Lifespan of the Leitmotif: Wagner to Williams

Date
2013-05
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University of Delaware
Abstract
In nineteenth-century opera, it was very common for composers to utilize a unifying system of musical themes to act as signs representing different characters or concepts in the often-convoluted world of opera. The leitmotiv technique, which grew from this operatic tradition, is often attributed to Richard Wagner. In Chapter One, I examine the difference between the reminiscence motive and the leitmotiv, two similar motivic concepts from the nineteenth century, and ultimately discuss the misattribution of the leitmotiv technique to Wagner. However, there are several important elements of Wagner’s style and use of themes which are foundational to the leitmotiv technique that thrives in film music today. This technique of using musical themes was popularized in the “Golden Age” of Hollywood films of the 1930s. My second chapter tracks the use of musical themes in the films of the prominent composers of the time, namely Joseph Breil, Max Steiner, and Erich Korngold, noting both similarities and differences in the use of themes as compared to opera, and documenting a very brief history of film music through the aforementioned composers. This style was mostly phased out during the 1950s and 1960s, where Alfred Hitchcock and thriller films became more popular, along with the rise science fiction films. This time is notable for the growing use of sound effects, sometimes using musical instruments, like the famous Hitchcock strings, and those effects gained more prominence than the musical score during this time do the emergence of these new genres. However, the “Golden Age” technique experienced a revival in the 1970s, thanks to the Star Wars trilogy scores, composed by John Williams. These films embrace the Wagnerian concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, engaging with myths and archetypes. Additionally, Williams uses his themes to summarize events of the plot after they unfold, giving the audience time to reflect and understand before moving forward. Similarly, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, loosely based on the same myth as Wagner’s famous Ring cycle, uses leitmotivs to summarize action onscreen. However, Howard Shore’s scores for these films are more dramatically advanced, using musical ideas to foreshadow events, acting as a source of dramatic irony for one familiar with the trilogy and its themes.
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