Paul R. Laird

Orchestration in Musical Theatre offers an analytic and critical overview of the practice, execution, and effects of orchestration in musical theatre since the time that rock music became significant in the genre.Broadly described as the art of arranging a piece of music for a particular musical ensemble, orchestration is a specific skill that few composers or songwriters possess. This volume helps the reader understand and appreciate the art of orchestration and traces how the incorporation of rock and other types of popular music into scores for musical theatre on Broadway and in the West End fundamentally changed the genre's sound. From discussions of specific instrumentation through to a brief history of the art, this book demystifies how different instrumentation contributes to a show's soundscape.

The Cambridge Companion to the Musical provides an accessible introduction to one of the liveliest and most popular forms of musical performance. Written by a team of specialists in the field of musical theatre especially for students and theatregoers, it offers a guide to the history and development of the musical in England and America (including coverage of New Yorks Broadway and Londons West End traditions). Starting with the early history of the musical, the volume comes right up to date and examines the latest works and innovations, and includes information on the singers, audience and critical reception, and traditions. There is fresh coverage of the American musical theatre in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the British musical theatre in the middle of the twentieth century, and the rock musical. The Companion contains an extensive bibliography and photos from key productions.

En el centenario de su nacimiento, una panorámica concisa de la vida y obra de este músico fascinante y controvertido.Bernstein es uno de los músicos más reconocibles y exitosos del siglo XX. A lo largo de cinco decadas de carrera dirigio a muchas de las mejores orquestas del mundo, y compuso musicales tan conocidos como ''West Side Story''.Tras treinta años de estudio, Paul R. Laird escribe la obra de Bernstein como director, compositor, divulgador y critico, y analiza sus principales composiciones, sin dejar de lado el impacto que su complicada vida personal tuvo sobre su obra.