effect of Hyde being like Satan. There are several time signature changes in Hydes songs, reflecting his unpredictability, and strong, punchy brass is used to punctuate his vocal line. His melody lines are short, repetitive and contain many accidentals, flattened or natural notes which further enhance the effect of the use of the minor keys. Hydes songs are driven, relentless, and have strong, final endings. All these aspects of orchestration underpin the strength and urgency of Hydes character. Later on in the score, as Jekyll begins to be dominated by Hyde, we hear the instruments which have signified Hydes character beginning to appear in Jekylls songs. This is most apparent in Confrontation wherein although in the beginning Jekylls motif is clearly signified, eventually the brass, glissando in the strings section and the choral section begin to become more dominant than Jekylls instrumentation as Hyde emerges as the dominant force. I will conclude by stating that I feel the depiction of character in the musical Jekyll and Hyde is very effective. Although the main protagonist (and, incidentally, antagonist) is more prominent in the musical than in the original novel, I do not feel that this detracts from the narrative indeed I feel it adds depth to the character and helps us as the audience to be drawn into the action and to empathise with a character who we could have regarded with disdain and disgust. The libretto by Leslie Bricusse uses the clever repetition of phrases from the original novel, the addition of extra characters to give the protagonists existence more credence, and lyrics which give an insight into the emotions, motivations and dilemmas of the characters. Upon reading the original novel, I found it difficult to warm to any of the characters no empathy was encouraged and the reader was never given the opportunity to discover the true personalities of the people involved in the story. The musical addresses this by providing more background to the characters and their relationships with each other, making them more believable and encouraging more depth of thought on the part of the audience as the tale signifies that the horrendous subject matter of the story could indeed apply to any living human being. After all In all of us there is the duality of good and evil and the only thing that is constant is change. (Stevenson, 1886)