West Side Story Goes Hollywood

Generations of European classical music composers made their livelihoods at the behest of courtly patrons, developing their craft (and feeding their families) as they turned out countless scores for ballrooms, theaters, and chapels. Patronage played a role in American music, too—but here, the siren song of Hollywood arguably played a bigger role in how music developed in America. Studios offered handsomely paid work, while keeping the sounds of o...