Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

Chapter 1 Wagner Prelude

Max Steiner Considered father of American film music Composed first extended score in sound era for King Kong, Gone with the Wind and Casablanca Felt idea originated from Wagner (specifically recitatives of his operas) and that he wasnt the one who invented movie music Richard Wagner 19th century German opera composer, died in 1883, dozen years before birth of cinema Source of inspiration for many of films finest composers

Wagners Gesamtkunstwerk Wagners influence- music as well as theatrical innovations Gesamtkunstwerk- total artwork Suggested that each individual artwork could not achieve highest level of perfection by themselves Believed that drama was the greatest unifying art-form; each separate branch of art is at hand and is at its own fullness Music drama- brings together philosophy and literature in libretto, visual elements, costumes and lighting, as well as performing arts in the acting and music Challenge facing Wagner in creating total artwork is that arts do not naturally mix Arts- divided into 2 Visual: spatial arts- occupy space & can be seen in entirety in a given moment Principal types: painting, photography, sculpture, architecture Temporal: occupy time & are perceived only as time unfolds Principal types: literature, music, dance Attempts to combine divergent types of art- most success for this was within temporal arts Music & poetry = song; music & dance= opera/ musicals; drama, music & dance = ballet Combining temporal and visual is difficult Occupy different dimensions Before late 19th century- attempts to combine both happened in theatre (visual elements of drama with unfolding temporal arts) Aristotles Poetics combining spectacle (visual) with song (music) (2 of 6 basic elements of tragedy) Theatrical dance- emphasis on visual art of dancing with music & drama (type of total artwork) Ballet Russes (early 20th century- unites various dancers, composer &artists) The Rite of Spring & Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland combine efforts of many

Wagner as Auteur Dance productions- large collaborations among several artists; Wagner created single vision for all artists instead, maintaining strict control Built his own theater, Theater at Bayreuth, having total control over his productions Auditorium darkened during performance Widen distance between stage and audience Orchestra pit extending beneath stag so you cant see the musicians Musicians werent allowed to tune their instruments in the pit Acting rehearsals occurred before singing rehearsals No applauding during the performance permitted Classless theater (no box seats); creating equal experience for all Most of these ideas used to create idea of audience not sitting in a theater; attending theatrical event These innovations were at the forefront of theatrical revolution Foundations of modern theater established prior to emergence of film Auteur- central role of the director, creative force that forges all artistic elements into one principal goal

Wagner and the Music Drama Theodor Adorno One of Germanys foremost philosophers and critics after World War II Describe Wagners music dramas as Das Kino der Zukunft (cinema of the future) Wagner played fundamental role in history of film music Wagners Music drama Practical & artistic solutions for film composers; issues involving musical style, dramatic support and unity Establish many characteristics of postromantic music (colourful orchestration, emotional qualities) Able to support his dramas by underscoring emotional qualities Most significant contribution- ability to achieve musical unity without sacrificing dramatic flow of story His innovation- creation of continuous musical flow Avoided closed musical structures to help drama move in natural manner Leitmotifs- musical themes representing various characters/ aspects of the story Helped create sense of musical unity, propelling the drama forward without stopping

The Flying Dutchman Story- ship doomed to sail into storm for eternity; only hope for escape is once every seven years where the ship is visible to mortals Captain finds true love= curse is broken Dark mood of story low brass instruments used in overture; sound of storm- wind instruments and strings Redemption theme and overture difference depicts storyline Drama builds upon its plot; Music- shaped through repetition and contrast Compromise to have period of music dominating to allow for musical reflectionRichard Wagner(1813-1883) One of the most influential Western composers His innovations and influences went beyond opera; influenced film music in general First film with synchronized sound, Don Juan (1926) was preceded by recorded performance of Wagners Tannhauser

