Music inspired by theatre | 5 best pieces of music influenced by theatre

By Emily Nicolas

The intersection between music and theatre is as longstanding as it is dynamic, with the integration of music in theatrical performances dating back to ancient rituals. Music continues to act as a vital tool within the theatrical space, enhancing emotional expression and complementing the narrative at pivotal moments, whilst the ardour of staged drama has been informing and inspiring compositions (that we know of) since at least 1597. Here are five pieces of music inspired by theatre.

Picture of Frank Bernard Dicksee's Romeo and Juliet

Frank Bernard Dicksee Romeo and Juliet

By Emily Nicolas

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet

Taking spot number one on our list of music inspired by theatre is Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet. This fantasy overture, published definitively in 1880, is based on characters and themes from William Shakespeare’s play of the same title. Shakespeare’s works were particularly popular among composers during the Romantic Era, with Hector Berlioz and Mily Balakirev both trying their hand at writing music inspired by his plays. In fact, it was Balakirev, who had composed an overture to King Lear a few years prior, who encouraged Tchaikovsky to write Romeo and Juliet. The score underwent three revisions before its final publication, not without some harsh criticism from Balakirev along the way. Some highlights taken from his letters to Tchaikovsky include: ‘The first theme is not at all to my taste…when noted down as plainly as you’ve sent it to me, it conveys neither beauty nor strength’ and ‘I feel strongly that you need to make further revisions to the overture, and not just wave your hand at it.’ Although the piece is programmatic, it’s not intended to take you on a scene-by-scene walkthrough of the play – instead it focuses on three main characters and ideas: Friar Lawrence, the feud of the Montagues and Capulets and the love of Romeo and Juliet.

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Leonard Bernstein’s Mass

Although the next work on our list of music inspired by theatre is sadly rather neglected in its performance, it is incredibly exciting, both visually and musically. As the title suggests, it is based on the Roman Catholic Mass, and is experienced through the eyes of a Celebrant questioning his faith. The Mass is magnificent in its scale and completely one of a kind, scored for a large orchestra, which is split between the pit and the stage; a blues band; a rock band; a formal choir who sing the Latin portions of the Mass; a boy’s choir that processes on and off stage at various times; ‘street’ singers that perform around the Celebrant and the stage instrumentalists; acolytes that are assistants to the celebrant, dancing and helping at the altar throughout the performance; and, of course, the Celebrant himself, the central character of the work, a Catholic priest who conducts the celebration of the mass. All those on stage are in costume, including the orchestra, who are acting as cast members. This exploration of spiritual trauma possesses all the elements of an Aristotolean drama: the Celebrant’s faith is consistently challenged over the course of the Mass, leading to a breakdown that sees him smash the communion vessels to the ground, before he once again reconciles with his beliefs. As Nina Bernstein, youngest daughter of Leonard Berstein, has written: ‘In the end, the Celebrant, on the verge of renouncing his faith, finds that the loneliness of his doubt is no match for the joy of gathering together with other believers in praise.’

Igor Stavinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale)

Famous for his ballet musics ‘Firebird’, ‘Petrushka’ and ‘The Rite of Spring’, Igor Stravinsky is less well-known in the world of theatre. The Soldier’s Tale, published in 1918, is an hour-long theatrical work intended to be ‘read, played and danced’ by three actors, a dancer, and an ensemble consisting of seven instruments: clarinet, bassoon, cornet, trombone, violin, double bass and percussion. The story is based on a Russian folktale titled ‘The Runaway Soldier’, and it follows a soldier on leave from the army who offers to swap his old violin with a stranger for a book that will bring him untold wealth. The soldier later discovers that he has made a deal with the Devil, and that money isn’t quite all its cracked up to be.

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Alfred Schnittke’s Gogol Suite

Next in our exploration of music inspired by theatre, this polystylistic work was originally conceived as a musical arrangement for Yuri Lyubimov’s (director of the Taganka Theatre) new play The Census List, which was based on works by novelist and playwright Nikolai Gogol. The play premiered in 1978 at the Taganka Theatre, and Schnittke’s music is intended not only to fill the space and mirror the drama, but also to ridicule the stupidity and vulgarity of the characters. The Gogol Suite consists of eight parts, each reflecting a concept or event occurring on stage, and each written in a distinct musical style. Some of the movements most sarcastic in nature are: ‘Portrait’, a story about a young artist whose poverty and lack of desire to study leads him to paint portraits of noble people, awarding him fame and money. ‘Bureaucrats’ possesses evocations of the Baroque period, hinting at ‘higher society’ and its innate meaninglessness, and the cold, unfeeling instrumentation of the waltz in ‘Ball’ is a reflection of the equally tasteless and graceless people in attendance. The lasting message of Schnittke’s music is that a desire for knowledge and rigour creates a person of good character.

Meredith Monk’s Juice: A Theatre Cantata in Three Instalments

The final piece on our list of music inspired by theatre blurs the lines between music, theatre and modern art, featuring a woman on horseback; and 75 singer-dancers in white, wearing red combat boots, amongst other things. Juice, a site-specific work by Meredith Monk, opens up a ‘dialogue about how space affects images and time’. The piece was performed in three different instalments, each occurring at a different venue over the span of a month, and each intended to reconfigure the relationship between audience and performer.