Leitmotif Was A Musical Concept Film Studies Essay

leitmotiv Was A Musical Concept Film Studies leavenRomantic music is a term describing a style of classical music that began in the late 18th ascorbic acid or early nineteenth century. Romantic music as a movement came from the formats, genres and musical comedy ideas created in the earlier period, such(prenominal) as the classical period. Although it went further in the name of reflexion and merging of different art forms with music. love affair does not always refer to romantic love, although that idea was prevalent in many works composed during this time. Romanticism pieces are understood to be more passionate and expressive.1 The expansion of form within a typical composition, and the growing quirkiness and expressiveness of new composes from the new century it became easier to identify an artist based on his work or style.Romantic music attempted to increase emotional expression and power to describe deeper truths or human feelings, whilst still trying to preserve the form al structures from the classical period.LeitmotifA Leitmotif is a musical term that means a gip and constantly recurring musical phrase. It is associated with a particular person, place or idea.2The term itself comes from the German word Leitmotiv, meaning leading motif or channelise motif. A motif is a short musical idea melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic and a significant recurring figure that has some special splendor for the characteristics of a composition. Although it is usu eithery a short air travel, it can be a chord progression or even a simple rhythm. Leitmotifs can attend bind a work together into a whole, and enable the composer to relate a story without the use of words.The power of the technique was used early in the nineteenth century by composers of the Romantic Period.1 Recurring themes or ideas were sometimes used in association with specific characters.Romantic music used Leitmotif to help narrate, people were aware of the musical code and the associations with characters and situations which allowed directors to define and complete plot ideas through sound. 2Example of composers/famous pieces who used LeitmotifRichard Wagner is the earliest composer that can be associated with the concept of Leitmotif. His cycle of four operas, titled Der Ring des Nibelungen, uses dozens of Leitmotifs, often related to specific characters, things, or situations.3Wagner raised the emerge of how music could unite different elements of the plot of a music drama in his Opera the Leitmotif technique corresponds to this ideal. Wagner used Leitmotifs for their role in musical form and emotional effect.Richard Georg Strauss, born on the 11th of June 1864 and died on the 8th of September 1949 was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early sophisticated eras. Strauss used Leitmotifs in many of his operas and several of his symphonic poems to create mood and emotion in his music. Arnold Schoenberg, who was born on the 13th September 1874 and passed away on the 13th of July 1951 was an Austrian composer and painter, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art. He used a complex set of Leitmotifs in his choral work, Gurre-Lieder which was holy 1911.Modern composer John Williams was influenced by music of the Romantic Period and made use of Leitmotif in his film scoresJohn WilliamsJohn towner Williams was born in Long Island, USA, on the 8th of February 1932 into a musical family.4In 1948, Williams family relocated to LA, where he studied music at the University of California. Following his subject service in the air lodge John Williams went to the Julliard School in New York, where he studied piano. He as well worked as a fart pianist in clubs and on recordings.In 1956, John Williams was hired by Twentieth Century Fox as a pianist in their studio apartment orchestra, and he was also soon writing the music for some TV shows including Lost in Space, Wagon Train and Land of the Giants.4 At the studio Williams worked with extensive movie composers like Bernard Herrmann and Alfred Newman. In 1967, John Williams made the A list of movie composers when he wrote the Oscar- nominated score for The Valley of the Dolls.John Williams has scored nearly 90 films and has been Oscar nominated over forty times. John Williams themes for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman, and ET have great appeal for the general public and his movie score albums are top sellers. Williams has also written compositions for the Olympic ceremonies which capture the true spirit of the game. John Williams was the conductor and musical director of the famous Boston Pops Orchestra, where he is still a lymph node conductor. As well as movie scores, John Williams has written concert pieces for such greats as Yo-Yo Ma and has conducted concerts all over the world. On December the fifth 2004 John Williams was one of the 2004 honourees at the Kennedy centre in Washington, D.C.The use of LeitmotifIn John Williams films he uses a lot of music related to Wagner, such as diatonic scales for hero themes, chromatic scales for objects or negative elements, bright sounds for positive elements.5John Williams has become of the some successful scoring composers and one of the most respected. His approach is very direct and strong, and no one in the theatre will fail to recognize any link between the themes and the characters associated with them. He has a great capacity to reach the audience like a classical composer.Jaws Jaws is an American horror and thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg in 1975. In the story, a giant man eating great white cheat attacks beachgoers on Amity Island, prompting the local police chief to hunt it down.6The main shark theme, is a simple alternating pattern of twain notes, variously identified as E and F or F and F sharp which became a classic piece of suspense music, synonymous with approaching danger. John Williams uses Leitmotif in this film for the shark. Each time th e shark is going to appear the kindred pattern is play that can be recognized by the audience.Indiana Jones Dr. Henry Indiana Jones, Jr. is a fictional professor, archaeologist, and adventurer. Indiana Jones is noted for his mark bullwhip, his fedora hat, and his great fear of snakes.7Indiana Jones is also the general name given to the series as a whole, which has four movies, a TV series, novels, comics, word-painting games, and other media. In this movie Williams used Leitmotif for the character Indiana Jones. For this Williams used a diatonic scale for a hero-theme whenever Indiana was about to do something heroic and at the end of the film.Star WarsThe music of Star Wars consists of the scores written for all six Star Wars films by composer John Williams. Williams scores for the doubly trilogy are amongst the most widely known and popular contributions to modern film music. The scores utilize a diverse variety of musical styles, many culled from the novel Romantic Period o f Richard Strauss.8The Main theme of star wars is easily the most recognizable melody and is often associated with Luke Skywalker, linking with heroism and adventure. It is heard over the beginning of all the films and forms the basis of the end title as well.The Rebel Fanfare is a short Leitmotif used extensively throughout all the episodes to represent the rear alliance. The theme is constructed out of brassy major block chords that progress in parallel motion through intervals of a third. This results in a non-diatonic sound. 8The force theme is a well known example of a Leitmotif. Out of all of the Leitmotifs in the series this theme is most consistently developed and thence most difficult to attach a specific meaning. This theme can represent Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi and the Force from which they draw their power.Princess Leias theme is heard form episode trey and onwards. It is a Leitmotif that represents a romanticized, somewhat naive idea of the princess and can also show that she is vulnerable.The imperial Leitmotif (not the imperial march) represents the Empire and Darth Vader in succession IV. The Leitmotif is militaristic and is generally played by bassoons or muted trombones. 8The Death Star Leitmotif is an imposing four chord played six times during episode IV to represent the Death Star.The Dual of Fates is another Leitmotif played in the first three episodes. It is composed from two minor Ostinatos and choral interjections that are head in The Empire Strikes Back.9The theme is used to represent the clash between the Light and drab Side. In end II, the Leitmotif is played when Anakin goes off to search for his mother, implying an internal struggle between good and evil.Anakins Leitmotif is an innocent theme that contains seeds of the gallant March. It has a warm melody that contradicts with the harmonic instability of a number of different passages. The concert arrangement makes the fate of this Leitmotif more explicit, ending with a numb er of subtle renditions of phrases from the theme it foreshadows.The Imperial March or Darth Vaders Theme represents the Galactic Empire as a whole and Darth Vader specifically. It features relentless martial rhythm and dark, non diatonic harmonic support. The Imperial March represents the Empire and is nearly equilivent to a galactic anthem. It is heard with progressive prominence through Episodes II and III, signalling critical points in Anakins downwards spiral to the Dark side. In the final rendition, accompanying Vaders death Williams reverses the effect of the theme. It ends with a cadence of solos as Vader dies.Word Count 1498