Chapter 2- Drama and Film 19th century- technology paved way for new type of total art work Visual arts crossed into temporal arts once pictures moved & occupied time (visual arts with drama & music) Film- modern worlds counterpart of Wagners Gesamtkunstwerk Elements of Drama Western elements- described by basic elements Plot Structure of how the story is presented Could be original, branch from imagination of creative writer, or legends/ history/ current events inspiring the storyteller Provides basic framework for the drama for the drama and for temporal unfolding of the artwork 2 Basic plot structures commonly seen in Western Fiction Causal Contains 4 principal sections Exposition important information for story to unfold Complications series of events, stemming from a conflict Climax moment of greatest tension (complications reach a point) Resolution end of story; complications resolved, loose ends tied Example- Iliad civilizations earliest story Exposition- quarrel between leader of Greeks, King and warrior Complications- refusing to fight, warrior (Achilles) slays best friend, etc. Climax- Warrior kills Hector Resolution- Hectors father pleading for sons body Episodic Rather than moving through series of complications, plot provides succession of events that dont build directly from one to the next Episodes act as brief subplots and ordering is random Example- Odyssey Odysseus has many adventures during his long journey home ExpositionEpisodesClimaxResolution Both are subject to numerous variations and nuances; some stories have multiple plots, each with its own structure Flashbacks- interrupt chronological flow of story Linear- story that maintains strict chronological timeline Non-linear- stories that incorporate either logical or illogical jumps of time Epic stories convey larger story Tend to have long string of complications leading to number of climaxes Character Applied in number of ways in drama; generally someone in a story Protagonist- principal character; Antagonist- principal adversary (generate conflict) Interplay between these two that creates basic tension in the story Character appeal to audience- appeal to audience in psychological makeup, conflicts they endure and changes they undergo We like characters that are heroes/ relative to us or people we know Setting Both location and the time frame in which story takes place Important influence on narrative Have strong psychological effect Ex. Jurassic park- intensified by setting on isolated island nowhere to run/hide Some instances, setting can run counter to the mood or action of a story War movies- give fleeting glimpses of the beauty of nature Contrast serves as a reminder of the beauty of the natural world Period Film- movie set in a defined historical era Time period for a particular story can be significant Attention to detail of costumes, scenery and manners Sometimes plots were set in historical eras where there was rapid change Creating sense of uncertainty and chaos Vision of changing traditions has clear parallel to contemporary American life Science fiction- filled with visions of the future Lord of the Rings- mythical world of Middle- Earth (before history of man) Star Wars-a long time ago Theme Central idea underlying given story Provides us with the intellectual meaning Not all films have themes- slapstick comedies / light musicals provide entertainment Heavy themes often misunderstood as propaganda Highly regard films deal with serious issues (religion, patriotism, mortality) Some films convey meaningful messages that impact the audience Mood A.K.A tone; emotions Mood of film doesnt have to match mood of the theme/ story Director uses various tools to create specific moods Amongst most powerful- visual elements & music Overall mood is suggested at the onset Beginning a film, music and visual elements during title and credits initiates general tone Absence of music during opening credits brings sense of seriousness (catch-22) Absence of title at beginning- using source music or underscoring instead before title, establishes central moodElements of Film 2 broad groups of film Nonfiction Documentary, propaganda, factual, instructional subcategories This limitations doesnt imply less art in the creation of these films Most incorporate strong musical scores Narrative Principal product of modern movie industry Presents stories Plot of a narrative could use real characters and actual events Content is selected and manipulated by writer/ director, considering it fiction Film Genres Narrative films; genres= categories based on similar stories/ conventions Definitions of genres and subgenres vary from writer to writer Characteristics of films may reflecttwo or more genres Recognition of genres is important to film study/ music Play role in musical choices How much music and what style of music will be used Most common genres/ sub-genres Action/ adventure, comedy, drama, horror, mystery, musical, romance, science fiction, western Cinematography Creation of film in 3 stages Preproduction Controlled largely by producer Planning and preparation of film (may take several years) Production Now largely in the hands of the director Oversees activities of production crew, actors and cinematographer Photographer- still pictures; cinematographer- moving pic Post-Production Film is given final shape through editing process and additional sound effects of music Cinematographer takes moving pictures Film, photography, and painting present with a framed image Need to consider shots composition, camera proximity to subject, camera angle, lighting and lenses Need to deal with movement of subject & camera Visual element- mise-en-scene (borrowed from theatre) Term encompasses lighting, costumes and dcor, the relationship of these elements to each other and how they are photographed Visual elements have enormous psychological impact on viewer Can play critical role in presentation of plot, development of characters and perception of theme Point of View Important element of cinematography Term can be used in multiple ways Drama- unfolding of a plot (seen through perspective of a particular character) Cinematography (POV) perspective of the camera eye Narrative films- shot through Omniscient POV Set a distance away from the action, camera moves at the will of the director Relatively objective POV allowed to see action as observer, allowing us to know more about the situation, identity of antagonist Subjective POV See through the eyes of the character Example- Jaws: seeing from the perspective of the shark Often used briefly, allowing the audience to understood what character observes, specifically a written note or critical details Film Editing Editing shots created during production are joined together Shot- uninterrupted length of film Cut- precise moment when one shot ends and another begins Editing decisions, like which shots to use, length of shot and order of shots, contribute to impact of the film Viewers perspective- many cuts will be accepted as natural, allowing continuation of a scene from various perspectives Cuts separate changes of scene, leading viewer to other locations and times Example- Birth of a Nation: death of two friends dying in each other arms and then consecutively showing the families of two friends hearing about the death With aid of cutting, film can show several events occurring simultaneously Crosscutting- alternation of shots from two or more sequences Most clich- tension-building crosscutting: someone in danger and rescuer Can help develop multiple plot strands From flexibility of cutting, flashbacks and nonlinear plots can be used more readily compared to theatrical drama Montage- editing technique (definition varies) Referring to section of film composed of many brief shots edited together in order to show condensed series of events Emphasizes the relationship (similarities and differences) Effectively shows travel, passing of time and chaos of battle

