Defying Gravity Analysis

Does “Defying Gravity” really defy gravity? Of course it doesn’t; rather, this song truly and most effectively defies musical theatre! Wicked, a musical that has swept nations off their feet, can easily be defined as a ground-breaking Broadway production to say the least. The musical tastefully explores Elphaba’s and Glinda’s rich friendship, but also reveals the origins behind ‘the Wicked Witch of the West’. Stephen Schwartz, an acclaimed composer and lyricist who has written renowned musicals such as Godspell (1971) and the Prince of Egypt (1998), perceptively composed the music to Wicked that has cemented the story as magical and emotionally moving. Why, though, has the singular number “Defying Gravity” had such an astronomical impact on
The repetitive line “I’m defying gravity” may appear identical here when merely glancing at the score. However, if you were to listen and examine the music more closely, there are minor changes that have massive implications. Beats 3 and 4 of bar 175 see the melody include a F to G to A step inclination as opposed to earlier parts with the same lyrics (bar 55 and 56), where they merely skip from the note of an F to an A. Being the slightest alteration, one would think that this, in any case, would have no effect. However, having a consecutively increasing melodic note pattern enables the lyrics to be sung with such rawness to demonstrate that Elphaba is defying gravity; as such, this assertively encapsulates the audience in this moment of arrested glory through the formidable bond of the melody and lyrics. Bars 179 and 180 reveal a similar connotation, in which the melody surrounding the lyric “defying” transforms and reaches an upper octave D flat followed by an F natural in comparison to a middle octave F to an A flat at bars 59 and 60. This modification in the melody’s contour is crucial in interpreting the lyrics and thus determines the more than powerful atmosphere that suggests Elphaba is entirely prepared to disobey and challenge the stereotypical expectations and pressures of the magical community. In contrast to this, though, the shape of the melodic contour notably descends to a middle octave D at the lyric:
It is at bars 191-193, then, that she must sing a D flat for 3 semibreves at a powerfully loud dynamic level. The ensemble, at the same time, are singing background harmonies with a repetitive quaver-based rhythmic pattern at bars 192 to 193. These two contrasting parts in the score, in terms of the rhythm as well as the lyrics, create meaning but intensity simultaneously; it urges the audience to worry for Elphaba and what may happen to her while they sit at the edges of their seats listening to all of the layers occurring in the music. At bars 194 and 195, this is repeated almost identically to solidify the emotions at play. However, from bar 196 onwards, the ensemble sings predominantly minims and semibreves, as this is finalising the song and preparing for the ultimate moment of the song. It is at the final beat of the fourth last bar (197) that Idina sings the melody at a high-register (extending up to an upper-octave E flat). At this point, the rhythm operates alongside the melody and includes 2 short quavers to allow Idina’s belt singing to display a final sense of fast-paced energy before she concludes on a forceful minim and semibreve that cements the fate of Elphaba and her concept of defying gravity. The harmony that is then added by the ensemble and Glinda