What does leitmotif mean?
Definition of leitmotif 1 : an associated melodic phrase or figure that accompanies the reappearance of an idea, person, or situation especially in a Wagnerian music drama. 2 : a dominant recurring theme.
What does leitmotif mean in music?
recurring musical theme
leitmotif, German Leitmotiv (“leading motive”), a recurring musical theme appearing usually in operas but also in symphonic poems.
What is a leitmotif in literature?
Leitmotif is a term originating from opera, where it referred to a recurring melody that played along with a character or allusion to a theme whenever one or the other appeared on stage. Once more commonly spelled leitmotiv, it derives from the German words for “leading” (leit) and “motive” (Motif).
What is the difference between theme and leitmotif?
As nouns the difference between theme and leitmotif is that theme is a subject of a talk or an artistic piece; a topic while leitmotif is (music) a melodic theme associated with a particular character, place, thing or idea in an opera.
How do you use leitmotif in a sentence?
Leitmotif sentence example
- This curse, the Leitmotif of the whole story, began to operate at once.
- Inspired by the rich architecture of Wagner’s music on an epic story, Williams chose to score the first Star Wars and subsequent films using leitmotif .
Which famous composers did John Williams borrow from in his soundtrack to Star Wars?
Wagner: The original franchise king The ultimate influence on Williams’s vision for Star Wars was Richard Wagner, whose Ring cycle combines a wealth of musical ideas that would inform Williams’s work.
What is the German term for solo voice and piano?
The German tradition of art song composition is perhaps the most prominent one; it is known as Lieder. In France, the term mélodie distinguishes art songs from other French vocal pieces referred to as chansons.
What is Darth Vader’s leitmotif?
The Imperial March Inspired by Chopin’s funeral march and Holst’s Martian music, this leitmotif signals Darth Vader and the Empire are coming.
What’s an example of a “leitmotif”?
Jaws (1975) – Composed by John Williams. If playback doesn’t begin shortly,try restarting your device.
Which phrase best defines a leitmotif?
zählbares Substantiv. A leitmotif in something such as a book or film or in a person’s life is an idea or an object which occurs again and again. [formal] The title of one of Dietrich’s best-known songs could serve as the leitmotif for her life. Synonyme: theme, idea, strain, phrase Weitere Synonyme von leitmotif.
What is another word for leitmotif?
leit·mo·tif. also leit·mo·tiv (līt′mō-tēf′) n. 1. A melodic passage or phrase, especially in Wagnerian opera, associated with a specific character, situation, or element. 2. A dominant and recurring theme, as in a novel.
What is etymological meaning of leitmotif?
Leitmotif. A leitmotif or leitmotiv is a “short, constantly recurring musical phrase” associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of idée fixe or motto-theme. The spelling leitmotif is an anglicization of the German Leitmotiv, literally meaning “leading motif”, or perhaps more accurately