Before the time of the "talking picture," all movies were completely silent. The majority of silent films were accompanied by anything from full orchestras to organists and pianists to add movement and feelings to the film. Music was used to create suspense, symbolise moments and add a voice to the film without actually speaking. And with time even as movies advanced to have speaking music was continued to be used as a part of movies carrying from the 1930’s to today.
Today I will be addressing two different scores of music from award-winning films of today, ‘Hedwig’s theme’ from ‘Harry Potter Series’ and ‘Raiders March’ from ‘Indiana Jones’.
Raiders March
Raiders March has been broken down into a three-part ABA form, the A and B sections using different but related melodic ideas with the famous melody that begins the march already suggests much of Indiana’s character. First, it is played by trumpets in unison, and every one of its short motives starts with a militaristic dotted rhythm, both giving the sense that this is a hero’s theme.
Section B changes the mood of the song, with a much lighter and playful tone to it the section loses a lot of its marching statement before building back up to a repeat of section A once again.
Dynamics
Starting on a moderate forte the march catches the audience attention from the beginning, introducing on a strong note. As the piece goes on it keeps it dynamics although through section A the dynamics in section B can be heard to quiet down to moderate piano, creating a softer and more quiet sound with a lighter more playful mood.
Harmony
The march begins with an anacrusis, before the first bar in the piece. Starting in C major the bass remains fixed to the C throughout the song whilst chords ov...
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...nown chord.
Bars 9 and 10 of the theme return to the original E minor chord along with the same opening melody. But in bars 11-12, the music suddenly heads in a new direction, sounding out three more minor chords that bear no relation to one another. The resulting sound isn’t just unusual. Since the progression is curious, it creates an aura of wonder as well.
Melody
While the first five bars are entirely in the key of E minor, the sixth bar introduces a note foreign to it, F natural. These same intervals are also heard in bars 13-15, now with an extra intervening note. A section’s phrase thereffore end with these strange intervals, which helps impart an air of mystery to the theme.
The melody of the B section differs from that of the A section in where the score changfes from Hedwig’s Theme to actually introduce ‘Nimbus 2000’, the notes getting shorter and faster
music to analyse—in fact, the music runs almost constantly throughout the film without very little
In the film the music is very important. At the beginning it is set at
Music is has a big impact on animated movies. Without it, the movies would be very bland and wouldn’t have as much emotion. Music
The piece modulates to the dominant chord near the end. Variation 1 The similarities of Variation 1 to the theme are that it has mainly the same notes, the same structure and the same modulation. The same dotted notes are still obvious and the same chords are used. However there are many differences in Variation 1 to the theme too.
In bars 9-13, it is evident that Bach had thought of the bass prior to the creation of the right-hand harmony, letting it remain the same from previous measures. Afterwards, in mm. 22-25, the move to the subdominant is emphasized by using extensive scales instead of the florid counterpoints. The inversion of bars 9-13 is then found in bars 26-29. Bars 26-34 recall the original key, modulating from subdominant D flat back to A flat, restating the main subject of the prelude. The fugue’s subject is introduced in the tenor voice, with the answer being in the bass. After a fairly prolonged codetta, the subject and answer comes in, in treble and alto respectively. Much of the piece is based on the counterpoint found in bar 2. Throughout the piece, there are five episodes. Bars 7-10 are formed on the counterpoint found in bar 2. The second episode is based from bar 3, with an inversion of the third voice; an inverted version is later identified in episode 4. Another inversion of the second is established in bars 14-17. At last, bars 25-27 is constructed from the passage of semiquavers in bars 2-3 in tenor, with the addition of treble and alto
The first movement is in sonata form - Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso. Strings and horns appear from the distance as if they had already been playing out of earshot. The music gradually intensifies in volume until the final explosion into the first subject. Then this whole process is repeated. The first movement shows a contrast of emotion that seems to return in the recapitulation before moving firmly into the minor in the coda, with the movement ending with an emphatic statement based on the first subject.
