Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

Chapter 1 Wagner Prelude

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Max Steiner
o Considered father of American film music
o Composed first extended score in sound era for King Kong, Gone with the Wind
and Casablanca
o Felt idea originated from Wagner (specifically recitatives of his operas) and that
he wasnt the one who invented movie music
Richard Wagner
o 19th century German opera composer, died in 1883, dozen years before birth of
cinema
o Source of inspiration for many of films finest composers
Wagners Gesamtkunstwerk
o Wagners influence- music as well as theatrical innovations
o 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
o 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
o Principal types: painting, photography, sculpture,
architecture
Temporal: occupy time & are perceived only as time unfolds
o Principal types: literature, music, dance
Attempts to combine divergent types of art- most success for this
was within temporal arts
o 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)
o Aristotles Poetics combining spectacle (visual) with song
(music) (2 of 6 basic elements of tragedy)
o 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

Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

o 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
o 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
o 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
o Foundations of modern theater established prior to emergence of film
o Auteur- central role of the director, creative force that forges all artistic
elements into one principal goal
Wagner and the Music Drama
o 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)
o 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
o 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
o Drama builds upon its plot; Music- shaped through repetition and contrast

Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

Compromise to have period of music dominating to allow for musical
reflection
Richard Wagner(1813-1883)
o One of the most influential Western composers
o His innovations and influences went beyond opera; influenced film music in
general
o 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
o Western elements- described by basic elements
o 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
o 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
o 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
o Rather than moving through series of complications, plot
provides succession of events that dont build directly from
one to the next
o Episodes act as brief subplots and ordering is random
o Example- Odyssey Odysseus has many adventures during
his long journey home
o ExpositionEpisodesClimaxResolution
Both are subject to numerous variations and nuances; some stories
have multiple plots, each with its own structure

Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

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
o 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

Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

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 mood
Elements of Film
o 2 broad groups of film
Nonfiction
Documentary, propaganda, factual, instructional subcategories
o This limitations doesnt imply less art in the creation of these
films
o 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
o 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
o Cinematography
Creation of film in 3 stages
Preproduction
o Controlled largely by producer
o Planning and preparation of film (may take several years)
Production
o Now largely in the hands of the director
o Oversees activities of production crew, actors and
cinematographer
Photographer- still pictures; cinematographer- moving
pic
Post-Production
o Film is given final shape through editing process and
additional sound effects of music
Cinematographer takes moving pictures

Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

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)
o 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
o Can play critical role in presentation of plot, development of
characters and perception of theme
o 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
o Set a distance away from the action, camera moves at the
will of the director
o Relatively objective POV allowed to see action as observer,
allowing us to know more about the situation, identity of
antagonist
Subjective POV
o See through the eyes of the character
o Example- Jaws: seeing from the perspective of the shark
o Often used briefly, allowing the audience to understood what
character observes, specifically a written note or critical
details
o 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
o Can help develop multiple plot strands

Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

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
o 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
Staf-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
o Two ways to track music on a staff
1. Simply follow note by note
Every note heard= one note indicated on the staff
Tie- two pitches (identical) heard as one note
2. 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
o Known to have 5 basic elements
Organization of Pitch
Melody
o Succession of pitches heard as a unit; easily recognized and
memorable
o Tune/ Tuneful
o Range- distance between highest and lowest note of a
melody
o 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
o Due to the nature of the human voice, natural breathing
breaks occur and to help create periodic feel of momentary

Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

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
o 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
o 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
o Relationship of melodic line to other musical material in a
given passage
o Homophonic- single dominant melody with accompaniment/
music
o 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
o Contrapuntal/ Counterpoint- presence of two or more
equal melodies
o 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
o Fugue- extensive imitative counterpoint (for longer themes)
Harmony
o Element of music created when two or more pitches are
produced at the same time
o Essential aspect of Western music after 1400; unusual for
non-western
o Chord- sound of three or more pitches at any given moment
in a piece
o Dissonance-created when pitches of chord clash with each
other
Effective for dramatic moments

Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

Traditional Western harmony depend on dissonance &
resolution
o Moving from consonance to dissonance suggests conflict and
resolution
o Interval- distance between two pitches, whether played
simultaneous or in succession
Intervals of: 3rd& 6th stable; 2nd& 7th unstable
(dissonance)
o Tritone- diminished 5th, Augmented 4th
Creates tension both melodically and harmonically in
Western
o Octave- distance between a pitch and its repetition in
higher/lower range
Half steps- 12 equal intervals
Major (+) and Minor (-)
Minor-darker sounding
o Can be used in underscoring to transform
character
Major- what most music in film uses
o Chromatic- all 12 half steps used in one scale
Sound exotic and odd to the ear
o Microtones- units smaller than a half step
Heard form gamelan band in Indonesia
Can sound both disturbing and fascinating
Properties of Duration & Colour
Rhythm
o Deals with time; can be floating, unmeasured time or
structured on a series of recurring pulses called beats
o Floating, non-structured- more common in Non-Western
musical cultures, occasionally in Western
o Music in Western tradition is organized around recurring
beats
o 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
o Meter- regular patterns of strong and weak pulses
In films, often use two or four pulses; strongest is 1st
beat
o Syncopation- rhythmic effect of accenting weak beats or
between beats
Timbre
o Technical term for colour/ tone quality produced by voices/
instruments/ various combinations of the two
o Plays critical role in overall impact of film score
o Orchestration- assigning various musical ideas to voices/
instruments

Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

o Orchestrator- provide valuable assistance to composer,
suggesting possible instrumental combinations for a passage
o Voices
Wide variety of colour can be achieved; various voice
types (M/F)
Soloist vs. chorus, type of text performance style
used
o 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 Efects: 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 Efects: Mute at end of horn
(muffle sound)

Percussion
Generate excitement or touch of colour to
orchestral sound
Piano percussion instrument
o Presence in orchestra is unusual
o Produces many colours & heard in Jazz
numbers
Special Colour Efects: Trill (alt. 2 adj. notes),
Glissando, Prepared Piano (small objects placed
into strings of a piano; percussive sounds)
Instruments of Popular Music

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

Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

o Same instruments used as those heard in symphony

orchestra
o Country- violin; Jazz- String bass, clarinet, trumpet, trombone
Colour altered, with more cutting edge
o Saxophone versatile instrument heard in both jazz and rock
ensembles
o Instruments of rock ensemble variety of effects, creating
hip, slick sound or intense, loud sound to accompany
violence
o Combining different styles for variety of effects
o Drum set indicates musical link to popular music
Electronic Instruments
o Many instruments generate through electronics
o Earliest electronic instruments create oscillating pitches,
creating eerie, unreal sound
Theremin- helps portray psychological problems
Ondes Martenot practical instrument
o Elaborate electronic music labs established in 1950s, capable
of generating seemingly endless variety of new sounds
o Forbidden Planet (1956)-used completely electronic score
(Bebe Barron)
o 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
o Western Civilization created many instruments that are
obsolete in helping suggest earlier time periods
Recorders, Mandolin, Viols help set story to 16th/17th
century
o Harpsichord- most distinct antique- sounding instrument
(small piano)
Folk and Ethnic Instruments
o 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
o Dialogue
Principal focus of our conscious learning
Essential to realism in film narrative
o Sound Effects

Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

Invade our senses through peripheral hearing; added during postproduction, creating sound ambience to help unfold drama
Essential to realism in film narrative
o Music
Invade our senses through peripheral hearing; added during postproduction, 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
o Appearance/ Disappearance of music at precise moment and
its affect on the audience experience
o 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
o Precede beginning of film
o Can still help establish mood/ acquaint
themes
Main Title/ Opening Credits
1st half of film
Intermission
o Separates the two parts of the film for brief
break
Entracte
o Immediately precedes resumption of the
film
nd
2 half of film
Closing Credits
o 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

Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

Cue- passage of underscoring from entrance to end
Wall-to-Wall- music plays continuously
Borrowings
o Based on music that was previously composed
o 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
o Compilation Scores- scores that are an
imitation of borrowed music
Suggests non-stop, wall-to-wall music
Sound Era
o 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
o Styles- defined by distinct characteristics created by musical
elements (melody, harmony, texture, rhythm & timbre)
o 5 Basic Musical Styles(films can feature more than one
style)
Most commonly used
Post-Romantic
o Prevalent music style created by Wagner
o Encompasses styles of Romanticism
(emphasis on melody and wide range of
emotions), colourful orchestrations and
strong dissonances
o Flexible, powerful and obtrusive style of
music
Modern
o Not meant to be synonymous with recent
o Common way of referring to music
predominantly by concert composers
Written in experimental style
(consciously)
o Sound disoriented, distorted, disjointed,
dissonant harmony, various textures, often
small, colourful ensembles
Popular
o Tends to be melody-oriented, have strong
beat and incorporate syncopated rhythms
(strong beat)

Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

o Popular music ensembles, Melody= central
role for tunes
Sparingly Used
Help set time and place of a film
Historical
o Heard as source music
o Can create special ambiance matching
particular story
Ethnic
o Music from non-Western culture
o Can be heard as source music or
incorporated to suggest location in distant
country
o Monophonic, no harmony, often
complicated rhythms
Function of Film Music
o 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
o 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
o Music mimics the actions
Mickey Mousing- music is too obvious,
accenting every step
o Common in cartoons; mimicking movement
o 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

Reel Music Exploring 100 Years of Film Music

Underlying theme can be aided by music- showing
change of character, reflect prevailing mood, as well as
underscore essential message of film
Musical Unity
o 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
o Thematic Transformation
Helps create variety and provides support to dramatic
situations

o 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
o Music follows mood change (Scarlett); Leitmotif reflects
their relationship
nd
2 and 3rd parts- music reflects emotions of people other than
Scarlett
o Music from her wedding Diegetic organ music reflecting
solemn mood