MUSICAL DRAMATURGY IN JASON ROBERT BROWN’S THE LAST FIVE YEARS

Abstract

The Last Five Years opened at the Minetta Lane Theatre on March, 2002. This piece integrates dramatic and musical elements to present a story which is quite simple: boy meets girl, they fall in love, they fall out of love; but presented in a complex and considered way, with a non-linear narrative and deep character development. The Last Five Years is the singular vision of Jason Robert Brown who wrote the book, music and lyrics. In this thesis, the compositional elements used in The Last Five Years are examined to see how they supplement the non-musical elements which make up the show. Simply stated, this thesis highlights instances of musical dramaturgy within The Last Five Years. These instances include use of the waltz to indicate the impermanence of time within the show and emotional distance between characters. Reworked motifs from the opening number are used to signify character emotion. The Lamento Bass, and its manipulations, indicate emotional intent and direction. Harmonic language conveys emotional state, motivic reworking of material from J.S. Bach sinfonias represents feelings of rejection and inadequacy within the characters. Finally, character traits and qualities are shown to be represented by musical stylistic traits.