The second tune comes in in bar 25 with the Oboes a third apart, a
This section represents a tranquil interval. It is a summer evening in the country and he hears two shepherds piping. The tranquil moment of the quiet summer evening alone with the pastoral duet fills his heart with an unfamiliar calm. Suddenly she appears and her appearance causes an emotional response of sorrowful loneliness. The 4th movement: March to the Scaffold.
There are two main rhythmic ideas that are present in this piece. The first is the regular rhythmic pulse in the pianos and mallet instruments
...ers and the audience. The dramatic nature of this piece alone is something to be reckoned with as it is extremely passionate. The symphony is presented in 4 movements as is common and begins with a Poco Sostenuto- Vivace, followed by a Allegretto movement, Presto movement, and finally ends on an Allegro con brio movement. the central theme of this piece is introduced in the first movement by a flute playing in tripple meter continuously ascending up the scales rising in dynamic contrast, continuing to grow into a louder and more stark contrast between it’s highs and lows. Consistently dance like, the piece is celebratory of its roots buried in historical Austrian music that has been present in the culture for years. The accomplishments of the soldiers for which the piece was composed for are easily told of simply by the energy and power present throughout the piece.
Music can decipher a narrative event by indicating a perspective. To unify a set of diverse images and provide rhythmic and formal continuity and momentum, a film’s structure is more often than not, directly articulated by a musical structure. Music can assist the dialogue and visuals of film and often is inaudible (e.g. music is meant to be heard unconsciously, not consciously). Music has been used by directors to reinforce or strengthen certain weak scenes in film and then on the other hand when music is not needed to reinforce a scene
...re was very interesting transitions between the variation, for example, string section plays the variation from low to high, when they reach the highest note, the brass family takes over and continue with the scale and make it more higher. Tremolo style was used in this piece, which is a quick ups and downs stroke mode. The music were very soothing and attracted the audience. Lastly, they end the piece with the same variations that was played at the beginning.
...chestral introduction with an imperfect cadence. A strong rhythmic ¾ allegro passage, with sequences and descending scales is played by the orchestra, with timpani and cymbals. The music modulates, and a short, quiet woodwind passage is then alternated with an orchestral passage with dotted rhythms, creating a `terraced dynamics' effect. Part B begins with a major clarinet melody accompanied by pizzicato strings. A minor flute sequence follows, and is followed by a repetition of the oboe melody. A string sequence is then played, imitated by the oboe. There is a crescendo, then the rhythmic orchestral melody returns, alternated with a short flute passage. There are suspensions, descending scales and a crescendo, followed by a strong rhythmic passage with the timpani playing on the beat. Imperfect cadences are played, before the piece finishes with a perfect cadence.
... then plays allegro passages of semi quavers, accompanied by timpani and descending scales in the woodwind. The clarinet, takes over the main melody whilst the cello accompanies with sequences. The French horn takes over the melody, accompanied by the strings. The flute briefly plays the melody before the cello plays octaves, accompanying the woodwind as they play a reprise of the DSCH theme and the timpani crashes. Repeating the themes in the first movement, the cello plays the DSCH motif followed by the "tate ta, tate ta" rhythm in the strings. The horn then plays the theme in augmentation, whilst the cello plays passages of ascending and descending scales, and the theme is heard again in the strings. The movement builds up with the motif appearing increasingly often in the woodwind and strings and climaxes with octaves by the soloist and a boom from the timpani.
The importance of music in movies is highly regarded for manipulating the viewer’s emotions and helping them immerse into the story. Music is one of the prime elements in cinema. Without it a movie would feel dull and unexciting. There are three elements in a movie: one is acting, the second is picture, and the third one is music. It is a holy trinity; if incomplete, there would be a lack of sensation and excitement. Both acting and picture can stand independently from one another, but music is the one that makes the movie memorable.