The role and the significance of Wagner’s music in Trier’s Melancholia
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The role and the significance of Wagner’s music in Trier’s “Melancholia” ELLI PAPAGRIGORIOU PANTEION UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCES [email protected]
The role and the significance of Wagner’s music in Trier’s Melancholia
1. The role and the significance of Wagners music in Triers
Melancholia ELLI PAPAGRIGORIOU PANTEION UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL AND
POLITICAL SCIENCES [email protected]
2. Initial assumption & Structure of presentation the
choice of this music and the way in which it is used in the film
contribute to the final cinematic and aesthetic result Why Wagner?
Why Tristan and Isolde? How is music/ sound used? Interdisciplinary
approach to the research question 3 thematic analysis sections: 1.
Wagner and Trier as carriers of Aesthetics 2. Correlation between
Tristan and Isolde and Melancholia 3. Use of sound and music in the
film
3. Aesthetics RICHARD WAGNER Context of Romanticism Union of
arts Mischgedichte Gesamtkunstwerk Leitmotivs LARS VON TRIER -
Melancholia 2 antithetical axes: Romanticism and Stylization
Romanticism: internal, use of music Stylization: external, use of
speech and sound effects
4. Similarities & Differences Catharsis through death
Longing for death Silent disaster Internal action and content The
wedding as the beginning of the drama Nocturnal hours Point of
divergence: Liebestod VS inability to love
5. Use of music: General remarks Music in Melancholia: 1) as
film narrative 2) as signifier of emotion 3 types of sounds in
cinema: 1) music 2) speech 3) sound effects Sound collaborates with
mise en scne, photography and editing on the formation of film s
meaning Wagner s music is the only nondiegetic sound Non innovative
use of music Structure of the movie: 1) Prologue 2) Main part 3)
Epilogue
6. Prologue
7. Main part : Music as narrative
8. Main part : Music as Signifier of emotion
9. Main part : Music as Signifier of emotion
10. Conclusion Every music can be film music. Chion Each music
can have a different impact on the film In the case of Melancholia
movie: 1. music expresses the Romanticism against the Stylization
2. Music as narrative aesthetics, content, meaning 3. Music as
Signifier of emotion Melancholia (internal and external) 4. not
innovative use of music Hollywood rules of leitmotiv (Gorbman)
