ANALYSIS of "No One Else" from Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
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- Опубликовано: 18 фев 2022
- Welcome back to MUSIC THEATRE THEORY!! This week, we're analyzing "No One Else" from Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812.
Check out this video of Denée Benton performing the song in the original Broadway production:
• The Great Comet Music ...
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My all time favorite show to analyze. If I could try to throw out a few things of my own connections to the show (spoilers I guess).
- This song became popular because it's such a Broadway-ish piece even though it's pretty non-standard for the rest of the show (Dust & Ashes was added only when the show moved to actual Broadway). The contrast really does highlight the naivete of Natasha. It's like a Disney song and she's just entirely in her own head completely in love with this man. But there is that aimless feeling the entire time like the foundation of her love is weak, cause she's just a young girl (as mentioned in "Prologue").
- The "I love you I love you" lines and then the "You and I" buildup are so big and triumphant and piercing. There's a contrast towards the end of "The Ball" where she declares her love for Anatole and it's incredibly dark in comparison and her voice goes very low. It's actually unsettling. Anatole being a "corruption" is a lot stronger when contrasting that moment against her twirling as the ice princess in a whimsical ballad. You could extend that contrast further since she ends the show in a very rough state.
- The "this winter night" polyrhythm section is the Pierre rhythm! The same rhythm that is present during all of "Pierre" and would show up again in "Dust & Ashes". It's a conflict motif since Pierre is all about being conflicted and resultingly depressed. Natasha is, conversely, very much _not_ depressed during that section but it does tie back to the song establishing that she's not "home". But it also ties her to Pierre, which is what the entire show is building towards. Eventually Natasha's 2nd to last line in the show during "Pierre & Natasha" is "Ohhhh Pierre" just like the chorus of "Pierre", but sung with love and kindness instead of disgust and pity. That show is genuine care is what finally ends the polyrhythm and kicks off the very last song which is straight quarter notes.
- This one's not technically the main show, but Dave Malloy uses the "No One Else" melody again in "Epilogue". In the musicbox section you said it was like "the dream she's dreaming of". In the epilogue when she's now married and older, it's like that dream is just part of her life now, and it's touching to think it's her finally finding "home".
Absolutely gorgeous insights! Thank you for sharing this!
I’m so happy you mentioned epilogue, I have a copy of the sheet music for it and the tempo notation thing after the second chorus is “with the moon” which is such a gorgeous little interlude. I also love how it has the progression from “Pierre and Natasha” at the very end of the song, feeling like their first real meeting has come full circle at last
Whenever she says "I'll never be this happy again" in the really melancholy 3/4 section but she's literally talking about happiness, I think of how it's foreshadowing the darkness that's about to consume her life when it gets to the end of the show and she says "before me? no, all is over for me"
the song also relates a lot to the book with references with how andrei first overheard her and sonya were talking about love at around one am if i remember correctly where the natasha was reminiscing about the moon and andrei overheard them and that’s when his interest in natasha started
why am I crying? why am I crying?? your analysis is just so good. Natasha is, in fact, unstable in this whole song by all that happened and all that she's passing through. I can only contribute with this amazing analysis saying that the "maybe he came already/and I simply forgot" in the end and all the notes not leading to F can also mean that she still feel incomplete with the love of Andrei. because of the whole thing with Anatol etc. really good! =)
Thank god it's not just me! I've got goosebumps and tears in my eyes right now. Excellent analysis and lovely playing. I wish I could like this video more than once because of all the feelings it just gave me
Love, love, love your analysis and breakdown! New fan, here! The juxtaposition of the musical elements absolutely parallels the psyche and emotionality of the character. Steady, yet unsteady. Certain, yet longing. Moonlight is flooding and all-encompassing (especially when it reflects off of snow...) - but, moonlight is temporary and does not remain. It does, however, return. She wants her love to return. Moonlight is a symbol of night time ... a time of privacy and secrets. The polyrhythm underscores the chaos, erractiness and giddiness of her love. Then, she steadies again. And - the fact the music doesn't resolve after the build...gasp! Literally so many things to excavate! Thank you for creating this page! SUCH a great tool! Bravo!
PLEASE DO MORE GREAT COMET VIDEOS!
New subscriber here btw
i don't have insight, i don't think, but there had been a point when i was obsessed with this show for about 6 months and i literally didn't listen to anything else... so, about the last part, when by the end of the song there's that chord which means we're home technically but not exactly, i'd say it's not just about the fact that she's home and he fiance isn't. there's this whole thing with natasha not really knowing andrei and being in love with him because she's naive and romantic and she just saw him all handsome and cool and fell in love within ten minutes - the same way she refell in love with the other guy who ruined her life kinda. and given that it's a love song sung by a character whose main characteristic is that she's a romantic and main storyline is that she's falling in love and getting married, it's supposed to be the peak for natasha, like this is her song, she's expressing everything that she is in it, everything she says is valid and true, she's never going to be as happy again as when she saw andrei that night, but in fact she will,,, maybe... when she grows up... not in the tolstoy original though omg. and these dissonances might be there because the song is so sincere but also the character doesn't know what the heck she's talking about...and of course there's the premonition of their love being not nearly as strong as it seems to her with the someone else appearing in literally the next song or something. anyway sorry about this rant, maybe it's all overthinking, maybe not. what's left to say - i really enjoy your analyses, always so enlightening and fun to watch - and listen to you sing the songs lolol. i also get reminded that i still remember at least soooome music theory whenever i watch, and it makes me happy. so thank you for the video, looking forward for more
brilliant
This was an awesome analysis! I honestly stumbled on this video looking for a more lyrical/character/contextual analysis of this song, but having it analyzed musically was actually so much better so that you get a better idea of how the song should be performed! I’ll definitely be keeping this video in mind if I ever get to sing this song publically!
Amazing work, loved this video
I love this analysis so much!!! No one else is such a beautiful song!
Thank you so much for covering this beautiful song!
Incredible! Thank you so much!
this is a fantastic analysis. It's give the song so much more meaning for me as a performer. thank you lots xxx
this is so beautiful !!!!! your voice also has such a pretty ring !
my goodness...she doesn't get it! she doesn't get the release. this is SO BRILLIANT.
"I saw this show on broadway" - instant jealousy LOL
I just kind of assumed this was a 2:3 like Pierre
God this is good (mismatched pun intended)