Musical Narratives: Thematic Combination and Alignment in Fantasy and Superhero Films

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dc.contributor.advisorRodgers, Stephen
dc.contributor.authorEschenfelder, Melinda
dc.date.accessioned2019-09-18T19:21:37Z
dc.date.available2019-09-18T19:21:37Z
dc.date.issued2019-09-18
dc.description.abstractMusical themes in film are often transformed in ways that reflect major plot developments. Film music scholars typically explore such transformations across an entire film. However, this broad analytical brush misses the intricate ways themes can reflect narrative development in a single scene. In this thesis, I provide two musical techniques that demonstrate this intricacy. I first examine how themes are used in superhero battle sequences to outline the battle’s internal development and its function in the film’s overall plot. Case studies include Captain America (2011) and Wonder Woman (2017). Second, I explore how preexisting themes are combined into a new theme using musical techniques that reflect the relationship between the themes’ subjects, looking closely at “Anakin’s Theme” from the Star Wars saga and “The Edge of Night” from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. These two techniques reveal the complexity with which themes and narrative development can be intertwined.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/24878
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregon
dc.rightsAll Rights Reserved.
dc.subjectFilm Musicen_US
dc.subjectFilm Music Themesen_US
dc.subjectFilm Studiesen_US
dc.subjectLord of the Ringsen_US
dc.subjectStar Warsen_US
dc.subjectSuperhero Filmsen_US
dc.titleMusical Narratives: Thematic Combination and Alignment in Fantasy and Superhero Films
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
thesis.degree.disciplineSchool of Music and Dance
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Oregon
thesis.degree.levelmasters
thesis.degree.nameM.A.

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