Chapter 3- Elements of Music Music Notation Musical sound has 3 properties: pitch, duration and colour Traditional music notationdeveloped in Western Civilization denotes pitch (vertical axis) and duration (horizontal axis) Pitch- how high / low musical note is Staff-5 horizontal lines Higher the note on the staff, higher the pitch Clef Sign first symbol on the staff, designates pitches on the staff, indicating whether basic range is high or low Two ways to track music on a staff1. Simply follow note by note Every note heard= one note indicated on the staff Tie- two pitches (identical) heard as one note2. Follow written notation to count beats Measure/ Bar- basic temporal unit indicated by single vertical line appearing at regular interval Time Signature- how many beats in a measure (top) and what type of note receives a beat (bottom) Helps keep you in place, especially when music is moving quickly Elements of Pitch and Duration Known to have 5 basic elements Organization of Pitch Melody Succession of pitches heard as a unit; easily recognized and memorable Tune/ Tuneful Range- distance between highest and lowest note of a melody Interval- distance between one pitch and the next Disjunct- melody contains significant number of large intervals Typical of musical instruments Conjunct- melody moves primarily in small intervals Lyrical melodies for instruments, create humanlike voices for instruments Due to the nature of the human voice, natural breathing breaks occur and to help create periodic feel of momentary rests, phrases are constructed (melodic units) and end with a cadence Cadences- equivalent of punctuation marks Open cadences endings that seem to be incomplete Closed cadences endings that are clear and complete

