Understanding the Leitmotif
eBook - PDF

Understanding the Leitmotif

From Wagner to Hollywood Film Music

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Understanding the Leitmotif

From Wagner to Hollywood Film Music

About this book

The musical leitmotif, having reached a point of particular forcefulness in the music of Richard Wagner, has remained a popular compositional device up to the present day. In this book, Matthew Bribitzer-Stull explores the background and development of the leitmotif, from Wagner to the Hollywood adaptations of The Lord of The Rings and the Harry Potter series. Analyzing both concert music and film music, Bribitzer-Stull explains what the leitmotif is and establishes it as the union of two aspects: the thematic and the associative. He goes on to show that Wagner's Ring cycle provides a leitmotivic paradigm, a model from which we can learn to better understand the leitmotif across style periods. Arguing for a renewed interest in the artistic merit of the leitmotif, Bribitzer-Stull reveals how uniting meaning, memory, and emotion in music can lead to a richer listening experience and a better understanding of dramatic music's enduring appeal.

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Yes, you can access Understanding the Leitmotif by Matthew Bribitzer-Stull in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Media & Performing Arts & Opera Music. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half-title
  3. Title page
  4. Copyright information
  5. Dedication
  6. Table of contents
  7. List of music examples
  8. List of tables
  9. Preface
  10. Acknowledgments
  11. 1 Introduction: the leitmotif problem
  12. Part I Musical themes
  13. Part II Musical association
  14. Part III Leitmotifs in context
  15. Works cited
  16. Index