Lecture 6: MUSIC 246

1930s - The Great Depression

Depression era films were often spectacular or escapist The Adventures of Robin Hood, Lost Horizon (1937), The Wizard of Oz (1939) However, everything changes in 1940s

Into The 1940s

• the 1940s: interest in stories that are more “realistic”
• psychological drama, complex motivation/more complex, character driven narrative
• the “dark side” of the human condition

Film Noir

• The french couldn’t see what America was making because they were fighting the war
• influenced by German Expressionism
  • Expressionism: shot in black and white and utilize the contrast between black and white.
• during the 1930s many German directors fleeing the Nazis end up in the Hollywood
• dominates most of 1940s during WW2

Miklos Rosza

Slowly in Hollywood, fantasy dies down. Composer starts to turns to dissonances.

Double Indemnity (1944)

(watch it sometime, plot is interesting)

• Film noir
• short themes - unpredicatable - unsetlling
• greater use of dissonance
• moving away from clear tonality → Video Example: Double Indemnity Saves music to when The woman comes in, moving away from major scale jumping out theme, ugly people doing vicious things, music is reflecting the darker level of characters Paramount said: sounds like concert hall music(Carnegie: does more and more dissonance in music)

Spellbound and The Lost Weekend (1945)

Film Noir

• Both nominated for Academy Awards (SB won).
• Both films are psychological in nature, dealing with disturbed characters.
• Both used the Theremin.
  • One of the first times we see the use of an electronic instrument in a film score.
  • Theremin Virtuoso Clara Rockmore video playing it.
    • i dropped my jaw

Spellbound theremin

theremin plus love scene

The Lost Weekend (1945)

Video Example: Lost Weekend

• Transition from consonance to dissonance
• First at the bar , the bartender tolds him his main character should off himself, but Burnam refutes and says he’s going back to write it.
  • love theme, positive music
• dramatic scene in apartment, slowly deteriorates, unsettling up to battle music sort of.
  • playing struggle of main character Burnam looking for alcohol, panic, battle in his head
• steals money to pay for a bill for alcohol at the bar
  • pop piano music in the background, only source music, don’t make the scene dramatic and big however, makes him pathetic.
• gets caught
  • music stops
• The theremin

Note

Rosza is also an important composer of the 1950s - but he would be remembered for scoring a very different kind of picture than film Noir. Introduction to dissonance First electronic music in film music

1940s more American born composers

In Hollywood: Bernard Hermann, David Raksin

David Raksin

Modern Times (1935)

• Raskin’s work in film music started with Charlie Chaplin 1935 music for Modern Times.
• Charlie Chaplain is a self-taught musician
  • gets David Raksin to transcribe his music

Laura (1944)

Director Otto Preminger (German Expressionist) wanted “Sophisticated Lady” by Duke Ellington

• Raskin composes own theme (famous heartbreak story).

• psychological thriller (who-done-it)

• motivations and misdirection

• Monothematic - based on a single theme

• Credit sequence, after credit sequence into diegisis

  • music coming to a close, fools us, keeps going.

• Non-European sound - based on American popular music.

• Music not driving the suspense, more like the ghost or the “ideal” of Laura.

• Also gives insight into the mind of McPherson

Video Example: Laura 1

Opening Credits - Monologue

• Focus on th eportrait of Laura - sophisticate / urban - almost

meta diegetic: film stands between the two, hearing his thoughts

• Credit sequence, after credit sequence into diegisis
  • music coming to a close, fools us, keeps going.
  • we get into his thoughts, meta diegetic.
  • creates anticipation PEDAL POINT: one thing/part stays the same, another is changing
• Musical theme linked to Laura - Orchestral but pop/jazz influenced. Theme (with lyrics) was a major popular music hit
• ”Pedal Point”
• Where does the cue end?
  • when the first dialogue kicks in. diegetic world comes in, that’s ends the music

Video Example: Laura 2

Restaurant scene Lydecker’s Story Part A

• source music is Laura’s theme
• trnasiitons to score with the story
  • band music to orchestral music
  • source to score music transition
• First view in Laura
  • clothes she wears is out of fashion
  • doesn’t fit her
• dialogue between Lydecker and Laura is scored with a waltz - why?
• When do we hear Laura’s theme?
  • she walks over and sees Lydecker for the first time.
  • music stops / shift when she’s making the presentation
    • waltz, piece in 3.
• Laura’s theme comes back when she drops the act.
  • very subtle change

Video Example: Laura 3

(Really important scene) Scene 3; Lydecker’s Story Part B

• Theme grows in complexity as Laura’s career grows.
• But notice that Laura doesn’t speak - Lydecker and the music speak for her.
• Montage - the music helps create a sense of continuity.
• Again, a seamless transition between source and source.
• Lydecker is a collector, for him, Laura is just another belonging.

Video Example: Laura 4

Scene 4: The Apartment

• music is a balance between following the action and reflecting McPherson’s internal state as he searches the apartment.
  • gives insight into McPherson’s internal feelings
  • music becomes agitated as he gets agitated.
• note how the music is connected to the portrait.
  • Laura’s theme comes on whenever the portrait is in the shot.
• Hitting the action with the lights

Note

Take away: First example of the first example of electronic manipulation of an acoustic instrument in a recording studio.

• What happens when Laura returns to the apartment?
  • Nothing.
  • Why not? Because this is the real Laura. That theme is the idealized Laura. The idealized Laura is dead, not part of this world.
  • Big difference between this real woman than the real Laura, whiny. Beautiful film that focuses on one theme, monthematic. Good examples of composers, to where and where not to play.

The objectivication of woman My prof: It’s 1944 so it’s time for a drink.