ABSTRACT
Leonard Bernstein described Trouble in Tahiti as having its roots in the American musical theatre, and it would appear that some of the inspiration for the piece came from within the genre. There is a cheerful naivety in both Thornton Wilder's play and Bernstein's Prelude that provides a positive, optimistic image of American life. The compositional techniques demonstrated in On the Town continue to be utilized in Trouble in Tahiti. Trouble in Tahiti was quite different from On the Town, with sharp contrasts in subject, genre and construction; however, many compositional elements are common to both. Bernstein was certainly familiar with Wilder's play: his date book for 1949 states that he went to watch the 1940 film version on 1 September. He had a personal connection to the film, as the music had been composed by his friend Aaron Copland.
