West Side Story, “Maria”
We all know the story. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Bernstein wrote the music to this iconic musical (with Stephen Sondheim - another famous gay composer - who wrote the lyrics).
In the musical two rival teenage street gangs are at war with each other in 1950s New York City - the Puerto Rican ‘Sharks’ against the ‘Jets,’ a white gang. Tony (a former Jet) meets Maria (sister of the Sharks’ leader) at a dance and fall in love at first sight. Later, Tony find’s Maria’s building and serenades her from outside her window—a recreation of the famous balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. This is where the song “Maria” takes place.
“Maria” is a song full of wildly oscillating emotions, as Tony ruminates on all of the various feelings that the name of his beloved instill in him. Bernstein imbues the music to match each emotion so well that even in an instrumental version one can clearly feel the emotions of each absent lyric, from bouncing joy to soaring grandeur to pious awe.
Of course, we all know the rest of the story (TLDR; it ends in tragedy). For this brief moment we get to experience pure love and joy, unmarred by the drama between the warring gangs or the looming tragedy of their relationship.
In the musical two rival teenage street gangs are at war with each other in 1950s New York City - the Puerto Rican ‘Sharks’ against the ‘Jets,’ a white gang. Tony (a former Jet) meets Maria (sister of the Sharks’ leader) at a dance and fall in love at first sight. Later, Tony find’s Maria’s building and serenades her from outside her window—a recreation of the famous balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. This is where the song “Maria” takes place.
“Maria” is a song full of wildly oscillating emotions, as Tony ruminates on all of the various feelings that the name of his beloved instill in him. Bernstein imbues the music to match each emotion so well that even in an instrumental version one can clearly feel the emotions of each absent lyric, from bouncing joy to soaring grandeur to pious awe.
Of course, we all know the rest of the story (TLDR; it ends in tragedy). For this brief moment we get to experience pure love and joy, unmarred by the drama between the warring gangs or the looming tragedy of their relationship.