Motive Small melodic idea that can serve as part of a larger melody or stand on its own Helps make tune more memorable Can be isolated and developed on its own Can function as independent melodic ideas; useful building tools Theme Melody that recurs within a given work, with special significance to the drama Some have no specific meaning, representing general spirit of a movie Texture Relationship of melodic line to other musical material in a given passage Homophonic- single dominant melody with accompaniment/ music Monophonic- single melodic line without any other musical material Not common in film music; Used for dramatic effect Can be used to suggest the distant past/ lands where its common to hear these monophonic passages Contrapuntal/ Counterpoint- presence of two or more equal melodies Imitation (imitative counterpoint)- similar to contrapuntal texture but with melodies that are usually similar to each other Can also include brief musical motive played alternately by two or more musical instruments Fugue- extensive imitative counterpoint (for longer themes) Harmony Element of music created when two or more pitches are produced at the same time Essential aspect of Western music after 1400; unusual for non-western Chord- sound of three or more pitches at any given moment in a piece Dissonance-created when pitches of chord clash with each other Effective for dramatic moments Traditional Western harmony depend on dissonance & resolution Moving from consonance to dissonance suggests conflict and resolution Interval- distance between two pitches, whether played simultaneous or in succession Intervals of: 3rd& 6th stable; 2nd& 7th unstable (dissonance) Tritone- diminished 5th, Augmented 4th Creates tension both melodically and harmonically in Western Octave- distance between a pitch and its repetition in higher/lower range Half steps- 12 equal intervals Major (+) and Minor (-) Minor-darker sounding Can be used in underscoring to transform character Major- what most music in film uses Chromatic- all 12 half steps used in one scale Sound exotic and odd to the ear Microtones- units smaller than a half step Heard form gamelan band in Indonesia Can sound both disturbing and fascinating Properties of Duration & Colour Rhythm Deals with time; can be floating, unmeasured time or structured on a series of recurring pulses called beats Floating, non-structured- more common in Non-Western musical cultures, occasionally in Western Music in Western tradition is organized around recurring beats Tempo- Speed at which pulses are heard Fast- excitement/ conflict; Slow- calm/love scene Tempo in film music: a beat per second because of easiness to calculate how much music is needed for specific scene Meter- regular patterns of strong and weak pulses In films, often use two or four pulses; strongest is 1st beat Syncopation- rhythmic effect of accenting weak beats or between beats Timbre Technical term for colour/ tone quality produced by voices/ instruments/ various combinations of the two Plays critical role in overall impact of film score Orchestration- assigning various musical ideas to voices/ instruments Orchestrator- provide valuable assistance to composer, suggesting possible instrumental combinations for a passage Voices Wide variety of colour can be achieved; various voice types (M/F) Soloist vs. chorus, type of text performance style used Symphonic Instruments Standard musical colour produced through normal process of playing but can also manipulate instrument to produce other sounds 4 divisions: strings, brass, woodwinds & percussion Strings Principal string instruments usually play with a bow (flexibility) Harp- used when someone is dying in a film (associating heaven) Special Colour Effects: Mute placed on bridge (muffle sound), Pizzicato (plucking), harmonic (light touching with finger), tremolo (fast bow moved), Glissando (successive pitches played quickly), Trill (alt. 2 adj. notes) Brass Generate great power & force; marches/ fanfares Movies on Ancient Rome elaborate brass fanfares Special Colour Effects: Mute at end of horn (muffle sound)

Woodwind Heard with entire orchestra or solo More varied in colour for this division Used for effective contrast Special Colour Effects: Trill (alternate 2 notes), Flutter tongue (flutter tongue while blowing; oscillating sound)

Percussion Generate excitement or touch of colour to orchestral sound Piano percussion instrument Presence in orchestra is unusual Produces many colours & heard in Jazz numbers Special Colour Effects: Trill (alt. 2 adj. notes), Glissando, Prepared Piano (small objects placed into strings of a piano; percussive sounds) Instruments of Popular Music Same instruments used as those heard in symphony orchestra Country- violin; Jazz- String bass, clarinet, trumpet, trombone Colour altered, with more cutting edge Saxophone versatile instrument heard in both jazz and rock ensembles Instruments of rock ensemble variety of effects, creating hip, slick sound or intense, loud sound to accompany violence Combining different styles for variety of effects Drum set indicates musical link to popular music Electronic Instruments Many instruments generate through electronics Earliest electronic instruments create oscillating pitches, creating eerie, unreal sound Theremin- helps portray psychological problems Ondes Martenot practical instrument Elaborate electronic music labs established in 1950s, capable of generating seemingly endless variety of new sounds Forbidden Planet (1956)-used completely electronic score (Bebe Barron) Walter/ Wendy Carlos abandoned electronic studio in favour or Moog Synthesizer (transforming sound of film scores) Can create new musical sounds and replace acoustic instruments Historical Instruments Western Civilization created many instruments that are obsolete in helping suggest earlier time periods Recorders, Mandolin, Viols help set story to 16th/17th century Harpsichord- most distinct antique- sounding instrument (small piano) Folk and Ethnic Instruments Ethnic instruments can be used when films are focused around their region of origination; can be combined with western styles Creating ethnic ambience- musical authenticity is not necessary Unique timbres create sound effectively suggesting time and region of the story

