Classical Music in Films

Classical Music in Films

Importance of Classical Music in Films

  • Classical music helps establish a mood or atmosphere and affects the emotional response from the viewer.
  • Filmmakers have used classical music to portray historical periods, to heighten emotions, and to connect with universal human experiences.
  • A well-chosen classical piece can evoke specific responses and complement visual imagery.
  • Classical scores can highlight the narrative structure of a film, demonstrating ups and downs, climaxes, and resolutions.

Examples of Classical Music in Films

  • Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey famously used Richard Strauss’s “Also sprach Zarathustra” and Johann Strauss II’s “The Blue Danube Waltz”.
  • Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now used Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries”.
  • Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho had a score composed by Bernard Hermann that is iconic and considered ‘classic’ in its own right.

Features of Classical Music Used in Films

  • Use of leitmotifs: This is a recurring musical theme associated with a particular person, place, or idea, a method often used in classical music.
  • Use of orchestra: Classical music typically relies on a large orchestra, adding dramatic weight to scenes.
  • Symphonic structure: Film scores often follow classical forms like sonata, symphony, or suite formats.
  • Melodicism: Classical music often employs strong, memorable melodies, which are an integral aspect of film scoring.

Role and Function of Classical Music in Films

  • Characterisation: Music can be used to give insight into a character’s personality or feelings.
  • Setting: Classical music can set the time or place, particularly in period dramas.
  • Suspense and climax: Classical pieces can ramp up the tension in a scene or be used to signal the climax of a narrative.
  • Transition: Music can be used as a transition between scenes, guiding the viewer through a non-linear narrative and helping to maintain continuity.

Analysis and Understanding

  • Always consider why a certain piece of classical music has been chosen for a scene: think about the mood, the themes and the historical context.
  • Reflect upon the effect the music has on the viewer and how it guides the interpretation of the film.
  • Note the timing and placement of music within a film: how it starts, when it gets louder, when it pauses, etc.
  • Examine the relation of the music to the storytelling: does the music hint at what is going to happen, does it coincide with the actions on screen or contradict them, and why?
  • Understand the concept of source music (music emanating from a source within the film’s world) vs score music (background music that only the audience can hear).