[78-L] OT Musical genres^

[Jeff Sultanof]

This is a highly complex question as it is based on association more than
anything else, association that most of us already know. Maury Deutsch had a
wonderful book on this concept for composers called Psychological
Associations, which is still available. He would use polytonality in a scene
if a main character was schizophrenic, to use an example. That is why the 12
tone technique (Schonberg's, not Spud Murphy's) was perfect for the movie
"The Cobweb," which was about a mental institution.

On a very basic level, if you are watching a movie or TV show and the scene
is happy, the composer will usually write music that is in a major key,
unhappy would indicate minor (remember I am talking very basic now; this
idea is still taught in schools).

Many years ago, the cue sheet was 'invented.' (It is still being argued who
actually did it first). I understand that 'indian' music was characterized
by some of the melodies from different tribes transcribed for a book in 1905
(which I have somewhere) and the person making up the cue sheet would either
compose a melody similar to what was in the book, or a book written by Erno
Rapee was referenced. Rapee wrote a huge book of music cues that sold
widely. So the short answer is: someone somewhere used a particular style
for a mood and it just kept getting imitated so an association was created.
Composers imitated them for years because they work. Would you score a big
spectacle with a kazoo or chamber orchestra? Associations last longer than
we believe.

To use a modern example, sometime in the eighties Mark Shaiman scored a
comedy in a particular style. I have seen few comedies since that did not
imitate the instrumentation and the light, cute music he wrote (primarily
because directors are not musicians and want what they've heard elsewhere).
During the golden era of movies, comedies would be scored in many different
ways. So a modern association has been created that every director wants and
audiences are used to and understand on a visceral level.

That's a start anyway.

Jeff Sultanof

> > _______________________________________________
> I still haven't had a answer to my question. When I said "musical
> devices", I didn't mean "instruments". I meant what goes into a musical
> composition that one instantly recognises as being of a particular
> genre? How do I recognise "Seafaring" or "Red Indian" music. I note
> Sousa incorporated the latter into his 1896 march "New Mexico".
>
>       Julian Vein
>
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