Chapter 4- Listening to Film Music Film sound can be divided into 3 categories Dialogue Principal focus of our conscious learning Essential to realism in film narrative Sound Effects Invade our senses through peripheral hearing; added during post-production, creating sound ambience to help unfold drama Essential to realism in film narrative Music Invade our senses through peripheral hearing; added during post-production, creating sound ambience to help unfold drama Introduced as outside element, not part of story itself; background music 5 basic topics concerning film music Placement Appearance/ Disappearance of music at precise moment and its affect on the audience experience Music as the Opening & Closing Frames Provides musical frame as a whole to the film Various functions for Opening: Alert audience, Introduce dominant musical theme, present musical themes that will be heard in the film (series of tunes is a Medley), establish mood, foreshadow significant aspect of the story Various Functions for Closing: reflect mood at the end, creating cheerful ambience for audience to exit to, possible new song during closing credits to get Oscar nomination/ boost sound-track recording sales, reprising musical themes from the movie Epic Genre extended format/ structure: Overture Precede beginning of film Can still help establish mood/ acquaint themes Main Title/ Opening Credits 1st half of film Intermission Separates the two parts of the film for brief break Entracte Immediately precedes resumption of the film 2nd half of film Closing Credits Music within the Narrative Source Music (Diegetic Music) heard part of the drama itself Character can hear this music Underscoring (Non-Diegetic Music) no logical source in drama itself Performed by unseen ensemble; heard by audience only Creates general mood and guides us emotionally and psychologically through the film Cue- passage of underscoring from entrance to end Wall-to-Wall- music plays continuously Borrowings Based on music that was previously composed Discussing borrowed music Arrangement- borrows melody from another source, and film composer provides it with original setting suited for the film Adaptation- borrowing complete passage from another source, including melody and accompaniment Alterations of melody/ orchestra are typical adaptations Silent film era Compilation Scores- scores that are an imitation of borrowed music Suggests non-stop, wall-to-wall music Sound Era Adapted Score- film music that is substantially borrowed Uses music more sparingly Difference between the two: eras from which they originate and amount of music in film score Musical Styles Styles- defined by distinct characteristics created by musical elements (melody, harmony, texture, rhythm & timbre) 5 Basic Musical Styles(films can feature more than one style) Most commonly used Post-Romantic Prevalent music style created by Wagner Encompasses styles of Romanticism (emphasis on melody and wide range of emotions), colourful orchestrations and strong dissonances Flexible, powerful and obtrusive style of music Modern Not meant to be synonymous with recent Common way of referring to music predominantly by concert composers Written in experimental style (consciously) Sound disoriented, distorted, disjointed, dissonant harmony, various textures, often small, colourful ensembles Popular Tends to be melody-oriented, have strong beat and incorporate syncopated rhythms (strong beat) Popular music ensembles, Melody= central role for tunes Sparingly Used Help set time and place of a film Historical Heard as source music Can create special ambiance matching particular story Ethnic Music from non-Western culture Can be heard as source music or incorporated to suggest location in distant country Monophonic, no harmony, often complicated rhythms Function of Film Music Establishing Mood All music projects some kind of mood (even unemotional music) In Hollywood movies, musical mood changes with development of the story Running counter to the action: Sometimes, music depicts mood that deliberately doesnt match whats happening on the screen Supporting the Plot Music can help reinforce emotional content Emotions are often projected without the actor saying a word; plot is moved forward by the music Music playing continuously over the cuts, helps create single mood that connects the contrasting movements Sometimes director changes music with the shots to reinforce difference between the shots Music can reflect physical movement and recreate natural sounds Stinger- sudden impact (Ex. Slap in the face/ object hitting the ground) accompanied by accenting by orchestra Music mimics the actions Mickey Mousing- music is too obvious, accenting every step Common in cartoons; mimicking movement Establishing Character, Setting, Point of View, and Theme Music can reinforce characterization and setting of given story Time and place of a story can be supported by music Musical mood can suggest a point of view since various characters may have conflicting emotions; directing us to feel emotions of a single character Underlying theme can be aided by music- showing change of character, reflect prevailing mood, as well as underscore essential message of film Musical Unity Leitmotifs Themes that are identified with a person, object, or idea in a story Musical theme must have a clear and consistent relationship between a musical idea and its onscreen counterpart Leitmotif can help audience understand what a character is thinking Can be altered when it recurs during a film Alteration can be change of instrumentation, tempo or harmony Thematic Transformation Helps create variety and provides support to dramatic situations

Gone with the Wind Steiner employs post-romantic style; important aspects of the story connect to theme 1st part- music reflects Scarlett; Scarlett pulls Ashley into a room and confesses her love for him Music follows mood change (Scarlett); Leitmotif reflects their relationship 2nd and 3rd parts- music reflects emotions of people other than Scarlett Music from her wedding Diegetic organ music reflecting solemn mood