THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC

ESSENTIAL LISTENING

EDITION

by

Kristine Forney

Andrew Dell’Antonio

Joseph Machlis

SECOND EDITION

Lecture Slides

Chapter 67: Underscoring Meaning: Williams and Music for Film

Underscoring Meaning: Music for

Film

• Multimedia often powerful; collaboration of

several creative individuals

• Dramatic musical resources pioneered onstage

now transformed for the screen

– Film, television, video games

Sound and Film

• Music has played an indispensible role in memorable film moments

• Reflects the emotions of a given scene

• Creates irony through juxtaposition

• Creates a sense of time and place

• Two main types of music in film

– Underscoring: comes from unseen source

– Source music: music functions as part of the drama itself

Lord of the Rings

John Williams: Star Wars and Beyond

• Mastery of leitmotif technique

• Revival of the grand symphonic film score,

accessible neo-Romanticism

• Soundtrack for Star Wars remarkable

achievement

– Leitmotifs carried across prequels and sequels

– Imperial March (LG 62)

John Williams (b. 1932)

• Born on Long Island, New York

• Composed for television in 1950s; shifted to

film in 1960s

• By the end of 1970s was Hollywood’s

foremost composer

• Also composes classical symphonic works and

was conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra

Chapter 67: Underscoring Meaning: Music for Film

Chapter 67: Underscoring Meaning: Music for Film

The Empire Strikes Back“The Imperial March”

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7HF4JG1pOg&list=PLxgWBmUi9H8Jzi4NNNlPrw1mOF5QDWJPH&index=31

More John Williams

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSW3a4bYwdM&list=PLxgWBmUi9H8Jzi4NNNlPrw1mOF5QDWJPH&index=33

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDIPumROvuQ

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u4C9XbzLhQ&index=34&list=PLxgWBmUi9H8Jzi4NNNlPrw1mOF5QDWJPH

Chapter 67: Underscoring Meaning: Music for Film

by

Kristine Forney

Andrew Dell’Antonio

Joseph Machlis

Lecture Slides

THIRD EDITION

THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC

ESSENTIAL LISTENING EDITION

http://wwnorton.com/web/enjoyess2